The Gift (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: John Steinbeck
- First Published: 1933
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: The early twentieth century
- Setting: Salinas Valley, California
- Principal Characters: Jody Tiflin, Billy Buck, Carl Tiflin
- Genres: Short fiction, Domestic realism
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Death or dying, Ranches, ranchers, or ranching, Ponies, Gifts
- Locales: Salinas Valley, CA
The Story
Jody Tiflin is a shy, polite, ten-year-old boy, the only child of the Tiflins, who own a small ranch in the Salinas Valley. Billy Buck, the ranch hand, is almost a part of the family and has Jody's highest respect.
One late summer day, Carl Tiflin and Billy drive six old milk cows to Salinas to the butcher. Jody would like to go along, but school has resumed. Before setting out on the mile walk to school, Jody walks up to the sagebrush tine to the spring, and then to the cypress tree where pigs are butchered. On the verge of adolescence, Jody is beginning to...
[The entire page is 1464 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
