At the Back of the North Wind · Chapter
XI: How Diamond Got Home Again explained
Diamond, longing to return home after being at the back of the North Wind, discovers he can observe his loved ones from a special tree.
What happens
Diamond, longing to return home after being at the back of the North Wind, discovers he can observe his loved ones from a special tree. He finds North Wind still sitting on her doorstep, and after a brief reunion, she transforms into various animals to lead him south. Finally, she takes him in her arms and they fly homeward.
Themes in this chapter
Home and Belonging
Diamond's strong desire to return to his mother and home drives the chapter.
Faith and Trust
Diamond trusts that North Wind will return after her playful transformations, showing his unwavering faith.
Characters to notice
- Diamond
Longs to return home and finds North Wind after seven days.
- North Wind
Sits motionless on her doorstep until Diamond touches her, then transforms into animals to guide him.
- Mother
Diamond sees her crying from the tree, prompting his wish to go home.
Key passages
“When one at the back of the north wind wanted to know how things were going with anyone he loved, he had to go to a certain tree, climb the stem, and sit down in the branches.”
To check on loved ones from the back of the north wind, one must climb a specific tree and sit quietly in its branches.
Describes the method Diamond uses to see his mother.
“I thought I had been a hundred years! exclaimed Diamond. You have just been seven days, returned North Wind.”
Diamond believes he has been away for a century, but North Wind tells him only a week has passed.
Highlights the difference in time perception between the two realms.
“And the tiger flew over the snow in a straight line for the south, growing less and less to Diamond's eyes till it was only a black speck upon the whiteness; and then it vanished altogether.”
The tiger, which is North Wind, races southward, shrinking until it disappears from sight.
Illustrates North Wind's transformation and Diamond's fearless pursuit.