For the first time in a long time I thought about Maman. I felt as if I understood why at the end of her life she had taken a 'fiancé,' why she had played at beginning again. Even there, in that home where lives were fading out, evening was a kind of wistful respite. So close to death, Maman must have felt free then and ready to live it all again. Nobody, nobody had the right to cry over her. And I felt ready to live it all again too.
In this passage, the narrator reflects on their mother, Maman, contemplating her choice to take a "fiancé" near the end of her life. The narrator begins to understand her desire to experience life anew, suggesting that Maman found a sense of freedom in her final days. As life dwindled around her, she sought to reclaim a part of herself, which illuminates her yearning for joy in the face of mortality.
The narrator experiences a sense of empathy towards Maman, realizing that no one should mourn her choices. This revelation evokes a feeling of readiness within the narrator to embrace life again, contributing to a theme of rebirth amidst the inevitability of death. This moment serves as a poignant connection between past and present, showcasing the complexity of emotions associated with aging and the ends of life.
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