The Flowers You Left Us By Annelise Jolley

The death of her mother left the author with a deep sense of loss and sadness. In "The Flowers You Left Us", author Annelise Jolley writes in the first person the emptiness and shock she felt after her mother's death. While struggling to come to terms with the fact that those closest to her have left her forever, she reflects on the complex relationship between memory, identity, and family. she reflects on the complex relationship between memory, identity, and family. Memoirs in memoir are not always accurate, and author Annelise keeps an open mind about this fact. Memories are subject to emotion and bias and are constantly changing because they are inherently subjective and complex. The beauty of memoirs lies in the real emotions that the

(McClennen). The author conveys the emotional truth of her grief over the loss of her mother by portraying details in her memory. “The slight overlap of your front teeth, your thumbnails, your collarbone, your arms so often thrown up in adulation or embrace”. (Jolley). Annelise provides the reader with an immersive reading experience by emphasizing her attention to detail and her desire to convey an accurate and authentic image of her mother as she remembers her. “autobiographers cannot lie because anything they say, however mendacious (dishonest), is the truth about themselves, whether they know it or not”. (Wills). Such description demonstrates how memoirists accurately capture the people and experiences they write about, and how specific details contribute to the overall sense of truth and

As long as a flower remains in the ground, it lives”. (Jolley). Annelise describes the very different ways in which flowers and people experience life and death. For people, being buried in the ground is usually associated with death and decay, while for flowers, being buried in the ground is a necessary, life-giving state. This contrast emphasizes the fragility and brevity of human life, but also the resilience and beauty of the natural world. On the other hand, she highlights the contemplation and introspection of grief and loss, as well as her interest in exploring the complex interplay between life and death, nature, and humanity.

“You left us emptied and startled, our arms full of flowers”. (Jolley). Annelise is lost in life because of the loss of her mother. On the one hand, the image of arms full of flowers suggests abundance and beauty, as if the author and her family were surrounded by all the glory of the natural world. On the other hand, the juxtaposition of such a scene with a sense of emptiness and loss creates tension or contrast, suggesting the complex and conflicting emotions that accompany grief. “Doubt and wonder come to stand as part of the story”