The Yearlin

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By: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Born August 8th of 1869, Marjorie was born in Washington D.C., but spent a great deal of her time on her family’s dairy farm in nearby Maryland, and summers at her grandparents’ farm in Michigan. Most of her writings deal with poor, backwoods Floridian farmers all the while putting an extreme emphasis on man’s need to be in harmony with the land about him. By living in rural Florida for part of her life, she was able to keenly sympathize with her works, and express her hatred toward the urban lifestyle. Also, throughout her life, Rawlings is noted for some of her other works such as "The Reincarnation of Miss Hetty” in which she wrote at the age of 15, but it is The Yearling in which she is praised the most for in receiving a Pulitzer Prize 1939 for the novel.

Set back in the 1800s, The Yearling is told in an alternating 3rd and 1st person fashion as young Jody Baxter and his family struggle to make end’s meat within the rough and tough area of northern Florida on their homestead called Baxter Island. Throughout the novel, Jody longs for a pet of his own, lusting for a companion that could fill the empty voids of his heart as a sibling would, and as he watched his best friend, Fodder-Wing, frolic with the many animals that he had captured and called his own, the want became greater. In Jody’s favor, however, after almost losing his father, Penny Baxter, to the venomous bite of a rattler snake, he discovers a young fawn in which, with his father’s persuasion, was able sway his mother, Ory, into letting him keep and raise the yearling himself. The adventures that Jody shares with the young buck, Flag, teaches him about the hardships of growing up and the responsibility that it takes to be a man. In the end, when Jody has to decide the fate of his beloved, Flag, he learns what it truly takes to be a man.

Main and Secondary Characters

Jody BaxterOnly surviving child of Penny and Ory Baxter; At the age of 12-years-old, Jody longs for the companionship of a sibling, and as a suffice, he takes in a yearling that fills the emptiness that he feels.

Ory BaxterWife of Penny Baxter, Ory is as strong-willed and blunt-headed as any women. Through everything she has gone through, including the loss of multiple children, her emotions are that of a rock.

Ezra “Penny” BaxterSmall in size, Penny is able to outwit and out hunt the greatest of men and animals alike. This strong willed father of Jody Baxter, is often referred as to being soft hearted; that he would forgive the Devil himself.

The ForestersThis robust family is one of the greatest forces to be reckoned with. They make hellish enemies – they are the sort of family that people despise because of their free-lance lifestyle, yet adored because they are the loyalist of friends.

Fodder-wing ForesterJody Baxter’s best friend. Cursed with a crippled body and a naïve mind, Fodder-wing is the gentlest of the Foresters, and has a way with nature’s animals that every man and boy despises.

FlagThe yearling, left motherless, was taken in by Jody Baxter, who raised the young buck as if he was his own child.

Oliver HuttoOliver is a sailor that has many tales to tell, and despite his many journey’s, he holds to a single girl, Twink Weatherby, in which he continuously battles with Lem Forester for her.

Facing the death of loved ones: The story explores how Jody the death of his sick father and how he has to confront the deaths of his best friend, Fodder-wing, and his yearling, Flag.

Man vs. Nature:The story often hits on the importance that man must respect nature, and must come to understand it in order to live harmoniously.Coming of age and self-discovery: The story explores the growth and change of Jody and his own discovery of the hardships of life and acceptance of the inevitable death of loved ones.

Struggling for a better life: A strong message is that even though every person wants a happy life, leading a good life isn’t easy. However, people should persevere and strive for what they want, despite the setbacks.

Developing a father-son relationship: Family bonds are explored, and how a father can help his son learn the most important lessons in life.

Common Themes

Appeals to the sense of growing up, and that sense of loss one feels as they realize what life is all about (the feeling of nostalgia).

Broader Significance

The Yearling is easy to relate to. Well, not in the sense the everyone knows what it is like to go through the troubles of the 1800s, but it is relatable because everyone has experienced one form of loss or another during their lifetime so it is easy to relate with Jody and feel what he feels as he experiences the trials of life.

How does it appeal to today?

The amount of details the author puts intodescribing the wilderness, the characters,and the feelings of the characters.

Pros

Plot line is easy to follow.

Conflicts of the novel fit in well with the plot-line

Hard to understand the dialogue at times.

Cons

Ending was too predictable.

A lot of things were included that were not really necessary.

Too simplistic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RpmRqDjZg&NR=1

http://www.bookrags.com/biography/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings

http://www.bookrags.com/biography/marjorie-kinnan-rawlings-aya/

http://www.penguinreaders.com/pdf/downloads/par/level3/TN-TheYearling.pdf

References