Old Yeller

“It was the first time I’d ever shaken hands like a man. It made me feel big and solemn and important in a way I’d never felt before.” 

Travis shakes on the deal with Papa to take care of the homestead in exchange for a horse. Travis is proud that Papa treats him like a man and is determined to live up to Papa’s expectations. Travis feels that he is leaving childhood behind and believes he can take care of things nearly as well as Papa. The novel’s developing coming-of-age theme and motif of “manhood” are evident in this quote.

“There was no question about it: for the sort of country we lived in, a good dog around the place was sometimes worth more than two or three men.” 

The Texas Hill Country where the Coates family has settled presents many specifically regional natural challenges. Travis understands that a dog offers both protection against wild animals like wolves, bears, and panthers, and is invaluable in working livestock and hunting. Travis recognizes that the settlers are in a constant contest against natural forces and depend on the land for their livelihood. 

“You kick my dog, and I’ll wear you to a frazzle!” 

Little Arliss immediately claims Old Yeller as his own, fiercely defending the dog against Travis’s angry blows. Here, Little Arliss shows both his characteristic spunk, stubbornness, and volatility. Little Arliss, like Travis, copies their Papa, using his words as a threat of punishment and showing the profound influence Papa has on both boys.

“When it came to gunfire Jumper didn’t have any more sense than a red ant in a hot skillet.”

Travis frequently uses colloquialisms and regional dialect in his narrative. This example utilizes common elements of frontier life (skillets and Texas red ants) to create a vivid visual comparison.

“Then I made myself get as still as the tree.” 

Papa taught Travis to quiet his breathing and movements when hunting and become nearly invisible to game. Papa’s lessons about becoming still and mastering fear show that both he and Travis have great strength of mind and willpower. By following his lessons so conscientiously, Travis also reveals his admiration and respect for Papa.

“I never minded killing for meat. Like Papa had told me, every creature has to kill to live. But to wound an animal was something else. Especially one as pretty and harmless as a deer. It made me sick to think of the doe’s escaping, maybe to hurt for days before she finally died.” 

Travis understands the natural hierarchy and the need to kill to survive, but he does not kill unless there is a need. The idea of causing needless pain troubles him, revealing his sensitivity and appreciation for both life and beauty. 

“It didn’t seem right and fair to me. How could I be the man of the family if nobody paid any attention to what I thought or said?” 

Sulking after Mama “blessed” him out (27) for being too bossy with Little Arliss, Travis feels disrespected. Despite shooting the doe as well as Papa would have, Travis thinks Mama is still treating him like a child. Travis initially believes that part of being a man means necessarily enjoying authority and respect. 

“I always liked to see a fight between bulls or bears or wild boars or almost any wild animals.” 

Both settlers and the animal inhabitants of the region are in a constant struggle for survival and dominance. Fights are a “show” (32) and form of entertainment. Travis appreciates such fights as displays of strength and will because he appreciates the natural battle for power. Plus, the fights are fun: Travis gets so boyishly excited at the thought of the bullfight that he delays doing his adult task of hoeing the corn.

“I liked him, all right, but I didn’t have a lot of use for him.” 

Until Little Arliss is nearly killed by the mama bear, Travis views him as an annoyance. Nine years older, Travis is approaching manhood while Little Arliss is still a young child. The two do not have a lot in common, and Travis is too old, and too busy, to play with Little Arliss. Nearly losing his brother makes Travis understand how much he genuinely loves him.

“So it was only natural for me to come to love the dog that saved him.” 

Travis’s angry and resentful feelings about Old Yeller change completely when Yeller saves the life of Little Arliss. Now, Travis can bond with the dog. Yeller helps Travis gain deeper self-understanding.

“I won’t never, never tell.” 

Lisbeth accepts Travis’s gift of an arrowhead with “shining” eyes and repeats her promise to keep Yeller’s thieving ways a secret (65). Lisbeth’s shy, but fervent response reveals her loyal nature and shows how much she likes Travis. 

“With the help of Old Yeller, I was taking care of things all right; but I was sure beginning to wish that he’d come back home.” 

Thanks to Yeller, Travis can fulfill his responsibilities as man of the family. While Travis misses his father’s guidance, and realizes that his responsibilities are difficult, Yeller helps him grow in self-confidence.

“He threw a wall-eyed fit.” 

Travis shows his sense of humor with the use of this colorful colloquialism to describe Little Arliss’s violent tantrum with Brun Sanderson. Wall-eyed refers to eyes that show a lot of white, or when the irises point away from each other. Little Arliss’s eyes roll and stare with rage. 

“Good boy…That’s the way a man talks.” 

Burn Sanderson approves of Travis’s masculine confidence, showing again how the characters embody traditional gender roles. Sanderson acts in Papa’s stead, reminding Travis of his manly responsibilities to the family. Sanderson praises Travis for showing bravado despite his fear of the disease, again suggesting that a man should not show fear. 

“A boy, before he really grows up, is pretty much like a wild animal. He can get the wits scared clear out of him today, and by tomorrow have forgotten all about it.”

Despite having the skills and duties of a grown man, at the start of the novel Travis is still a teenage boy. He takes Sanderson’s hydrophobia warning to heart, but the threat seems distant. Travis maintains a childlike resiliency. His comparison of himself and his understanding to that of a wild animal reveals Travis’s close knowledge and connection to the natural world: he compares his life to what is closest around him.

“But Papa had told me right from the start that fear was a right and natural feeling for anybody, and nothing to be ashamed of.” 

Papa teaches Travis that while a person can feel fear, he can also master it. Travis embraces this teaching and strives to control his fear of the dangerous wild hogs. He believes this mastery is a part of manhood. 

“I always like to go see the far places and strange sights.” 

Travis expresses a curiosity about the natural world. The bat caves intrigue him, and he wonders what keeps the stars in the sky. His desire to move beyond the homestead and learn more about the world shows that he is developing the mindset of an adult. He imagines, and looks forward to, his independence.

“He took the awful punishment meant for me, but held his ground. He gave me that one-in-a-hundred chance to get free.” 

Yeller sacrifices himself to save Travis, showing his loyalty, bravery, and love for Travis. Travis understands the dog’s loyalty and reciprocates. Their bond is so strong, Travis overcomes his fear and ignores his own injuries to help Yeller.

“Mama, I’m going back after Old Yeller. I promised him I’d come back, and that’s what I aim to do.” 

Travis defies his mother and upholds his promise to Old Yeller. Travis’s strong will surprises and flusters Mama, who realizes how independent and mature Travis has become. She does not stand in his way but supports his effort while allowing him to take the lead. Travis is becoming a man.

“Mama broke down and went to crying then. She put her head on my shoulder and held me so tight that she nearly choked off my breath.” 

Mama grieves because she knows what an emotional blow Yeller’s death will be for Travis. In her loving role as nurturer and caretaker, she wishes she could spare Travis pain.

“I stuck the muzzle of the gun against his head and pulled the trigger.” 

The description of Yeller’s death is stark, brutal, and delivered without emotion. It stands in sharp contrast to Travis’s previous talkative narrative tone. The reader knows from the first page of the novel how much Travis has come to love Yeller, and how difficult killing him will be. Here, Travis distances himself from his feelings and does his duty to protect his family, all the while knowing “it was going to kill something inside me to do it” (152). 

“I was all empty inside, but hurting. Hurting worse than I’d ever hurt in my life. Hurting with a sickness there didn’t seem to be any cure for.”

Travis hurts from the grief, guilt, and bitterness he feels after Yeller’s death. Travis’s pain reflects a loss of innocence and his transition to the experience of adulthood. Travis wrestles with the injustice of life that would let a loyal lifesaving companion die like a common wild beast. Travis does not know how surmount these new emotions.

“And a man can’t afford to waste all the good part, worrying about the bad parts. That makes it all bad…You understand?”

Papa tries to teach Travis an adult life lesson: bad things happen. Being an adult means understanding that life can be unfair, but not allowing negativity to color one’s outlook on life. As Travis learned not to let fear overwhelm him, he must also learn to accept and overcome the bad parts of life, along with the good.