When faced with certain death, Anna 's quick thinking and wits not only saved her life but also gave life to her child. In the story, "The Leap," Anna shows the concept of "grace under pressure." A concept described by Ernest Hemingway which means someone is being able to react quickly and calmly while in times of stress. Anna was once a trapeze artist who would perform with her husband with the both of them blindfolded. One day during an act, an accident occurred which killed her husband and nearly killed her and her fetus. Even being under so many troubles, Anna managed to get back on her feet and started a new family. During the accident, Anna showed "grace under pressure" by being able to save her own life in a split second. During the act, when her husband 's hands and her 's didn 't touch, Anna "tore her blindfold away" (Erdich, 11). Seeing that her …show more content…
When her husband was going to rush back into the burning house, Anna "asked him to unzip her dress" (Erdich, 13) instead of starting to panic. Even while on the branch "she stood and balanced" (Erdich, 13) getting ready to jump to the window. Although her child was trapped inside the burning house, Anna gave "the friendliest tap" (Erdich, 13) on the window to keep her child from panicking. Knowing her child 's life depended on her staying calm, she kept herself calm and her child as well. Although faced with difficulties with her safety and the safety of her family, Anna showed that she made the right decision every time. In making the right decision, Anna demonstrated the concept of "grace under pressure." Not only did her physical actions showed her ability without not being to let her body shake, Anna also made quick decisions. Those decisions made also used abilities that no one else around her could do, especially while saving her child. Anna really has shown her ability to remain calm and to block out what anyone would