Summary Of The Leap By Louise Erdrich

A blind woman jumping out of a burning building. A lonely man in an empty neighborhood. A man on a ledge eleven stories high. How are they similar? How are they different? The settings, conflicts, and characters all convey similarities and differences throughout “The Leap” by Louise Erdrich, “The Pedestrian” by Ray Bradbury, and “Contents of the Dead Man’s Pockets” Jack Finney. Throughout all three stories, all conflicts leave a permanent effect on the protagonists. In “The Leap”, the circus was destroyed. The protagonist, Anna, was left without a career, and the death of her first husband occurred. Anna’s daughter says, “…lightning struck the main pole and sizzled down the guy wires, filling the air with a blue radiance that Harry Avalon

The setting during the flashback in "The Leap" it is at Anna's house, on fire. The daughter is stuck in the house. It is mid-day and the fire is growing by the minute. Anna's daughter says, "Outside, my mother stood below my dark window and saw clearly that there was no rescue. Flames had pierced one side wall, and the glare of the fire lighted the massive limbs and trunk of the vigorous old elm..." The Mood becomes suspenseful, because none of the readers know what is going to happen to her daughter. She is stuck in the burning house and everyone is debating how to safely get her out. The setting in "Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets" is outside Tom's apartment, in the city, during the night. Tom is on the ledge, eleven stories high. The text says, "He understood fully, that he might actually be going to die; his arms, maintaining his balance on the ledge, were trembling steadily now. The mood is now suspenseful, because Tom doesn't know how much longer he can hold onto the ledge. It is late at night, cold, and very high off the ground. He is thinking that he may fall due to his current conditions. The setting of "The Pedestrian" is also at night, in a large city. Leonard is walking alone, and it is becoming colder by the hour. The story says, "Everything went on in the tomb-like houses at night now, he thought, continuing his fancy. The tombs, ill-lit by television light, where the people sat like the dead, the grey or multi-colored lights touching their faces, but never really touching them," The neighborhood feels dead to Leonard. At times, he feels like he is the only one in the entire city. This creates a suspenseful mood, because Leonard feels all alone, when he knows he really isn't. Also, a mysterious police car comes and interrogates him. It is the only police car in the whole city, building speculations as to why it is after Leonard. In all stories, the suspense continues to build