Spot Character Analysis in Old Yeller

Spot is the Coates family’s spotted heifer. Spot has a stubborn personality that makes her a testy and difficult milk cow. Even though Travis finds Spot difficult and annoying to deal with sometimes, he has a great deal of affection for her and enjoys the process of slowly breaking her in and gaining her trust as he trains her to be milked each day. Travis is devastated when Spot begins showing signs of being infected with hydrophobia (rabies)—he knows deep down that she’ll never get well, yet he keeps her alive for a while and holds out hope that she’ll turn a corner. Soon, however, Spot grows “crazy mad” and becomes more aggressive than ever. Travis is forced to put his beloved milk cow down.

Spot Quotes in Old Yeller

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

Spot Character Timeline in Old Yeller

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

Coming of Age and Responsibility Theme Icon

...that it’s time for a new milk heifer. The only available heifer the family owns, Spot, has been wild and ornery from birth—and when Travis and Old Yeller set out onto... (full context)

...toward the house, lowing as it does, and he recognizes the moos as belonging to Spot. Mama goes out to wrangle Spot back into her pen—but soon, Travis hears Spot bellowing... (full context)

Over the next few days, Spot’s condition worsens. She walks around in wide, confused circles, lowing and staggering. Two or three... (full context)

...days and two nights lighting fires to burn up the corpse. On top of everything, Spot’s horrible moaning moos continue day and night. Travis is desperate for Papa to come home. (full context)

...Roany’s corpse is gone, Mama tells Travis it’s time to do the same thing with Spot—Spot has to be killed and burnt. Travis’s leg is now healed enough to walk on,... (full context)