On the Far Side of the Mountain

Alice Gribley is Sam’s younger sister who lives on the mountain with him. She has “bony arms and legs” (10), blonde hair, and blue eyes that sparkle with excitement. She loves nature as much as Sam does, yet her personality contrasts with his even-keeled nature. She is bold, stubborn, and mischievous. She also has a soft spot for animals, shown by the care she gives to her pig, her pet raccoon, and Mrs. Strawberry’s horse. Although Alice is not present for the majority of the narrative, she is thoroughly characterized through Sam’s reflections and journal entries, and her mysterious mission provides the impetus that propels Sam through the twists and turns of the story.

When Alice first decided to stay on the mountain two years ago, Sam thought she would quickly get homesick and leave, but he soon learned he was wrong. Alice is a visionary with ideas for her home and inventions to make her and Sam’s life easier. She is also highly resourceful and hard-working, as evidenced by her creation of a plumping mill that inspires Sam to build the water mill. Sam doesn’t have to take care of her; she is resourceful and capable enough to take care of herself.

Alice’s decision to go to the Helderberg Escarpment shows her bravery and independence, and even though she makes her way through woods and mountains alone, she shows no signs of fear. Instead, she demonstrates her capabilities as a hiker and treats her journey as a game, leaving clues for Sam. Her compasses, in particular, exemplify her know-how. Finally, Alice demonstrates her giving and empathetic nature by acquiring a baby goshawk for Sam as a replacement for Frightful, going to great lengths and risking personal injury to accomplish this goal on her brother’s behalf. Despite the danger of approaching the wild falcons, Alice remains fearless and determined in her mission, and her character demonstrates independence, bravery, and passion for nature. However, this scene also contrasts Alice with her older brother, as her naivete is juxtaposed with his maturity; she does not realize the harm in stealing a wild chick from its parents, while Sam realizes the chick is not for either sibling to keep as a possession. Alice’s well-meaning carelessness is a foil to Sam’s mindfulness, spotlighting his character growth.

Bando is an English teacher at a college near the Hudson River. He and Sam became friends during Sam’s first year on the mountain when Bando would come to help Sam with chores and spend holidays with him. Although Bando is older than Sam, the two characters are close friends, and Bando helped build the water mill. Bando understands Sam’s desire to live in nature and loves the mountain so much himself that he chooses to live in a cabin about two miles away from Sam’s camp, marrying his wife Zella shortly thereafter.

Bando is helpful, kind, and resourceful, and he proves to be a great travel companion for Sam on the journey to find Alice, seeing the hike as an opportunity for adventure. He also proves to be helpful in tracking Alice and is good with maps and directions, but although Bando loves nature, he needs a break from the mountain from time to time and often opts to eat in restaurants and sleep in hotels while Sam remains outdoors, thus providing a foil for Sam’s intense love of immersing himself in the wilderness. At each stage of the journey, Bando’s preferences for restaurant food and a soft bed humorously highlight Sam’s opposing preferences for wild foods and sleeping under the stars.

Zella is Bando’s wife and works as a lawyer. Although she tolerates life in Bando’s “primitive” cabin and makes the best of their lack of electricity, running water, and central heating, she also struggles with the absence of modern conveniences far more than her husband. Bando quickly learns that upgrading the cabin is necessary to keeping his wife happy, a fact that establishes Zella’s indirect role in encouraging the creation of such conveniences as electricity within the all-natural world that Sam and Bando have fully embraced.

Zella’s character exemplifies how one can embrace country life without fully forsaking the civilized world, as Sam has done. For example, Zella keeps her job as a lawyer while living in such a natural and primitive setting, and she actively keeps a toe in both urban and rural environments. Although her knowledge of nature is not as deep as Sam’s or Bando’s, she still offers helpful, logical perspectives and several valuable insights that advance the plot.