The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

“Now Hemlock Mountain was not a mountain at all, it was a hill, and not a very big one. But someone had started calling it Hemlock Mountain, and the name had stuck. Now everyone talked about ‘going over Hemlock Mountain.’”

The author’s description of Hemlock Mountain provides an early understanding of how an eight-year-old boy could climb it on his own. This passage suggests that this wild hill is well-known by locals, who cross it to get to their neighbors’ properties, making it a normal destination for farm kids such as Jonathan.

“Jonathan loved animals and birds. He knew the tracks that each one made in the snow. The small creatures could not find enough to eat, but it was not so with Jonathan’s aunts and uncles and cousins.”

Jonathan is sensitive to the needs of the local wildlife and has a close connection to the little forest creatures he sees around his farmhouse every day. This passage also reveals that Jonathan is part of a large, thriving extended family who often come to his house.

“Young Uncle James was only fourteen years old, so he and Jonathan were friends. Uncle James had eyes that saw and ears that heard. ‘Look,’ he would say to Jonathan. ‘Down by that tree stump is a cottontail.’ Then he and Jonathan were very still. They could see the little brown rabbit washing his face and his ears.”

Jonathan admires Young Uncle James, who loves wildlife and has the patience to observe the birds, squirrels, and rabbits in the woods nearby. These details add to the story’s theme of People and Wild Animals, as Jonathan’s relationship with these animals enlivens his life and brings him comfort throughout the story. Both Jonathan and James exhibit their sensitivity, empathy, and perceptiveness through their connection with these animals.