Old Yeller is told from Travis's point of view as he recalls events of the late 1860s. Travis's recollection of the past is important for two reasons. First, it verifies that the lessons he learned about life when he was fourteen were influential and presumably affect his outlook on life as an adult. Second, it allows Travis to move back and forth in time. For example, in the second paragraph of the book, Travis describes both the day Old Yeller came to his family's farm and the day, weeks later, when he had to kill him. Alluding to the conclusion in the first chapter sacrifices some of the suspense, but it tightens the structure of the novel. Old Yeller has an episodic plot involving a series of loosely related stories revolving around the dog.

Often this kind of plot can be unsatisfying, since readers may feel...