138 pages • 4 hours read
Tara WestoverA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Key Figures
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Book Club Questions
Tools
The mountain—Buck’s Peak, where Tara Westover grows up—is the most evocative symbol in her memoir. The mountain symbolizes home for Westover herself. The house she lives in is situated at the base of the mountain. Having lived in the shadow of the mountain her whole life, the mountain’s natural characteristics are also symbolic: The mountain symbolizes stability over time for Westover. Seasons may change, but the mountain remains the same, which is a source of comfort and reassurance for her. The mountain is also like a sort of “north star” for Westover. When she feels sad, overwhelmed, or afraid, she runs to the mountain and looks at her home and the surrounding area from its vantage point. On the mountain, Westover knows who she is, and she knows where she belongs.
Until college, Westover never traveled far beyond the mountain for long periods of time. Everywhere she went nearby, the mountain was always visible to remind her who she was. But as she moves away from home and loses sight of the mountain, her sense of who she is begins to change, and the mountain serves less and less as an anchor point for her identity, culture, and beliefs.
Plus, gain access to 8,450+ more expert-written Study Guides.
Including features:
Audio Study Guides
View Collection
#CommonReads 2020
View Collection
Family
View Collection
Fathers
View Collection
Goodreads Reading Challenge
View Collection
Inspiring Biographies
View Collection
Memoir
View Collection
Memory
View Collection
Popular Book Club Picks
View Collection
Poverty & Homelessness
View Collection
Religion & Spirituality
View Collection
Trust & Doubt
View Collection