The Yearling

Infobox Book |
name = The Yearling
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author = Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
illustrator =
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country = United States
language = English
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genre = Young adult novel
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release_date = 1938
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 416 (Mass Market Paperback)
isbn = NA
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"The Yearling" is a 1938 novel written by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. It won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1939.

Rawlings's editor was Maxwell Perkins, who also worked with F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and other literary luminaries. She had submitted several projects to Perkins for his review, and he rejected them all. He instructed her to write about what she knew from her own life, and the result of her taking his advice was "The Yearling."

Plot introduction

A child named Jody Baxter lives with his parents, Ory and Penny Baxter, in the animal-filled Florida backwoods. The author paints a remarkable picture of life in central Florida at the turn of the century. His parents had three other children prior to Jody, but they died in infancy. He loves the outdoors and loves his family. He has wanted a pet for as long as he can remember, yet his mom (Ory) says that they only have enough food to feed themselves. A subplot involves the hunt for an old bear named Slewfoot, who randomly attacks the Baxter livestock. During a hunt for Slewfoot, Jody's father, Ezra (known as Penny) is bitten by a rattlesnake, and he shoots a deer in order to use its liver to draw out the poison. Though Penny recovers, the doe left behind a fawn. Jody adopts the fawn, whom he names Flag, and it becomes his constant companion. The story revolves around the life of Jody, as he grows to adolescence along with the fawn. The plot also centers on the conflicts of the young boy as he struggles with strained relationships, hunger, death and the capriciousness of nature through a catastrophic flood. Throughout, the Baxter family is in contrast to their uncouth neighbors, the Forresters, and the Baxters' more refined relatives in the village of Volusia. Jody experiences tender moments with his family, his fawn, and their neighbors and relatives. Along with his father, he comes face-to-face with the rough life of a farmer and hunter. He is thrown into the harsh truth of reality as a result of the snakebite and his father's brush with death. As he takes his final steps into maturity, Jody is forced to make a desperate choice between his friend, Flag, or family. The parents realize that the now adult Flag is endangering their very survival, as he is persists in eating the corn crop which the family is relying on for their food the next winter.Jody runs away after his mother attempts to kill Flag by shooting him in the leg. Jody is then forced to shoot Flag himself. In anger at his mother, Jody runs away, only to come face to face with the true meaning of hunger, loneliness and fear. In the end, Jody returns home and assumes his role as the emerging caregiver to his family and their land.

Characters

*Ezra Baxter: also known as Penny, used to be in the army. Father of Jody.
*Ory Baxter: mother of Jody.
*Jody Baxter: the son of Ory and Penny Baxter.
*Flag: Jody's pet fawn.
*The Forresters: a family that lives near the Baxters.
*Fodder-wing: Jody's best-friend

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

It was adapted into a film in 1946, starring Gregory Peck as Ezra Baxter and Jane Wyman as Ma Baxter. Both were nominated for Oscars for their performances. A Japanese animated version (titled "Kojika Monogatari") was created in 1983.

Notes

Near Rawlings' home in Cross Creek, Florida is now a restaurant named after this book. The restaurant serves Southern food such as catfish and alligator tail, and regularly features live folk music played by local musicians.