From Where the Red Fern Grows

Step 1: What parts of the plot seem related to a possible theme in the novel? (Think about the main conflict and how it get resolved or worked out.)

Step 2: Which characters seem related to a possible theme? Which characters change, and what do those changes suggest about determination or man’s relationship with animals?

Step 3: How does the author use symbols to hint at the novel’s themes? What objects, people, or places stand for something “bigger” in the story?

Step 4: What does the novel’s title suggest about the novel’s theme?

Step 5: Write one or two of the novel’s main themes in your own words.