Old Yeller
by Fred Gibson
Summary of the Plot
Old Yeller ‘s setting is in the hill country of Texas in the late 1860’s. It is the story of a 14 year
old boy named Travis who is left to be the “ man of the house” while his dad goes on a cattle
drive with the other men in their little Texas settlement. Travis, his parents, and his little 5 year
old brother, Arliss, live on a small farm. Travis is pretty sure he can handle the tough job of
taking care of the farm as well as protect his family.
Life is hard in these days and Travis tries his best to keep the place up. Then one day a big,
yellow mongrel dog arrives on the farm. The dog immediately makes a nuisance of himself and
Travis wants no part of him. Unfortunately Arliss claims the dog as his own and mama lets him
have it. Travis is determined to get rid of the dog somehow.
Travis soon has a change of heart towards the dog when Old Yeller saves his little brother from
being killed by a mother bear. After that Travis and Old Yeller are inseparable. Together they
face the many challenges of living on the Texas range and protecting a family at this time in
history.
Old Yeller had become a member of the Coates family, but unfortunately the dog contracts
hydrophobia when he once more tries to protect his family from harm. He is bitten by a rabid
wolf. Travis has to put the dog down after he realizes and accepts that there are no other
options for helping the sick dog.
Papa returns home from the cattle drive and learns all about what has happened, especially the
parts about Old Yeller. Travis receives the praise that he had longed hoped to hear from his
papa, but his broken heart is too hurt to appreciate it. Papa explains that life is both good and
bad and you shouldn't waste the good parts. Travis soon comes to terms with what happens.
1
Paula Mahoney
Old Yeller
by Fred Gibson
Character List
Travis- Main character in novel. He is a 14 year old boy left to take care of the farm and family
while his pa is on a cattle drive. Eager to prove himself a man he takes on the job and falls in
love with a large yellow dog. He had originally vowed this dog would never take his beloved
Belle’s place.
Arliss- Travis’s mischievous little 5 year old brother. Adds comic relief to story.
Mr. and Mrs. Coates- Travis’s parents
Old Yeller- Large mixed breed mutt, who becomes indispensible to the Coates family as a family
member and protector.
Burn Sanderson- Old Yeller’s original owner. Gives helpful advice to family about hydrophobia.
Bud Searcy- Lazy neighbor in the settlement. Bud didn't go on the cattle drive and was "left
behind" to look after the women folk. He was instrumental in passing on information to the
reader about life in the settlement. He was the first to introduce the idea of animals suffering
from hydrophobia.
General Themes
Becoming strong in the face of tragedy
Travis learns strength of character through love and then loss. His parents had learned their
lessons in living as they forged their life out on the Texas prairie. Now Travis learns his when
Old Yeller has to be put down.
Dogs and humans have a special relationship
2
Paula Mahoney
Old Yeller
by Fred Gibson
The bond between boy and dog is highlighted throughout the entire story. The dog instinctively
knows what his human needs and is willing to go to any length to please him.
Man against Nature
Living on the Texas prairie is hard. Trying to carve out living from the land is backbreaking
work. Drought, pesky animals, and the constant search for food must always be dealt with.
Additionally, one must be vigilant against possible chances of injury outside and diseases.
Boy to a Man
Travis looks forward to taking on the job of taking care of the family and farm in his papa’s
absence. He is determined to do a man’s job. He is successful in achieving his goal but not in
the way he anticipated.
Key Facts
Fred Gibson uses Onomatopoeia profusely in this novel: Onomatopoeia is the use of words to
imitate sounds. Examples from Old Yeller: crash, shriek, grunted, strained, roared, clatter,
blabber, clamoring, snorting, blaring, and stampeding.
Historical Fiction
Important Quotes
"He made me so mad at first that I wanted to kill him. Then, later, when I had to kill him, it was like
having to shoot some of my own folks. That's how much I'd come to think of the big yeller dog."
- Fred Gibson, Old Yeller, Ch. 1
3
Paula Mahoney
Old Yeller
by Fred Gibson
"'Now, Travis,' Mama said. 'You're not being fair. You had a dog when you were little, but Arliss has
never had one. He's too little for you to play with, and he gets lonely.
- Fred Gibson, Old Yeller, Ch. 2
"Shoot anything that acts unnatural, and don't fool around about it. It's too late after they've already
bitten or scratched you."
- Fred Gibson, Old Yeller, Ch. 8
"It was a good thing for us, Son; but it wasn't good for Old Yeller."
- Fred Gibson, Old Yeller, Ch. 15
"'That was rough,' he said. "That was as rough a thing as I ever heard tell of happening to a boy.
And I'm mighty proud to learn how my boy stood up to it. You couldn't ask any more of a grown
man.'"
- Fred Gibson, Old Yeller, Ch. 16
Author Information
Fred Gibson was born in 1908 in Mason, Texas. He attended the University of Texas, married
and had two sons. He began his writing career as a reporter for the Corpus Christi Caller. His
first book was Fabulous Empire in 1946. Old Yeller was written in 1956 and remains his most
famous book. It won several awards, including a Newbery Honor Book award.
Gibson wrote several other books about the West and went to Hollywood to write screen plays
for several of them. Old Yeller and Savage Sam were made into Walt Disney movies. Many
young people have learned about the West from reading his books.
Gipson died at his ranch near Mason on August 14, 1973, and by a special proclamation of the
governor was buried in the State Cemetery in Austin. According to one critic, Gipson "made the
term Southwest literature legitimate and meaningful" and "accomplished the rare but
admirable feat of turning the bits and pieces of folklore into myth." His novels were translated
4
Paula Mahoney
Old Yeller
by Fred Gibson
into Danish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. Two
posthumous publications were "Little Arliss" (1978) and "Curly and the Wild Boar" (1979).
Resources
ibrary.thinkquest.org/CR0211900/yeller/old_yeller.htm
www.goodreads.com/book/show/130580.Old_Yeller
www.ask.com/questions-about/Old-Yeller-Summary
Levin, Michael. Old Yeller in the Classroom. Teacher Created Material.1993
http://classiclit.about.com/od/oldyellerfredgipson/a/Old-Yeller-Quotes.htm
http://www.cemetery.state.tx.us/pub/user_form.asp?pers_id=2409
5
Paula Mahoney