Mortality and Memory

The memoir is framed by the death of the narrator's mother and father, and she repeatedly contemplates ghosts, graves, and the persistence of memory, seeking to be remembered 'as if we had shared the world on equal terms.'

The dedication invokes the memory of the author's mother, directly engaging with themes of loss and remembrance.

The chapter is built on vivid childhood memories, the death of great-aunt Kitilda, and the mother's 'absentness' foreshadowing loss.

The discovery of the maggot-ridden mole carcass and the killing of the wren force the narrator to confront death and decay.

The chapter is dominated by the mother's death and the father's subsequent decline and death, with the narrator reflecting on her memories and regrets.