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An Instructor’s Guide to

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson


Note to Teachers
With Old Yeller, Fred Gipson secured his place as one of the finest novelists in America. The novel was published in
1956 to instant acclaim, with the Chicago Sunday Tribune raving, “Occasionally, but very rarely, one reads a book
with the increasing certainty, as one turns the pages, that a classic is unfolding before one’s eyes.” And now, nearly
half a century later, those prophetic words have more than been fulfilled—Old Yeller is a beloved classic about a boy
and his dog that has been read and reread by countless people, young and old alike.

When Travis Coates’s father goes on a cattle run with the other men of Salt Licks, Texas, Travis is left to take care of
this mother, his little brother Arliss and their land and animals. It’s a tall order for a fourteen-year-old boy, but Travis
is determined to fill his father’s shoes, at least temporarily. Not long after Travis’s father leaves, a stray dog wanders
onto the family’s property, and despite his thieving ways, slowly makes himself a member of the family.

Travis, however, is not particularly welcoming to the “old yeller dog,” and immediately tries to think of ways to get rid
of him—in his mind the dog is nothing but a nuisance. As Travis goes about the daily chores on the ranch—hunting
deer, milking the cows, and tagging the hogs, he begins to see that having a dog around can be quite a blessing. And
then Old Yeller really proves himself: he saves Little Arliss from a frantic mama bear and her cub. From that point on
Travis claims Old Yeller as his own and they become constant companions.

The adventures of Travis and Old Yeller, and their resulting friendship make for a colorful and poignant tale. Told in
simple, straightforward, yet heartwarming prose, the novel explores the pure love and respect that can develop between
a human being and an animal. Fred Gipson beautifully renders each scene and fills the novel with many important
lessons about family, responsibility, respect for nature, and what it means to be an adult.

Old Yeller becomes such a faithful protector that he continually puts himself in danger in order to save Travis and the
other family members from harm. He thwarts a group of crazed hogs, diverts the attention of a mad bull and cow, and
as his last heroic effort, saves Mrs. Coates and a neighbor girl, Lisbeth, from the jaws of a rabid wolf. In fighting the
wolf, however, Old Yeller gets bitten and is then in danger himself of becoming infected with rabies. Although Travis
has killed other animals either for sustenance or in self-defense, he is soon faced with the horrible task of destroying
the very animal that has saved all of their lives.

Devastated by what he has been called to do, Travis can barely muster any enthusiasm when his father returns with a
brand new horse for him. When Mr. Coates hears the tale of Old Yeller, he reassures Travis that he did the right thing
and reminds him that a man is often forced to make tough, sometimes painful decisions. Soon Travis realizes that he
has indeed taken his first steps on his journey into manhood, and he allows his heart to open up to his new horse, and
to the young pup that has also been given to him. Seeing Old Yeller in the pup renews Travis’s spirit and he knows that
he will always treasure the memory of his best friend even though he had to let him go.

A novel of beautiful simplicity and truth, Old Yeller is that rarest of stories—one that continues to entertain and touch
the hearts of thousands of readers across many generations.

Questions for Classroom Discussion


1.  At the beginning of the novel, Travis’s father goes on a long journey and leaves instructions for Travis to take
care of the family. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to take on that kind of responsibility? How
did you feel about it? If you’ve never been in that situation, how do you think you would react? Do you think
Travis does a good job?
2. Travis describes the excitement of hunting deer. He also makes a point of noting that he is only hunting for food,
not just for fun. Discuss whether or not you think it is ok to hunt animals purely for sport. Have you ever been
hunting? How did you feel about it? If you haven’t been, would you like to go? Why or why not?

3. The novel deals a lot with the violence and cruelty of nature. Did the gory scenes upset you? Do you think that
violence among animals is different from violence among human beings? Discuss.

4. Travis’s opinion of Old Yeller changes dramatically after the dog saves Little Arliss from the bear. Describe a
situation in which your opinion of someone changed after they’d done something extraordinary. Do you think
that Travis judged Old Yeller unfairly before that event? Why or why not?

5. Dogs are often considered man’s best friend. Discuss the ways that Travis and Old Yeller are best friends. Have
you ever had a relationship like that with an animal? What made it so special? How would you feel if you were
forced to destroy an animal that you loved?

6. The story is a simple one, yet it has many important lessons to teach. Discuss some of the lessons you learned
from reading this book. How do they apply to your life now even though the story takes place over 100 years
ago?

7. Travis’s father only appears at the beginning and end of the book. Do you think he is a good role model for
Travis? Explain.

8. Travis’s mother and the neighbor girl Lisbeth do lots of hard labor around the house and on the land. Were you
surprised by the things they did? How so?

9. The story is told from Travis’ point of view. Discuss the ways the story would be different if it were narrated by
Travis’s mother, for example. Do you think the story would have the same emotional impact if Travis weren’t
the narrator?

Topics for Research and Writing Projects


1. Do some research about daily life in rural Texas in the 1860s. Imagine you lived then instead of now and
describe what your day would be like. What aspects of life in the 1860s do you think you would like? What
wouldn’t you like? What would you find hardest about living in the frontier days?

2. Continue this story where it leaves off. Describe what you think happens when Travis takes Little Arliss and the
pup on a squirrel hunt.

3. Travis’s mother plays an important role in this story—she runs the house while Travis’s father is away and she
is there to help out Travis every time he runs into trouble. Research the role of women in the 1860s. How do
women’s roles today compare with the role of women then? Do you think women had it easier or harder then
than now?

4. Pick five scenes in the novel that you found particularly interesting or exciting and draw a picture of them. Write
a paragraph for each illustration explaining what is happening and why you feel it is an important scene in the
book.

5. Travis spends some time in this story thinking about what it means to be a man. Write an essay about what you
think it means to be a grown up. Are your criteria for becoming an adult different than Travis’s? How? How
much do you think a person’s age has to do with being able to take on responsibility? What about the effect of
the time and place in which a person lives?

6. Write a short story about an adventure you’ve had with an animal that you loved. How did the adventure make
you feel closer to your animal friend?
Suggestions for Further Reading
Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls; Savage Sam, Fred Gipson; Gentle Ben, Walt Morey; Sounder, William
Howard Armstrong; Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O’Dell; White Fang, Jack London; The Yearling, Marjorie
Kennan Rawlings; My Side of the Mountain, Jean Craighead George; Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain; Call of the Wild,
Jack London.

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