Summer · Chapter
XVI explained
Charity returns to the Mountain, the place of her birth, after learning of her mother's death.
What happens
Charity returns to the Mountain, the place of her birth, after learning of her mother's death. She witnesses the bleakness of the settlement and the burial of Mary Hyatt, feeling a profound connection to her origins. Despite Mr. Miles's urging, she decides to stay with her mother's people, accepting her heritage and the harsh reality of her situation.
Themes in this chapter
Isolation and Escape
Charity's journey to the Mountain represents a return to her origins and an escape from the judgment of North Dormer, but also confronts her with a bleak, isolated reality.
The Past and Memory
Charity's reflection on being born on the Mountain and her mother's past underscores the inescapable pull of her origins and the weight of memory.
Shame and Social Stigma
Charity's desire to hide her pregnancy from the village and her decision to stay among the mountain people highlight the stigma attached to her condition.
Characters to notice
- Charity Royall
Returns to the Mountain, witnesses her mother's burial, and decides to stay with her mother's people.
- Mr. Miles
Accompanies Charity to the Mountain, conducts the burial service, and urges her to return with him.
- Liff Hyatt
Guides the way to the Mountain, helps with the burial, and identifies Charity to the old woman.
- Mary Hyatt
Charity's mother, found dead upon Charity's arrival; her burial is the central event of the chapter.
- Bash Hyatt
Mentioned in comparison to the young man at the door, who has a similar 'sodden look'.
Key passages
“As she approached the door she said to herself: 'This is where I was born … this is where I belong. …' She had said it to herself often enough as she looked across the sunlit valleys at the Mountain; but it had meant nothing then, and now it had become a reality.”
Charity realizes that her birthplace on the Mountain, once a distant abstraction, is now a tangible and defining reality.
This moment marks Charity's acceptance of her origins and the harsh truth of her situation.
“She only knew she must save her baby, and hide herself with it somewhere where no one would ever come to trouble them.”
Charity's sole focus is to protect her unborn child and find a secluded place free from societal judgment.
This reveals Charity's desperate determination to shield her baby from the shame and scrutiny of the village.
“I ain't coming: I'm going to stay here. … These are my folks. I'm going to stay with them.”
Charity refuses to leave with Mr. Miles, declaring her intention to remain with her mother's people on the Mountain.
Charity's decision to stay signifies her embrace of her heritage and a rejection of her former life.