The Bears on Hemlock Mountain

In the novel’s first chapters, the author establishes her setting: rural Pennsylvania in the 1800s. The author creates an idyllic traditional scene of farming families enjoying the abundance of the land by describing Jonathan’s “gray stone farmhouse” where there is always “plenty of food” for him and the whole extended family (Chapter 1). The author describes the meals that Jonathan’s family would have in depth, from the roast birds to the variety of pies. This bucolic setting allows Jonathan’s story to begin in a place of comfort, community, and satisfaction, thus making his impending journey alone over the mountain more daunting by comparison.

The author’s portrayal of traditional family life ties in with her theme of The Bonds of Family. By describing how Jonathan and his mother and father are committed to their different tasks, Dalgleish depicts the family as devoted to each other and the rest of their extended family. For instance, his mother is responsible for doing all the cooking, an enormous task. It is suggested that she sometimes finds it burdensome to feed so many people, but she does so, nonetheless: “Jonathan’s mother liked company but sometimes—oh, once in a while—she wished they did not have so much of it. Or that the aunts and uncles and cousins were not quite so hungry” (Chapter 1). His mother’s willingness to host the family despite the hard work it entails emphasizes her commitment to her relatives and her sense of duty and obligation toward them. Similarly, Jonathan’s father has many tasks on the family farm. The author describes him as a “big man” who “work[s] hard on the farm” feeding the animals and cutting wood (Chapter 3).

Because the parents are both so busy with their tasks, the job of retrieving the iron pot falls to Jonathan. Jonathan is not comfortable going over Hemlock Mountain by himself since he is young and believes that there could be bears on the mountain. He questions, “All alone? They say there are bears on Hemlock Mountain. […] It’s a long way and the pot is heavy […] And bears wake up in the spring” (Chapter 3). This demonstrates how such a task is new to him; despite still being a child, he has reached an age where he can be expected and trusted to complete this job. However, despite his fear, Jonathan also feels obligated to set aside his own preferences and do what is best for the family, and he agrees to go fetch the pot.

Even though the family lives so close to Hemlock Mountain and has crossed it many times, its wild nature still gives it an air of mystery—particularly to Jonathan. His curiosity about the mountain intensifies when his uncle James reveals that he once saw a bear there, long ago. The wild forests of Hemlock Mountain sharply contrast with the familiarity and comfort of Jonathan’s farmhouse, creating suspense in the story, as it’s unclear what Jonathan will encounter when he ventures into the forest by himself. This begins the author’s theme on Confronting One’s Fears, as Jonathan has to overcome his anxiety to complete his task.

Jonathan’s interest and anxiety about bears connect to the story’s exploration of people’s relationships with wild animals. By describing Hemlock Mountain’s snowy ground and abundance of wildlife, the author paints a vivid picture of a cold, spring forest full of beautiful creatures that Jonathan and his uncle James love to watch. Dalgleish writes, “They could see the little brown rabbit washing his face and ears. […] They could see a song sparrow singing on a branch. […] And at last a raccoon came down to the brook. He had an apple in his mouth” (Chapter 2). This idyllic scene conveys that the mountain is a place of wonder and natural beauty, despite the inherent threat of larger, more dangerous animals like bears.

By describing how Jonathan feeds the birds, rabbits, and squirrels, the author shows the easy friendship that people can maintain with animals when they are careful and kind, establishing her theme of People and Wild Animals. Jonathan’s empathy for the animals means that he wants to provide for them and never hurts them. He and his uncle “never threw sticks at the animals, or scared the birds. Soon all the animals and birds were their friends. The squirrel was the best friend of all. He came very near to get nuts from Jonathan” (Chapter 2). This passage deepens the author’s characterization of Jonathan as a friendly and gentle boy who prefers to feed and befriend animals rather than hunt them. As a passionate observer of nature, Jonathan wants to see a bear, telling Young Uncle James, “I would rather see a bear than anything in the world” (Chapter 2). However, Jonathan is also afraid of these large, fierce animals and does not want to encounter one while alone. James foreshadows the climax of the book when he tells Jonathan, “Maybe you will!” (Chapter 2).