Old Yeller

by

Fred Gipson

Lisbeth Searcy Character Analysis

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:
People and Animals Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

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: 53
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

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: 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: 110
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

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: 119
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

"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: 126
Explanation and Analysis:
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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:
People and Animals Theme Icon
).
Chapter 6 Quotes

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: 53
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

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: 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: 110
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

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: 119
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

"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: 126
Explanation and Analysis: