The Yearling Literary Elements

Young Adult

It is set in the rural backwoods of Florida in the late 19th century.

It is narrated in the third person omniscient point of view.

The tone is a mix of nostalgia, realism, and melancholy. The mood is somber and introspective.

The protagonist is Jody Baxter. The antagonist is the harsh environment of the Florida backwoods.

The major conflict arises from the clash between Jody Baxter's desire for companionship and responsibilities to his family. Jody develops a deep bond with the fawn he adopts as a pet, named Flag. However, as Flag grows older he becomes a threat to the family's crops, which are vital for their sustenance. The conflict intensifies as Jody's father, Penny Baxter, insists that Flag must be killed to protect their livelihood. Jody must grapple with the weight of this decision while coming to terms with the harsh realities of their challenging environment

The climax occurs when Jody's mother shoots the fawn prompting Jody to make the difficult decision to kill the yearling.

When Penny is bitten by a rattlesnake and needs the liver of a doe to draw out the venom. This foreshadows the arrival of the orphaned fawn.

The understatement is in Jody's response when asked if he found the bee tree. Instead of acknowledging that he completely forgot to look for it, he simply says, "Dogged if I ain't forgot 'til now to look for it." This understatement makes light of his failure to carry out the task he had set out to do.

The allusion to the Florida backwoods mentions the remote and untamed regions of the state that are characterized by dense forests, swamps, and rugged terrain. References to scrub oaks, sand pines, hammocks, and sinkholes are all characteristic of the flora and geography of the region.

“The loose sand that had pulled at his feet was firmed by the rain. The return was comfortable going. The sun was not far from its setting when the long-leaf pines around the Baxter clearing came into sight. They stood tall and dark against the red-gold west. He heard the chickens clucking and quarreling and knew they had just been fed. He turned into the clearing. The weathered gray of the split-rail fence was luminous in the rich spring light. Smoke curled thickly from the stick-and-clay chimney.”

The description indicates that Baxter's journey back has become more pleasant compared to his initial departure. These vivid depictions contribute to the connection between the character and the natural surroundings.

The Florida backwoods, with its untamed beauty and abundant wildlife, is depicted as a captivating environment. However, it also poses numerous challenges and dangers for the Baxter family.

The Baxter family and the Forrester family serve as contrasting parallels throughout the narrative. The Baxters are portrayed as hardworking and committed to their values. In contrast, the Forresters are depicted as rowdy, disreputable, and prone to conflict.

"Pure Heaven" is used as a metonymy to represent the promised ideal living conditions or a utopian place.

The personification in the sentence "The peace of the vast aloof scrub had drawn him with the beneficence of its silence" lies in the attribution of human qualities to the peace and silence of the scrub.