Old Yeller Essay Questions

Essay Questions

  1. 1

    How are animals portrayed in the narrative?

    Like humans, the animals in the story are shown as being grey characters. On the one hand, there are good animals like Old Yeller, who is protective of his loved ones, and then there are the more dangerous animals, like the loafer wolf and the wild hogs which try to attack Travis and his family.

  2. 2

    What is Travis’ attitude towards Old Yeller?

    At first, Travis dislikes the dog for his appearance, which is a dingy yellow color. Also, the dog has an odd bark that sounds more like a human yell which annoys him. However, over time, Old Yeller wins over the family’s affection with his loyalty and protective nature when they are in danger. In the end, Travis finds his death almost unbearable.

  3. 3

    What happens to Old Yeller?

    Towards the end of the story, Old Yeller is bitten by a rabid wolf and gets rabies. He is suffering and dying from the disease, which results in Travis having to put him down as a mercy act. However, Old Yeller leaves a puppy behind whom Travis takes in to begin a fresh start.

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

Update this section

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.