Responsibility in Fred Gipson's Old Yeller

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Responsibility in Fred Gipson's Old Yeller

Responsibility may be defined as "a form of trustworthiness; the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct." (www.thefreedictionary.com) Responsibility is shown all through Fred Gipsons novel Old Yeller about a family living in the dangerous wilderness in 1860. The young hard working Travis, his loving mother and the loyal dog Old Yeller all show responsibility.

Travis has many responsibilities when his father left for the cattle drive and he must work hard to take care of his family. Papa's chores weren't easy. Marking their hogs was a lot of hard work. Old Yeller and Travis work together to mark all thirty hogs. The job gets dangerous when the two get hurt badly from the mad hogs. In addition to marking the hogs Travis also had to supply food to his family. Killing a deer on the run Travis feels proud and important supplying food to his family. Above all Travis had to keep the varmints out of the corn patch. Again Travis and Old Yeller work together staying up at all hours of the night fighting off the varmints in the corn patch. Travis working hard and his responsibility was not enough for the family. Mama also had to work hard for the family’s survival.

Hard work was a big part of the family’s survival but the family also needed loving care supplied by Mama. Mama showed her loving care by keeping her family well fed. When Bud Sanderson comes to claim Old Yeller Mama ma...

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