Character Analysis Of Heidi By Johanna Spyri

There are many stories where one of the characters has a physical disability. One of these stories was Heidi by Johanna Spyri. This is the only story, besides the one mentioned in the assignment, that I remember a character with a disability. There are two major characters in the novel that have a physical disability, Clara and ‘Grannie’. Each of these characters is an important part of Heidi’s childhood. The first character with a physical disability is Grannie or Peter’s maternal grandmother. She is blind, and the only time this is mentioned is when she tells Heidi. There is no physical description of the character, but she does use her hands to figure out who she is talking to. When Heidi first learns that Grannie is blind she begins …show more content…
She needs a companion to come to her house in order to become acquainted with other children. Clara does not feel well enough to go outside for very long, and she tends to stay in her home. She also wants Heidi to stay with her for many years, and for a moment feels that this is what Heidi is meant to do. The reader may assume that Clara is only getting by because she has a rich father. That she is unable to do things for herself and will always need someone by her side. They could assume that she believes everyone is meant to be with her. Later on in the story, the reader learns that she is kind, and that she will do things that she is not used to. This is when she goes to visit Heidi in the mountains. Clara may not be able to live without help, but she is able to be herself.
Heidi is a character that changes the lives of those around her. The two characters mentioned were two of the three major examples in the story. Her grandfather is another person who changes because of this character. The physical disabilities in this story are main descriptors of the characters. They are the focal point of these particular characters as if the author is trying to make it common knowledge. Heidi is one of the books that shows that friendliness is one of the most important parts of