Skip to main content

Which characters are healed when they come to the mountain? How are they healed?

Johanna Spyri’s classic piece of didactic Christian children’s literature Heidi illustrates the tale of Heidi and Clara Sesemann. Heidi travels to Frankfurt to work as a companion for the young invalid Clara. The story culminates when Heidi, who is homesick, decides to go back to her grandfather’s mountain in the Alps. She brings along her companion Clara, and the two young girls are healed—either physically or mentally—through the miraculous nature of the mountain. Heidi is...

Johanna Spyri’s classic piece of didactic Christian children’s literature Heidi illustrates the tale of Heidi and Clara Sesemann. Heidi travels to Frankfurt to work as a companion for the young invalid Clara. The story culminates when Heidi, who is homesick, decides to go back to her grandfather’s mountain in the Alps. She brings along her companion Clara, and the two young girls are healed—either physically or mentally—through the miraculous nature of the mountain. Heidi is no longer homesick once she arrives at the mountain, and she regains her health fairly quickly. The mountain is an idyllic, Edenic place where the young girls heal both spiritually and physically; they eat fresh, wholesome food and frolic in the mountain air. Over time, Clara is eventually able to walk:



“And Clara went on putting one foot out after another until all at once she called out, ‘I can do it, Heidi! look! look! I can make proper steps…. Clara still held on firmly to her supports, but with every step she felt safer on her feet, as all three became aware, and Heidi was beside herself with joy” (192).



This miraculous healing is attributed to Clara’s idyllic surroundings. More than that, though, her recovery is attributed to the Christian God. Indeed, Heidi is often praising the wisdom of God, and she reminds Clara to thank God for her new health:



“Both children said their prayers, and each thanked God in her own way for the blessing He had bestowed on Clara, who had for so long lain weak and ill” (196).



Thus, Heidi and Clara are the two characters who are most healed by the miraculous powers of the mountain, and Clara’s recovery especially is seen as a miracle derived from the power of the Christian God.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more