50 pages • 1 hour read
Princess Academy
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Chapters 6-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 6 Summary
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child death and child abuse.
When Olana lets the girls go outside in the snow for a break, a girl named Esa, who is Peder’s sister, invites Miri to spend time with her. Miri happily agrees, but she goes to return Olana’s book first. However, before she manages to do this, Olana startles her, and Miri drops the book. Olana says that she would have allowed Miri to borrow the book if she had asked, but she will not tolerate her stealing. She then locks Miri in the closet as a punishment.
The closet’s total darkness bothers Miri. Later, she hears the other girls enter the room, and she grows bored and tired. She falls asleep and wakes up hours later when she hears scratches on the floor; then, she feels a tug on her braid and a tail on her cheek. To her horror, she realizes that it is a rat. She starts silently crying, remembering an infant in the village who died following a rat bite. She tries to soothe herself by quietly singing, but she grows quiet when the rat notices her voice. Then, Olana opens the door and finds her with the rat. Olana says that Gerti told her that Miri was still in the closet—Olana would have forgotten otherwise. Olana then sends Miri to bed. Gerti tells Miri about how she suspected that she was in the closet due to what seemed to her like “quarry-speech.” When she told Olana this, Olana threatened her with punishments but didn’t carry them out.
Chapter 7 Summary
The next day, Miri thinks back to when Peder told her about quarry-speech: It is a form of unspoken language that the quarrymen use to communicate with each other over loud noises. Miri, however, did not understand it. As she did her chores around the house, she tried to learn quarry-speech.
During class, Miri and Katar confront each other; each of them says that they are determined to become the academy princess. Miri then starts practicing quarry-speech during her breaks, but she does not believe that she is successful. She then decides to try with another person and approaches Britta. To her surprise, Britta allows her to hold her hand, which is a Mount Eskel custom that the girls and women use to keep from falling off the cliffs. Britta also confides in Miri about her struggles with learning and expresses her displeasure at Olana’s cruelty. Miri tries quarry-speech again on Britta; Miri feels a connection, but Britta is not responsive to it. Miri is happy that she has a gift that she shares only with mountain dwellers; the lowlanders do not have it. Britta notices Miri’s humming but says that she does not mind and thanks her for talking to her when they return from their break.
Olana then says that the girls’ progress has been sluggish. To motivate them, she shows a painting of the house where the academy princess’s family will live. This makes Miri realize that she might want a life that is different from the one in the quarries of Mount Eskel. That night, Miri is frustrated that she cannot use quarry-speech all the time. She quietly sings and explores her good memories of Mount Eskel to develop her skill. The response is sporadic, but before she falls asleep, she tells the mountain that she will learn its language.
Chapter 8 Summary
Over the winter, Miri continues practicing quarry-speech. Olana begins teaching the girls Danland’s history, geography, and commerce. She also teaches a class called “Kings and Queens,” as well as more problem-solving and etiquette subjects such as “Conversation, Diplomacy, and Poise” (117). Miri finds the etiquette lessons ridiculous, but she decides that she must do well to avoid punishment and show Olana that mountain girls like her can be intelligent and capable.
In poise class, the girls practice curtsies and balancing their boots on their heads as they walk, while in conversation class, Olana partners Miri with Britta and teaches them the social rules for conversing with their peers and those of higher social stations. After this exercise, Miri learns that Britta can read but that, because the rest of the villagers don’t like her, she doesn’t want to be the center of attention. Britta assures Miri that not all lowlanders are the same and that she does not like how the traders and Olana treat the mountain girls.
Miri then begins reading the book on commerce and learns that linder, the stone that the people of Mount Eskel harvest, is native only to Mount Eskel and is an important, valuable resource that was even used to create the palace. This astounds her, and she becomes fixated on commerce. Later, she chats with the servant and cook Knut, who does not look down on her. In class, Miri dreams of traveling and giving her family a new house so that they will no longer struggle, but she is also unsure about leaving the mountain. Lost in her thoughts, she doesn’t pay attention to Olana, and Olana punishes her for this by not allowing her to go outside or read her books. However, Miri doesn’t mind because she is preoccupied with learning quarry-speech and contemplating commerce.
Chapter 9 Summary
As Miri and the other girls wait for spring, she begins bonding more with Britta. She speaks excitedly to Britta about commerce and the spring holiday traditions in Mount Eskel, while Britta tells Miri about the differing weather and landscapes of the lowlands. Miri admits to Britta and to herself that she wants to visit the lowlands; also, while Britta does not care about marrying the prince, Miri imagines her becoming the princess. Miri also imagines marrying a prince who looks like Peder, though she decides that she must focus on the tangible goal of becoming the academy princess. She studies more about commerce and diplomacy, learning with Esa’s help that diplomacy involves finding commonality with other tribes. As Miri thinks more about quarry-speech, she realizes that her connection with Gerti came from both being in the closet and recalling listening to another villager’s quarry-speech. Thus, Miri discovers that quarry-speech is communicated through memory, and she cherishes this secret.
Chapter 10 Summary
Spring arrives, and Miri looks forward to the spring holiday. However, Olana says that Danland does not recognize the spring holiday and that the girls can only leave if they pass a test. If they fail, they must stay back at the academy. All the girls fail except Miri and Katar, and Olana says that only the two girls can leave. Miri finds this unfair, but Olana warns her that if she and Katar do not leave soon, she will change her mind about letting them go.
Esa, a normally obedient and compliant girl, refuses to stay. Olana threatens to put Esa in the closet, and Miri quickly decides that she will distract Olana. She starts singing a work song and starts a quarry-speech game of “Rabbit and Wolf” (151), a game in which a child who plays the role of the wolf chases the child who plays the rabbit. The village girls react to this, confusing Olana. Esa then tells the girls to run, and the girls all run away together, with Olana shouting to them that if they leave, they cannot return. As the girls walk back to Mount Eskel, Miri looks forward to telling the village about what she learned from studying commerce. The other girls are surprised that Miri knows quarry-speech. Miri explains that quarry-speech is connected to memories, and the girls confirm that they have memories that are the same as or similar to hers.
Chapter 11 Summary
Miri and the girls arrive in the village to cheers, and Miri joyfully reunites with Marda and her father. The festivities begin, and the girls dance with the boys. Miri briefly dances with Peder. They also eat and share stories. Later, Miri fills Peder in on all her news. She shows him her skill at quarry-speech, which amazes him. Peder also reveals his desire to become a carver of linder, and Miri fondly recalls him giving her the linder mountain goat he made. She also concludes that quarry-speech connects mountain folk not only through memories but also through linder.
Peder also talks somewhat curtly about her becoming the academy princess and marrying the prince because of how smart she is. He then says that he wants to give Miri something and kisses her on the cheek before leaving. Miri feels moved by this gesture.
Then, Os calls the villagers for a council meeting. Os and the other villagers worry about producing enough linder without the help of the girls in the quarry. Miri uses the knowledge she gained about linder to suggest selling linder near the lowlands for a better price. The villagers accept this idea, with some of them even planning to challenge the traders if necessary. After this, Miri feels a desire to connect with the people of Mount Eskel, but she wonders if she still belongs among them.
Chapter 12 Summary
The following morning, Miri talks to the other academy girls who are planning to return to the academy. They want Miri to bargain and convince Olana not to punish them, using the diplomacy lessons they had learned. They also learn from Britta that the prince’s name is Steffan, and Miri feels conflicted between her desire to give her family a better life and her feelings for Peder.
Following this, the girls go to the chapel with their families. Miri tells her father and Marda about her time at the academy, including her growing abilities with quarry-speech. Her father cannot understand how she learned it since she has not been in the quarry. However, Marda concludes that Miri probably has this skill because of how linder is used in everything in the mountain—the linder unites them. Their father acknowledges this, concluding that this is how all the villagers in Mount Eskel can use quarry-speech. Miri congratulates Marda, telling her that she is smart. She realizes that her sister likely wanted to go to the academy, too, though she didn’t have the opportunity. The three later enjoy dinner as a family.
Chapters 6-12 Analysis
These chapters build on the novel’s central conflicts while deepening character development. Miri continues to grow as a character as she becomes increasingly aware of the challenges faced by her village. Her studies in history, commerce, and diplomacy introduce her to the realities of labor exploitation for the first time. She uses her knowledge of linder’s true value to convince the villagers to demand fairer compensation from the traders, which steadily allows Mount Eskel’s economy to grow later in the novel. Miri, however, continues to feel conflicted between her devotion to her home and her growing interest in a new, more luxurious life. She also wants to provide a better life for her father and sister and wonders if her skills and talents might be more useful elsewhere.
Miri’s traumatic experience in the closet, where she is trapped in the dark with the rat, marks a turning point. It pushes her to experiment with quarry-speech, which Gerti unintentionally discovers when she hears Miri calling out. This discovery sparks Miri’s deeper exploration of quarry-speech, a skill that later becomes invaluable, helping the girls in their final exam and allowing Miri to summon Peder and the villagers when the bandits take the academy hostage.
This section also develops Peder’s character. It introduces his passion for carving linder, revealing his desire to be an artist rather than a quarry worker. His ambition will inspire Miri to try to improve Mount Eskel’s economy, recognizing that greater prosperity would allow villagers more freedom in pursuing their dreams. The section also reveals that Peder reciprocates Miri’s growing romantic feelings: He shows jealousy toward the prince and kisses Miri on the cheek.
This section’s portrayal of the theme of Education as Empowerment marks a turning point for the characters. Miri’s study of commerce leads her to realize how important linder is for Danland’s economy, which allows her to convince the villagers to demand fair wages from the traders. The strategy ends up working and benefits her entire community. It expands Mount Eskel’s economy, leading the villagers to have a higher quality of life and more career opportunities later in the novel. Additionally, the girls’ education in diplomacy helps them to advocate for themselves. They begin applying their lessons practically, and they realize that they can use diplomatic strategies to negotiate with Olana once they return to the academy. Thus, their learning empowers them, shifting their role from passive victims to active agents of change.
This section also builds on the theme of Self-Discovery and Personal Growth. Miri’s increasing knowledge about the world outside Mount Eskel, along with her discovery that she can use quarry-speech, boosts her confidence in herself and develops her self-worth. She also grows more strategic and determined in how she forms her plans, using them to stand up to Olana when the spring holiday arrives. This helps her move from feeling powerless to taking control of her circumstances. Importantly, she realizes that she can use her intelligence to help her people: She not only helps all the mountain girls escape the academy to attend the spring festival but also advocates for her people to be treated better when she suggests that they demand more for their linder. In the process, she gains their respect and trust.
Although Miri broadens her horizons throughout her time at the academy, she remains deeply connected to Mount Eskel, underscoring The Impact of Community on Individual Identity. Her initial mistrust of lowlanders, shaped by her community’s struggles, gradually softens as she befriends Britta. Still, her primary loyalty remains with her village, and she identifies with its culture and values. When she learns about commerce, her top priority is to use this knowledge to help her family and her people thrive, demonstrating how her sense of self is rooted in her people and their shared struggles. However, Miri’s experiences at the academy complicate her identity as she begins to imagine a life beyond Mount Eskel. Still, even as she explores these possibilities, she remains committed to helping her community succeed.
The motif of linder is developed further in this section as this stone is portrayed as a valuable economic and cultural resource. It gives the villagers leverage to demand fair treatment from the traders, and its physical properties enable quarry-speech: It allows those familiar with it to use memories and similar experiences to communicate with one another. Additionally, its symbolic presence unites the residents of Mount Eskel and ties Miri to her home. Her growing understanding of linder’s properties mirrors her growing self-awareness.
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