Where the Red Fern Grows Perseverance Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

To him it made no difference how long the road, or how rough or rocky. His old red feet would keep jogging along, on and on, mile after mile. There would be no crying or giving up. (1.31)

Hm, could it possibly be that Billy sees a little of himself in this old dog? It sounds like someone is doing a little bit of projection—and it tells us a lot more about Billy than it does about the dog.

Quote #2

I didn't give up. After my talk with Papa, I went to Mama. I fared no better there. (2.9)

LOL, Billy. We've tried this one. If your parents have their act together, it's totally not going to work. The difference between Billy and us is that, after both our parents have said "no," we usually give up. Not Billy. He works for two years to get what he wants.

Quote #3

I caught crawfish with my bare hands [...] I tore my way through the blackberry patches until my feet were scratched raw and red from the thorns. (3.17)

Okay, this is just impressive. Catching something barehanded is basically a shortcut to "hardcore." Combine that with his Rambo-esque romp through the blackberry bushes, and we quickly get an idea of Billy's character.