Heidi

“It’s a chair specially for me […].”

Grandfather’s carpentry skills are not just one of his unique attributes but also a way that he shows love to Heidi and others. By making her a chair, he not only physically creates a place for her at his table but also makes her feel emotionally like a part of his family. Grandfather also uses his carpentry skills later to help Grannie and to make chairs for the Sesemann’s visit.

“She gazed so intently at the mountain peaks that soon they seemed to her to have faces and to be looking at her like old friends.”

Heidi has a childlike perception of nature, where everything appears to come alive to her. The author uses the anthropomorphosis of natural elements to explore the theme of Romanticism in nature and seeing the natural world as a place of refuge for humans. The mountains become Heidi’s friends as they help her heal from her past trauma, and their memory brings her comfort when she is in Frankfurt.

“Peter, Peter! A fire, a fire! The mountains are on fire, and the snow and the sky too.”

Like most children, Heidi is very literal, and since she has never witnessed a majestic sunset against the mountains, she thinks the red glow it casts on everything is a blazing fire. The moment is a turning point for Heidi, as the sunset casts a spell on her, and she falls in love with the landscape around her. The fiery sunset sets her heart ablaze for her new home.

“She looks like a rosy apple.”

Grannie is blind and asks Bridget to describe Heidi’s physical appearance, and she compares her to an apple. Food is a pervasive motif in the novel that symbolizes life, abundance, and health. Comparing Heidi to a crisp, red apple conveys her joyous personality and cherubic countenance. Like delicious food, Heidi brings sustenance and life to everyone she meets.

“She will grow up with the goats and the birds. They won’t teach her any bad ideas, and she’ll be very happy.”

Education is an important motif in the narrative, as it symbolizes, for some characters, a civilized life. Grandfather does not see the need for formal education and thinks Heidi is learning what is important by being in nature and tending to the goats. He associates a rigid formal education with the townsfolk, who have discarded him for not fitting into their perception of a good person.

“But of course you will learn to read—everyone has to […].”

Clara’s words become prophetic, as reading becomes an important part of the narrative arc. Though Grandfather kept her from attending a formal school, when Heidi learns to read in Frankfurt, it changes her life. Consequently, she changes Peter’s life when she passes along the knowledge of the alphabet to him, and he also becomes literate.

“She ran from window to window frantically, trying to open them, like a wild bird in a cage, seeking a way through the bars to freedom.”

The author uses figurative language to describe Heidi’s plight while staying in Frankfurt. Though she is staying in a beautiful home with her own bedroom and lush bedding, she is like a caged animal yearning for freedom. Heidi belongs in nature, not inside a home in the city.

“Sebastian was laughing so much, he had to wait outside the door to compose himself before he could come in. He had seen one of the kittens peeping out of Heidi’s pocket as he was handing a plate and knew there was bound to be trouble.”

The introduction of the servants Tinette and Sebastian adds an element of interest and humor to the narrative. While Tinette is loyal to Rottenmeier and in turn detests Heidi, Sebastian is enchanted by their little houseguest, and her innocent social snags and childlike wonder humor him, and he secretly relishes in how Heidi’s behavior exasperates Rottenmeier.

“[…] at the bottom of the cupboard—a cupboard meant for clothes, Adelheid—I found a great pile of stale dry rolls. Fancy hoarding food away like that!”

On the mountain, food is scarce, and Heidi understands the importance of not wasting it. However, food is plentiful in Frankfurt, and in her innocence, Heidi thinks she can stockpile the fancy white dinner rolls and take them to Grannie. The instance illustrates Heidi’s giving nature and her naivete. Rottenmeier’s harsh chastisement of the innocent gesture reinforces her cruel nature.

“Since Heidi’s been here, delightful things have happened nearly every day.”

Contrary to Rottenmeier’s report, Clara tells her father that Heidi has brought nothing but happiness and adventure into their home. Herr Sesemann’s initial reason for seeking out a companion for Clara is to ease her boredom during her lessons, and Heidi has done that and more. Heidi’s presence is a delight not only to Clara but to Sebastian also.

“[…] everything about Grandmamma was delightful to Heidi. She had pretty white hair and wore a dainty lace cap, with two broad ribbons which fluttered behind, as though there was always a gentle breeze blowing around her.”

Grandmamma is Rottenmeier’s foil, and her visit is a welcome reprieve for Heidi, as she encourages her and allows her to feel her emotions, as opposed to Rottenmeier’s cruel intimidation and crushing scorn. The author describes Grandmamma as a gentle breeze, whereas later she will describe Rottenmeier as a gusty, destructive gale.

“Time went by, but in the town Heidi scarcely knew whether it was winter or summer. The walls and houses, which were all she could see from the windows, always looked the same […].”

While staying in Frankfurt, Heidi loses all connection to the natural world. The changing of the season is an important part of the rhythms of life on the mountain. However, city life does not require attention to seasonality, save a rotation of clothing or an acknowledgment of certain holidays. Heidi is inherently a child of nature, and she withers away apart from its sensory stimulation.

“[…] Heidi was much more afraid of Tinette than of ghosts, of which indeed she had never heard […].”

Heidi is literal and has no conception of the supernatural, so the threat of a ghost has no effect on her. She is far more fearful of human cruelty, and Tinette, in her loyal to Rottenmeier, treats Heidi as an evil intrusion in the house.

“I can go alone. I know the way all right from there […].”

Having been abandoned by Dete not once but twice, Heidi is accustomed to being left alone to fend for herself. Though Sebastian escorts her to Switzerland, he fails to complete his mission from Herr Sesemann in seeing her all the way home. Fortunately, Heidi is deeply connected to the mountain and its residents, and she can find her way home without his help.

“Bring me the good robe and put it on him, and a ring for his finger and shoes for his feet. Fetch the calf we have fattened and kill it for a feast, and we will eat and be merry, for my son was dead to me and is alive again, he was lost and is found.”

In the Biblical Book of Luke, Jesus uses a parable, which is a simple story with a religious lesson, to teach his followers. The parable of the prodigal son tells the story of a young man who squanders his inheritance on foolish, worldly things and must return home destitute and starving to beg for his father’s forgiveness. Heidi first learns the story from Grandmamma, and the pictures of the shepherd move her to tears. She shares the story with Grandfather, and it inspires him to pray and ask God for forgiveness.

“He turned to go, but was prevented by the arrival of Miss Rottenmeier, her shawl blown out like a sail by the strong wind.”

The author uses a simile to describe Rottenmeier’s presence in the room being like a stormy wind. Like a destructive gale, she tears through the house and incites fear and shame in everyone. Her clothing mimics her stormy personality.

“Our food is simple, but he will agree that the dining-room is fine!”

Eating meals together is a symbolic motif in the novel. One of the first activities Heidi and Grandfather do is share a meal. One of the ways he cares for her is to ensure that she is eating enough nutritious food. Along with the simple, healthy fare, they often take their meals outside, where they have the added benefit of the idyllic scenery, and in this scene, they share the tradition with their guest Dr. Classen.

“You see, when somethings’ awfully bad, you don’t know about the good bit coming, and you think it’s going on for ever.”

Heidi notices the doctor’s sadness and uses the moment to share her faith philosophy. She learned from Grandmamma that God does not always answer prayers immediately because He knows what is best for everyone and works it out in His timing. Heidi’s experience has also taught her that there can be lessons in the waiting period.

“The moon shining on the snow made it as light as day. Peter got on his sleigh, with Heidi behind him, and they skimmed down the hill like a couple of birds.”

The author illustrates the importance of the seasons on mountain residents, and winter can be a difficult time, especially for transportation. Sleds become an invaluable method of moving up and down the snow-packed mountain, but they are also a source of childish fun. The author uses figurative language to describe the freedom the children feel as they zoom down the hill.

“It seemed to her that all those tiny creatures were singing, ‘We’re on the mountain! We’re on the mountain!’ in tune with her own heart.”

Heidi’s return to the mountain brings a renewed love of nature, and she intensifies her attention to the details of the world around her. In this scene, she puts her ear close to the ground to hear the insects. Most children see bugs as icky or frightening, but Heidi sees them as her equals, fellow residents of the mountain who all sing the same love song for their home.

“[…] how long they must have stood there looking down on the valley below, while generation after generation of men came and went, were born and died, and they stood fast, for ever stretching upwards to the sky.”

The trees that have made such an impact on Heidi now also mesmerize Grandmamma. The author personifies the trees, giving them human-like qualities and making them appear as guardians over the mountain.

“As long as I can remember I’ve only eaten because I had to. Everything tasted of cod-liver oil, and I used to wish I didn’t have to eat at all. And here, I can hardly wait for your grandfather to bring my milk.”

The simple food of the mountain, particularly goat’s milk, becomes like medicine for Clara to strengthen her body. Life on the mountain is fuller and more colorful than that of Frankfurt city life, and Clara learns to appreciate the simple joy of eating and drinking.

“I have a share too in your joy at your daughter’s recovery. In that lies my reward.”

When Herr Sesemann offers to compensate Grandfather for helping Clara, Grandfather’s response reveals the depths of his character. He cares for Clara with the same tenderness as if she were his daughter. His only request is that Herr Sesemann does the same for Heidi when he can no longer provide for her needs. The scene is a heartening moment where two men from vastly different social levels find common ground in the love of two children.