HMH Into Literature National /Unit 1 Lesson 4

The Leap
Correction
Short Story
by Louise Erdrich

Analyze the text :

1 INTERPRET
How does paragraph 2 act as a flashback? What clues does it give about the rest of the story?
Paragraph 2 gives the reader an idea about the life of Anna and how she feels about her
accident(the rest of the story)
2 DRAW CONCLUSIONS
In paragraph 9, Anna decides to reach for the hot braided metal rather than for her husband as he
falls. What does this reveal about her character?
Reaching for her husband would mean choosing to die with him as he fell to the ground. By reaching for
the wire, Anna chooses life, which shows her fierce devotion to living. One might conclude that Anna is
capable of taking rational decision during a crisis.

3 IDENTIFY PATTERNS
Identify the leaps in the story. Which leaps are literal? Which are figurative? The Leaps Literal or
Figurative?

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 4 INFER
Review the chart you filled out to track your ideas and inferences as you read this story. Then,
reread paragraph 26. What does the narrator learn from this Memory Moment? What inferences
can you make about the story’s theme or themes?
As the narrator is rescued, she learns the value of love, trust, and faith, especially in extreme
circumstances. The experience suggests the theme that life and love may require us to take some big and
potentially perilous “leaps.” We risk getting hurt, but if we remain calm, self-possessed, and resourceful,
we can make the best of whatever comes.

5 COMPARE
Compare the description of the trapeze accident with the description of the house fire. What do
these descriptions reveal about the mother’s character?
In both instances, Anna bravely attempts to save her child: an unborn child the first time, and then the
narrator as a young child. Both scenes offer evidence of the mother’s bravery, resourcefulness, and
devotion.

6 ANALYZE The narrator speaks Again and Again of the ways that she owes her existence to her
mother. Identify the three ways and describe how this repetition affects the mood of the story.
The repetition reveals the mother’s physical and emotional courage, and her steadfast devotion to her
daughter, and to life itself. The mood is positive and life-affirming

Check understanding :
1) Reread paragraph 9. What inference can be made from Anna’s behavior as her husband
falls past her?
a) She had not really loved her husband that much.
b) Her top priority was to die with her husband.
c) Her first instinct was to survive with her child.
d) She panicked in a life and death situation.

2) This question has two parts. First, answer Part A Then, answer Part B.
Part A Which of the below best explains Anna’s act of bravery in saving her daughter?
a) She has been traumatized by her husband’s death.
b) She feels guilty about not having saved her husband.
c) She reacts calmly to dangerous or stressful situations.
d) She still mourns the death of her unborn child.
Part B Which passage from the story best supports the answer to Part A?
a) “It seems incredible that she would work high above the ground . . . but the
explanation—I know from watching her go blind—is that my mother lives
comfortably in extreme elements.” (paragraph 6)

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 b) “As he swept past her on the wrong side, she could have grasped his ankle . . . and
gone down clutching him. Instead, she changed direction.” (paragraph 9)
c) “She must have hemorrhaged, for they kept her . . . a month and a half before her
baby was born without life.” (paragraph 10)
d) “For after that . . . my mother has never been without a book. Until now . . . and it
remains the greatest difficulty of her blindness.” (paragraph 15)

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