# The Mountain explained — The Princess and Curdie

> Chapter companion for The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald.

## What happens

This chapter introduces Curdie, the son of a miner, and describes the awe-inspiring nature of mountains. It recounts how Curdie's bravery defeated the goblins and saved Princess Irene, leading the king to offer him a place in his train. Curdie chooses to stay with his parents, a decision the king admires. The chapter also reflects on the miners' work and the king's righteous use of silver.

## Themes in this chapter

### Sacrifice and Service

Curdie's choice to stay with his parents is seen as a righteous sacrifice, and the king values it over offers to die for him.

### The Natural World and the Divine

The mountain is described as a 'beautiful terror' and a portion of the earth's heart, highlighting the awe and mystery of nature.

## Character check-ins

### Curdie

The protagonist, a miner's son who chose to stay with his parents rather than join the king's train.

### Peter

Curdie's father, a miner who works with his son in the mountain.

### Princess Irene

The king's daughter, who was saved by Curdie and taken away by the king.

## Key lines

> He was a right good king, and knew that the love of a boy who would not leave his father and mother to be made a great man, was worth ten thousand offers to die for his sake, and would prove so when the right time came.

The king understood that Curdie's loyalty to his parents was more valuable than any grand gesture of sacrifice.

_Highlights the theme of sacrifice and service._

> A mountain is a strange and awful thing. In old times, without knowing so much of their strangeness and awfulness as we do, people were yet more afraid of mountains. But then somehow they had not come to see how beautiful they are as well as awful, and they hated them—and what people hate they must fear.

Mountains are both beautiful and terrifying, and people in the past feared them because they didn't appreciate their beauty.

_Reflects the theme of the natural world and the divine._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_princess_and_curdie_se/chapters/i-the-mountain
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_princess_and_curdie_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_princess_and_curdie_se/chapters