Burn Sanderson Character Analysis in Old Yeller

Burn Sanderson is a young, rugged cowboy who shows up at the Coates family farm one day to announce that he recently lost his “big yeller dog”—Burn is Old Yeller’s true owner. However, Travis and Little Arliss become so angry and emotional at the idea of giving Old Yeller back that Burn offers to let the boys keep him in exchange for a home-cooked meal. Mama happily obliges, and the Coateses feed and shelter the friendly Burn for the night. At the end of the evening, Burn asks Travis to show him to the watering hole so that he can give his horse something to drink. While they’re down there, Burn confides in Travis about a dangerous outbreak of hydrophobia, or rabies, that’s making its way through the Texas countryside. Burn warns Travis that hydrophobia can affect humans just as it affects animals, he urges the young man to “handle” any infection decisively and bravely by immediately killing the animal. Though Burn only appears briefly, he’s an important character in the novel because he helps Travis understand the gravity of the problems that plague the animal world. Burn believes that people and animals are interconnected, and his advice for Travis to understand that connection is profound and serious.

Burn Sanderson Quotes in Old Yeller

The Old Yeller quotes below are all either spoken by Burn Sanderson or refer to Burn Sanderson. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

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I didn't wait to hear any more. I ran off. I was so full of relief that I was about to pop. I knew that if I didn't get out of sight in a hurry, this Burn Sanderson was going to catch me crying.

Related Characters: Travis Coates (speaker), Old Yeller, Little Arliss, Papa, Burn Sanderson

Page Number and Citation: 68

Explanation and Analysis:

"You're not scared, are you, boy? I'm only telling you because I know your papa left you in charge of things. I know you can handle whatever comes up. I'm just telling you to watch close and not let anything—anything—get to you or your folks with hydrophobia. Think you can do that?"

I swallowed. "I can do it," I told him. "I'm not scared."

The sternness left Burn Sanderson's face. He put a hand on my shoulder, just as Papa had the day he left.

"Good boy," he said. "That's the way a man talks."

Related Characters: Travis Coates (speaker), Burn Sanderson (speaker)

Related Symbols: Hydrophobia (Rabies)

Page Number and Citation: 70

Explanation and Analysis:

Burn Sanderson Character Timeline in Old Yeller

The timeline below shows where the character Burn Sanderson appears in Old Yeller. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Coming of Age and Responsibility Theme Icon

One afternoon, a young cowboy named Burn Sanderson, a newcomer to Salt Licks, arrives at the Coateses’ cabin. He introduces himself to... (full context)

Back at the house, Burn ties a rope to Old Yeller and prepares to head back out. Little Arliss begins... (full context)

Mama cooks a fabulous multi-course meal, and everyone eats their fill. After dinner, Burn sits around and talks a little while, then announces it’s time for him to head... (full context)

Burn senses Travis’s mounting fear. He urges Travis not to be afraid—after all, Travis’s Papa left... (full context)

By the next day, Travis has already forgotten all about Burn’s terrifying warning. Boys, the older Travis notes in retrospect, are like wild animals in that... (full context)