Characters

The main character of the short story “The Shining Mountain” by Alison Fell is Pangma-La. The narrator tells the story almost entirely through her perspective. Another important character in the story is her father, a famous mountaineer. There are a number of other characters, such as Pangma-La’s mother, the Sherpa men, and the old hag who is really the goddess of the Shining Mountain.

Pangma-La is initially desperate to live up to her father’s ideals, but then she goes through a transformation. She becomes more confident and even helps her father - beginning to look more like a fairy tale hero herself. 

The father is taught a very important lesson by the goddess of the mountain. He realises the pressure he put on his daughter and finally expresses his vulnerability, and this has a positive impact on his relationship with his daughter.

You can find Pangma-La's and her father's characterisations in the next pages.