32 pages • 1 hour read
Alice DalglieshThe Bears on Hemlock Mountain
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1952A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
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BetaChapters 7-10Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 7 Summary: “There May Be Bears”
Since his aunt does not know why he has visited, she does not wake Jonathan, and he keeps sleeping. When Jonathan finally wakes up, he realizes how late it is and rushes off to get home. Once he has walked for a while, he remembers why he went to his aunt’s house—for the big iron pot. Feeling silly, he returns. Aunt Emma gladly lends him the pot but is concerned to see Jonathan leave on his own since she believes that there might be bears on the mountain.
Chapter 8 Summary: “Watch Out, Jonathan!”
As Jonathan climbs the mountain, retracing his steps through his footprints in the snow, it begins to get dark. The forest is soon very dark, and he hears branches cracking and owls hooting. He continues to tell himself that there are no bears on the mountain. As Jonathan rests and talks to himself, he sees two huge figures moving toward him. He quickly digs into the snow and lays the pot over himself to hide.
Chapter 9 Summary: “Paws on the Snow”
Jonathan is terrified. He thinks about his parents and if anyone would look for him. He hears the bears walking in the snow nearer and nearer until they are right beside the iron pot, and he can hear them breathing. Jonathan is comforted by the sound of birdsong and feels less alone, but it is still dark and uncomfortable in the pot. He hears the bears sniffing around the pot and must stay still.
Jonathan wishes he had not spent so long eating cookies and had not fallen asleep. He suddenly hears a crunching sound and realizes that someone is coming up the mountain. He hears his father calling for him, and he calls back from under the pot. Frightened, the bears leave, and Jonathan hears the footsteps getting closer.
Chapter 10 Summary: “There ARE Bears”
Jonathan pushes the pot over and is glad to see his father and uncles. He tells his father what happened and points to the bear footprints in the snow, telling him that there are bears on the mountain. The group begins to head down the mountain, and Jonathan reveals why he is so late. He tells his father that the birds, squirrels, and rabbits helped him. They finally arrive home, where Jonathan’s mother is relieved to see him. He tells her about the bears and proudly sets the big iron pot on the floor.
Chapters 7-10 Analysis
In the story’s final chapters, Dalgleish adds to the tension in the story by highlighting Jonathan and Aunt Emma’s fears about bears. As Jonathan leaves Aunt Emma’s house, she warns him, “‘Do not waste time going over the mountain’” (Chapter 7). This makes Jonathan feel “quite sure she [i]s thinking about bears” (Chapter 7). Aunt Emma voices her fears in private to her cat, saying worriedly that there may be bears on the mountain. These hints increase the suspense about whether Jonathan will be safe.
Jonathan’s youthful distractibility also adds to the suspense of the story. The author personifies the clock in Aunt Emma’s living room to emphasize the urgency of Jonathan’s situation: “Time went on. Jonathan slept. The sun went lower in the sky. ‘Tick tock!’ said the clock. ‘Time to go!’ But Jonathan went on sleeping” (Chapter 7). By emphasizing time passing while Jonathan remains unaware of it, Dalgleish creates dramatic irony and adds to the story’s growing tension. After all his effort traversing the mountain, Jonathan is hindered by his own immature decision to stop for cookies and a nap. Even when he wakes up and remembers his mother’s warning to be home before dark, he still forgets to get the pot from Aunt Emma, further delaying his trip home.
These delays bring Jonathan into the night and face-to-face with his greatest fear: the bears of Hemlock Mountain. The author addresses the character directly, writing, “Watch out, Jonathan. WATCH OUT!” (Chapter 8). This heightens the danger of the circumstances, pushing the tension to a head. Jonathan’s reaction to the bears, however, shows how he has developed throughout the story: “Jonathan’s hair stood up straight on his head. He thought about a lot of things. He thought of his mother and father and the gray stone farmhouse. Had they missed him? Would they come to look for him?” (Chapter 9). Jonathan’s frightening experiences on the mountain and his ability to overcome his worry and panic bolster the story’s theme of Confronting One’s Fears. While Jonathan tries to “keep up his courage” by denying that there are bears on the mountain (Chapter 8), he still manages to react well when this turns out to be untrue. His strategic thinking shows that he can conquer his fear and take care of himself, which he accomplishes by shielding himself with the pot. The pot represents his family and their relationships, so it is symbolically significant that he uses this to protect himself.
Jonathan’s plight connects to the story’s theme of The Bonds of Family, as his father and uncles come to his rescue on the mountain. Their concern for Jonathan saves his life: “Again his father’s voice came, nearer and louder. ‘HELLO-O-O-OH JON-A-THAN!’ ‘HELLO-O-O-OH PA!’ The bears had had enough of this. They went lumbering off into the woods” (Chapter 9). Dalgleish’s description of Jonathan’s rescue emphasizes his vulnerability and his close relationship with his father: He “r[uns] right into his father’s arms” and explains everything (Chapter 10). Likewise, Jonathan’s mother was “worrying herself sick” about him and gives him an enthusiastic welcome home. His mother’s worry and warm welcome show their mutual affection and the close bonds of their family, which were part of the reason for Jonathan’s journey in the first place.
