Introduction

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings is a 1938 novel about the coming-of-age story of a young boy named Jody Baxter. Set in rural Florida, it explores themes of family, survival, and the painful transition from childhood innocence to adult responsibility.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was an American author who wrote about rural Florida, where she lived most of her life. The Yearling showcases the harsh realities of farming life during a time when agriculture was essential to the American economy. The book received critical acclaim and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1939.

Plot Summary

The novel opens by introducing the Baxter family, who live in a modest home in Northern Florida. Penny Baxter, a kind and hardworking man, loves his son Jody and his wife, Ora, though Ora is stricter and more practical. Jody, still playful and innocent, helps his parents with their daily farming tasks but longs for adventure and companionship.

When a giant black bear named Old Slewfoot begins attacking their livestock, Penny vows to hunt the bear. He gives a useless dog to their neighbors, the Forresters, in exchange for a new gun.

The Forresters are a large, tough family but not unkind. Six of the seven brothers are big, strong, and unafraid of trouble, while Fodder-Wing is small, quiet, and needs a cane to walk. Fodder-Wing often plays with Jody.

Disaster strikes one day when a rattlesnake bites Penny. Jody panics but helps his father survive by using the liver of a freshly killed doe to draw out the poison. Despite his parents' hesitation, Jody finds the doe's orphaned fawn, brings it home, and names it Flag. Jody and Flag become inseparable, but Ora grows increasingly frustrated as the fawn begins causing trouble on the farm.

As the family struggles to survive a harsh winter, Jody learns the realities of life in the wilderness. Wolves attack their livestock, and Penny, still weakened from the snakebite, rallies with Jody and the Forresters to defend their livelihood. The Baxters finally succeed in hunting down Old Slewfoot, marking a hard-won victory.

When spring arrives, Jody helps plant new crops, but Flag, now grown, begins damaging them. Ora can't stand it, as their livelihood depends on these crops. Penny suggests building a fence, but Flag jumps over it and ruins half the field. Furious, Ora tries to shoot Flag but only wounds him. Jody is forced to track down and kill the fawn.

Heartbroken, Jody feels betrayed by his parents. He runs away but collapses from exhaustion and hunger. When he returns home, Penny tells him this is how life works. Jody accepts the harsh reality and begins his transition into adulthood.