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Mountain Man
Buffalo
The buffalo, which have almost completely disappeared from the American West where Lucy and Sam grow up, represent human greed and selfishness—particularly the American settler colonialist project to push Indigenous people off their traditional lands…
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Gold
Gold represents the tenuousness of good fortune in Gold Rush-era California. The promise of gold is what brings Ma to America, and the lack of it is what sends Ba to work for the gold…
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Tiger
Tigers symbolize family, home, and safety for Lucy’s family in How Much of These Hills Is Gold. In her family’s Chinese culture, tigers symbolize bravery, power, and strength. It’s the sight of a tiger…
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