Lisbeth Searcy Character Analysis in Old Yeller

Lisbeth Searcy is Bud Searcy’s granddaughter. A blonde girl of 11, Lisbeth is sweet, kind, and good with animals. She’s deeply protective, evidenced by how she takes Travis aside to tell him that while she knows Old Yeller has been stealing from her own family’s farm and from other vegetable patches and storehouses in the area, she doesn’t want any harm to come to him. Lisbeth is also generous, as she gifts Little Arliss one of the Searcys’ puppies (the offspring of Old Yeller and the Searcys’ female hound). After Travis and Old Yeller are injured while tagging hogs in the wilderness, Bud sends Lisbeth to stay with the Coateses and help around the ranch. Though Travis is initially skeptical of Lisbeth’s ability to complete tasks he believes are men’s work, he’s is impressed with how devoted she is to help out and do anything asked of her. Travis clearly has a crush on Lisbeth, but he’s unable to communicate his feelings or even develop much of a friendship with her. He feels that she can see straight through him when they talk, and this makes him nervous around her. Thoughtful, bright, and generous, Lisbeth is a minor presence in the novel but an important part of the Coates family’s journey.

Lisbeth Searcy Quotes in Old Yeller

The Old Yeller quotes below are all either spoken by Lisbeth Searcy or refer to Lisbeth Searcy. 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:

It made me mad. "You thievin' rascal," I said. "I ought to get a club and break your back—in fourteen different places."

But I didn't really mean it, and I didn't say it loud and ugly. I knew that if I did, he'd fall over and start yelling like he was dying. And there I'd be-in a fight with Little Arliss again.

"When they shoot you, I'm going to laugh," I told him.

But I knew that I wouldn't.

Related Characters: Travis Coates (speaker), Old Yeller, Lisbeth Searcy, Bud Searcy

Page Number and Citation: 53

Explanation and Analysis:

In a way, it sort of hurt my pride for a little old girl like Lisbeth to come in and take over my jobs. Papa had left me to look after things. But now I was laid up, and here was a girl handling my work about as good as I could. Still, she couldn't get out and mark hogs or kill meat or swing a chopping axe. . .

Related Characters: Travis Coates (speaker), Little Arliss, Mama, Papa, Lisbeth Searcy

Page Number and Citation: 106

Explanation and Analysis:

Now, I knew that Spot wouldn't get well, and this bull wouldn't, either. I knew they were both deathly sick with hydrophobia. Old Yeller had scented that sickness in this bull and somehow sensed how fearfully dangerous it was.

I thought of Lisbeth and Little Arliss down past the spring. I came up out of my chair, calling for Mama. "Mama!" I said. "Bring me my gun, Mama!"

Related Characters: Travis Coates (speaker), Old Yeller, Little Arliss, Lisbeth Searcy, Spot, Chongo and Roany

Related Symbols: Hydrophobia (Rabies)

Page Number and Citation: 110

Explanation and Analysis:

I went off to the spring after a bucket of fresh water and wondered when Papa would come back. Mama had said a couple of days ago that it was about that time, and I hoped so. […] This hydrophobia plague had me scared. I'd handled things pretty well until that came along. Of course, I'd gotten a pretty bad hog cut, but that could have happened to anybody, even a grown man. And I was about to get well of that. But if the sickness got more of our cattle, I wouldn't know what to do.

Related Characters: Travis Coates (speaker), Old Yeller, Mama, Papa, Lisbeth Searcy, Spot

Related Symbols: Hydrophobia (Rabies)

Page Number and Citation: 119

Explanation and Analysis:

"But Mama," I said. "We don't know for certain. We could wait and see. We could tie him or shut him up in the corncrib or some place till we know for sure!"

Mama broke down and went to crying then. She put her head on my shoulder and held me so tight that she nearly choked off my breath.

"We can't take a chance, Son,” she sobbed. "It would be you or me or Little Arliss or Lisbeth next. I'll shoot him if you can't, but either way, we've got to do it. We just can't take the chance!"

Related Characters: Travis Coates (speaker), Mama (speaker), Old Yeller, Little Arliss, Lisbeth Searcy

Related Symbols: Hydrophobia (Rabies)

Page Number and Citation: 126

Explanation and Analysis:

Lisbeth Searcy Character Timeline in Old Yeller

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

...day, Bud Searcy—a gregarious but lazy neighbor of the Coateses’—drops by with his 11-year-old granddaughter Lisbeth, a tomboyish and sweet-natured blonde. Travis likes Lisbeth—but when she looks at him, he gets... (full context)

Bud, Mama, Travis, and Lisbeth sit and talk. Bud checks in on how Mama has been holding up in Papa’s... (full context)

Outside, near the spring, Lisbeth tells Travis that Old Yeller is the strange varmint—she’s seen him steal from her and... (full context)

Coming of Age and Responsibility Theme Icon

After thinking a lot about what to do, Travis decides to tell Mama what Lisbeth told him about Old Yeller stealing from their neighbors. Mama suggests that Travis start tying... (full context)

One day, Bud Searcy and Lisbeth arrive to call on the Coateses—and they have a puppy in tow. It is one... (full context)

As Travis lies in bed, beating himself up for being dismissive toward Lisbeth, he overhears Bud Searcy telling Mama that he plans to leave Lisbeth with her to... (full context)

...days that follow, Travis is pleasantly surprised and even impressed by what a big help Lisbeth is. Just like Travis, she’s ready for any task at any time—no job is too... (full context)

One evening, however, a problem not even Lisbeth can handle arises out of nowhere. Travis is still laid up in bed—the swelling in... (full context)

...him his gun. He can see from the window that Roany is headed right for Lisbeth and Little Arliss, who are out in the yard. Mama goes outside to call them... (full context)

...too heavy to drag away, though, so Mama suggests that they burn it. Mama and Lisbeth go out to gather some firewood, and then Travis helps them start a huge fire.... (full context)

...drops, and Travis returns to the cabin. He’s tired, and his leg hurts. Mama and Lisbeth head out to gather some wood and begin to burn the carcass, with Old Yeller... (full context)

...Little Arliss is in the yard playing with his pup. Travis wonders why Mama and Lisbeth aren’t back yet. He heads to the spring to get some water. As he walks,... (full context)

After dark, Mama and Lisbeth still aren’t home, which makes Travis deeply worried and uneasy. He knows that they have... (full context)

...Yeller tangling with a giant, rabid wolf. Travis is afraid to shoot—he might hit Mama, Lisbeth, or Old Yeller. He waits a moment for a good shot: when the wolf’s jaws... (full context)

...ranch while coming back from gathering wood. The wolf originally tried to attack Mama and Lisbeth, but Old Yeller came to their defense. Travis says how proud he is of Old... (full context)

...Mama, however, says there’s no way they can take a chance—if Old Yeller bites Travis, Lisbeth, her, or Little Arliss, she will never forgive herself. Travis admits to himself that there’s... (full context)

...for Old Yeller and how guilty he feels about shooting him so unceremoniously. Mama and Lisbeth try to comfort Travis, but their words are no use. One night, it rains heavily—and... (full context)