Storming Heaven

The characters in Storming Heaven are often described as “mountain people” in a derogatory way by the coal mine operators, meaning they are uneducated. Even Miles, upon returning from school, explains that the purpose of education is “to prepare mountain youth to take their place in the modern world” (60). Nevertheless, descriptive figurative language is often used to describe the mountains, making them symbolic of the struggles faced by the characters in the novel. Early on in the novel, Carrie observes:“The mountains hovered close and sheltering, like a quilt upon my back” (44), but when the forests are cut down for wood or the land is turned into coal mines, many characters observe how ugly and weak the mountains become. Carrie notes:“I hated the ugliness of the cleared mountain” (62), and C. J. observes “the flanks of the hills gashed and sticky with mud” (9) as if the land itself were in pain. These ugly descriptions of the mountains represent the struggles the coal companies impose on the people who live in the mountains. Even when Carrie leaves to attend nursing school, she feels torn:“I always feared mountains could be as jealous, as unforgiving, as any spurned lover. Leave them and they may never take you back” (89). Here, the mountains represent Carrie’s homesickness. Descriptions of the mountains appear numerous times throughout the novel and are often used to symbolize the characters’ feelings and struggles.