Under The Lion's Paw Summary

Fear to work

In Hamlin Garland’s short story, “Under the Lion’s Paw” he expresses realism through imagery and dialogue to bring out the horrors of working under the hands of greed. In the beginning of the short story, the main character Council and his family generously welcome Haskins’ family who are in need of the basic elements of life which are food, shelter, and stability through work and money, to their home. After Council’s warm welcome, it doesn’t take long that the Haskins are also just as hardworking as the Council’s family. The generous offer was quickly taken from greed from Butler, a man who owns lands that tremendously disappoints Haskins’ family by taking their opportunity to own their land.
There is a connection between the two families because instantly Haskins open up to Council’s family on their hardships and without their dialogue, readers wouldn’t understand the risk the Haskins took, venturing out to newer possibilties,
The issue comes up when Haskins is ready to buy the land from Butler at the set price they negotiated on. It’s not the price, it’s how Butler handled it which was not accepting the price they agreed on. Yet, Butler does not know that Haskins routine working on the land consisted of having “every bone and muscle aching with fatigue, to rise with the sun next morning to the same round of the same ferocity of labor” (209) while “he was getting nearer and nearer to a home of his own, and pushing the wolf of want a little farther from his door.” (212)Individuals like Butler have no idea the struggle on working hard and receiving no credit for their