"Be you a writer or reader, it is very pleasant to run away in a book"
This quote is included in the Author's Preface as an explanation of why George wrote My Side of the Mountain and what the story means to her. She describes wanting to run away from home as a child and how she truly believes that this book is a good representation of the dreams of many children to escape the confines of society.
"I knew that the land was just the place for a Gribley"
Page 9
This quote shows that Sam is finally comfortable in his new home in the Catskills. He has learned to coexist with nature and has found his place in the world. It is a good example of Sam's resilience and his ability to survive off the land.
"I can only say that after living so long with the birds and animals, the movement of a human is like the difference between the explosion of a cap pistol and a cannon"
Page 46
This quote is an excellent example of how engrained in nature Sam became after living in the mountains for a few weeks. After being alone with the wilderness for so long, he was able to distinguish between the movement of a human and that of an animal without trouble.
"Nearby another one arose and there was a pop. Little bubbles of air snapped as these voiceless animals of the earth came to the surface. That got me to smiling. I was glad to know this about earthworms. I don't know why but this seemed like one of the nicest things I had learned in the woods - that earthworms, lowly, confined to the darkness of the earth, could make just a little stir in the world"
Page 58
This quote demonstrates how much Sam has changed due to his time in the Catskills. He is learning to listen and appreciate the small things in life, and demonstrates this by listening to the earthworms. This quote also represents a huge disparity between the life Sam left behind in New York City and the one he is currently living. Living outside society has taught him that there is value in non-material things.
"It is indeed strange to be looked in the eye by this fearless wild animal"
Page 95
This quote represents Sam's reaction to coming face to face with Baron Weasel. It shows that while Sam has become a part of the woods that he lives in, he can never truly belong to that life; he still views himself as separate from the rest of the animals. This quote employs some very subtle foreshadowing as Sam realizes that he may never truly be a part of the wilderness.
"Spring is terribly exciting when you are living right in it"
Page 147
During the end of Sam's first winter in the Catskills he is coming to appreciate hwo much the seasons mean to organisms that are not sheltered from them in the same way humans are. He is at one with nature so the end of a long, lonely winter is incredibly exciting for him.
"I could hear the voices of the other people.They filled my silent mountain"
Page 173
At the very end of My Side of the Mountain, Sam realizes that he cannot stay in the mountains forever but it is a sad moment because he knows that his life will never be the same again. He hears people on his mountain and that is his realization that his solitary life is over forever.
