Where The Red Fern Grows Character Analysis

An ax clouting a tree, working stoically for two years, and stumbling through a blizzard; these situations show just how much determination Billy Coleman has stored in his body. This young boy shows the readers of the novel, Where The Red Fern Grows just how much persistence is useful in our lives, whether they be as exciting as Billy’s or day-to-day lives Billy Coleman has a type of disease every child gets; puppy love. At first he tries to persuade his father to get him a dog, but is told that they don’t enough money for expensive dogs like the coon hounds he wants. Billy understands, however, he won’t give up because he is too determined to get the dogs and as a result, he works for two years to earn money for them. He works odd jobs from picking blackberries to giving vegetables to fisherman who pay him for them. The fruit of his labors was $50 to get his hounds. This shows how determined Billy was to obtain his dogs that would later help him through life’s hardship. A colossal sycamore tree stands before young Billy. He has his ax in the palm of his hand, unsure about whether or not he should cut down the ancient tree. One look from his dogs gives him the answer he needs. He hacks at the tree, little pieces of wood flying out quickly at first. As the time crawls by his swings are less forceful than before and his arms come down slower. Finally
Billy and his dogs had only gotten two coons the entire night. Suddenly, with the wind nipping their heels and snow whipping around them, Little Ann and Old Dan bolt away from Billy and his companions. While Billy’s companions urged him not to continue with the hunt, he knew that he couldn’t just leave his dogs out there to freeze. Even with the knowledge that he himself could freeze to death Billy still set out again to find his dogs. This small scene in a large novel shows how much Billy cares for Old Dan and Little Ann and his determination to keep them alive and