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theguardian.com

The Leech Metaphor

A personal essay exploring the metaphor of leeches to represent life's relentless demands and the human need for connection.

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English

United Kingdom

Labour MarketUkNatureIdentityChildhoodMetaphorHuman Experience

GuardianScribner Australia

Helen SullivanWilliam Wordsworth

What role does Wordsworth's poem play in the text?: Wordsworth's poem about leech-gatherers provides a counterpoint to the author's personal experiences, offering a sense of historical context and the cyclical nature of life's demands.
What is the significance of the anecdote about the author's daughter?: The leech incident with the author's daughter serves as a powerful anecdote illustrating the vulnerability and fragility of childhood, highlighting the parental instinct to protect.
What is the central metaphor used in the text and how does it function?: The author uses the metaphor of leeches to describe the relentless demands of life and the feeling of being constantly pulled in different directions.
What is the implication of the concluding statement, "We are all leeches now?": The concluding statement that "We are all leeches now" suggests a universal experience of needing sustenance and connection, even if it involves clinging to precarious realities.
How does the author's personal experience with a leech as a child contribute to the overall meaning?: The author's personal experience with a leech at age 11 connects to her later reflections on the pervasive feeling of being "like a leech," constantly seeking something to attach to.

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