Where the Red Fern Grows

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Where the Red Fern Grows
http//www.chaminade-stl.org/lange/WRFG/redfernmai
n.htm

• By Wilson Rawls

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Wilson Rawls

• Grew up in a similar situation as main character,
  Billy - in dirt-poor Scraper, Oklahoma
• First wrote Red Fern, then burned it
• Wife urged him to write it again and he did
• Also wrote Summer of the Monkeys

http//www.newauburn.k12.wi.us/writing7/rawls.htm
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Main Characters of Red Fern

• Billy Colman
• Grandpa
• Little Ann (coon hound)
• Old Dan (coon hound)
• Mama
• Papa

• Billys sisters
• Rubin Pritchard
• Rainie Pritchard
• Ghost coon
• Judge (at coon hunting tournament)

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Theme of the Story

• Memories of a wonderful love, unselfish
  devotion, and death in its saddest form.

Where do we see this theme throughout the book?
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Wonderful Love and Unselfish Devotion

• How does Billy first get the dogs?

• He makes and saves 50 over 2 years of hard
  work

• Travels 20 miles alone and camps out overnight
  to get his hounds

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Wonderful Love and Unselfish Devotion

• Billy had extra money after purchasing his dogs
  what did he do with it?

- Spent it on his family

• How did Billy train his dogs?

- Spent relentless hours training them
until they understood how to coon hunt
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Wonderful Love and Unselfish Devotion

• What did Billy do when the first coon was trapped
  in the giant tree?

• He stayed there and chopped at it all night

• Why did Billy do this?

- He had promised his dogs that once they treed
a coon he would do the rest - He was devoted to
fulfill his promise
http//www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/critter
/mammal/raccoon.htm
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Death in Its Saddest Form

• Where do we see this?

- When Rubin Pritchard dies - The deaths of
Old Dan and Little Ann
http//www.josephashton.net/red_fern.html
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Who Is Responsible for Rubins Death?
http//www.margaret-marks.com/Transblawg/archives/
000221.html
- Rubin, because he was careless and too
aggressive towards Billys dogs?
- Billy, because he pushed Rubin and it was
his ax?
- Grandpa, for making Billy take the bet?
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How Does Old Dan Die?

• With Little Ann, jumps in front of mountain lion
  to save Billys life

- Is an example of unselfish devotion because
he gave his life for Billy
- Has deep cut that Billy finds later
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How Does Little Ann Die?
- She refuses to eat after Old Dan dies

• Billy believes she died of a broken heart

- Shows her wonderful love and unselfish
devotion to Old Dan
http//www.dist102.k12.il.us/resources/RedFern/pag
e1.htm
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SYMBOL
- What is a symbol?
- Something that represents something else by
association, resemblance, or convention
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What is the Main Symbol of the Story?
http//www.treecenter.org/Graphics/red20fern.JPG
THE RED FERN
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What is the importance of the Red Fern?
- Grows over the graves of Old Dan and Little Ann
- Comes from an old Indian legend
- A boy and girl died in a blizzard
- A red fern grew between their bodies
- Only an angel can plant the seeds of a red fern
- Where one grew, the spot was sacred
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For Further Reading
- Study guide for the book
- learn about Wilson Rawls