Who is Heidi?

Heidi is the novel’s young heroine — Adelheid, called Heidi — raised on the Swiss alp by her reclusive Grandfather after her aunt Deta leaves her. She loves goats, Peter, and the blind grandmother; she sings and prays with uncomplicated faith. Frankfurt temporarily breaks her spirit until she returns home.

Heidi is not passive sweetness. She scolds adults who hurt children, defends Clara, and learns letters twice — once on the mountain, once in the city. Spyri makes her body register truth: she wilts indoors and blooms outdoors. Classroom answers should name both homes and friendship with Clara, not only “girl on a mountain.”