If it wasn’t for the narrator that tells the story of her life when she was young and the struggle of her illness, the protagonist of the story could be easily be Anita, her mother.  Lauren build this story around her mother “My mother believe that will, not love, was what made the world go around, and I agree.” (27) This phrase clearly tells the influence of the Anita on her daughter Lauren.  As it was mentioned in class there are parts on this novel that can be related to short stories read before like for example “Two kinds” by Amy Tan where the mother forces her daughter to learn to play piano, but she refuses her mother’s  wishes. In this story the situation almost the same with the only difference that Lauren wants to make her mother happy ” “Spin,” she would shout, and I did it. The more It hurt, the better I was.” (28)

Lauren can recognize a seizure before it happens, she can also imagine things as she goes through the process of a seizure. “and the smell came, bad like a sewer when it’s open” “and the ski was falling on me as I sank below the surface of the pond and I saw the boy down there in the murk” A difficult task to believe whether her situation is real o just part of her imagination.

Her father is the only one who supports her and give her advice when she is feeling sad about her illness. There is a parable he uses to raise his daughter’s spirit. ” And the rabii, who was a wise men, shrugged and said , sickness is sickness. The sun is the sun, laughter is laughter and tears just tears. There is never a need to make more of God’s world than what it is.”(38) Interesting though, full of good advice and positive messages to make Lauren feel better after what happen at the funeral home.