A Mark in History

In “The History of Love,” Leo is afraid of disappearing. He does not want to become invisible. Perhaps this is one of the reasons that he writes. Writing fiction allows him to be immortal in a sense. Those who find and read his work, much like Alma, will perceive him. At the end of the story, Leo seems to have trouble perceiving reality. When he meets another Alma, he taps and pokes her to make sure that she is real, even though he knows that it is not his Alma. Perhaps he has lost his sense of reality because he has lost himself in his writing? Either way, it is clear that he wishes to be perceived, and even though he is not perceived by his love, he kind of gets his wish.