1. How do you feel about finding out early in the story that Travis will kill his dog? Does this knowledge diminish the novel's suspense? Does it enhance suspense by making you wonder why Travis will have to kill his beloved pet?

2. Compare the roles of children in modem families to the roles of Travis and Arliss in Old Yeller. Does Travis shoulder more responsibility for his family's well-being than do most children today?

3. Define adulthood both as Travis perceives it and as you see it today. Is Travis's definition a valid one? Is he a "man" by the end of the novel?

4. For much of the novel, Travis and Arliss irritate each other. But when Arliss is nearly killed by the bear, Travis learns "that I loved him as much as I did Mama and Papa, maybe in someways even a little bit more...