The Bear Came over the Mountain

Grant is the protagonist in “The Bear Came Over the Mountain,” and the story is told from his point of view. Grant wrestles with, and confronts, his past infidelity as he faces the reality that he may lose his wife. Through Grant, the story explores themes of selfish love, infidelity and guilt, and the impact of socioeconomic class on relationships.

Grant is reactive, but he is also non-confrontational. This is illustrated best during his time stalking after Fiona and Aubrey when he is finally able to visit Fiona at Meadowlake. Grant’s non-confrontational nature is clear when he celebrates the fact that he was never caught cheating. He is pleased that he never had to confess or suffer professional consequences for sleeping with his students. He views this as validation for his behavior and believes that he made sacrifices to keep his marriage intact, even while cheating. Nonetheless, he is plagued by guilt and shame, certain that retribution for his infidelity is around the corner. He fears he will lose Fiona after all due to her memory loss, but simultaneously imagines that she is pretending to be sick to punish him.