This is Jody’s Fawn

Introduction:

The story ‘This is Jody’s Fawn’, revolves around the theme of humans living in harmony with nature. In this story, Jody’s father has been bitten by a rattlesnake. He quickly kills a doe and uses its heart and liver to draw out the poison. Jody wonders what will happen to the little fawn left without a mother. The primary theme of this story is loneliness and guilt. Jody wished to save his father and so he killed the doe. However, to save himself from the feeling of guilt, he saved the fawn. The fawn and Jody developed a relationship and it is around this kinship between man and animal that this story revolves. Also we see that love and compassion are necessities without which humanity cannot survive. True compassion means not only feeling another’s pain but also being moved to help relieve it.

Meanings of words and phrase

• drift back to – go back to
• close shave – narrow escape
• kept your head – stayed calm in your situation
• hemmed in – caught in a situation where one can’t say ’no’.
• acorns – small brown nuts
• sidled back – walked back quietly
• gasped – breathed heavily
• mounted – riding an animal
• endure – suffer
• makes a bearing – acts as a compass and helps to identify directions.
• buzzard – a large bird like the vulture that eats the flesh of dead animals.
• carcass – dead body of animal
• carrion – the decaying flesh of dead animals
• quivering – shivering
• delirious – extremely excited
• convulsion – shiver
• sleek – smooth and shiny
• hoist – pull up higher
• light-headed – unable to think clearly
• romp – play
• balked – was unwilling (to do something)
• wobbled – move
• gurgle – make a hollow bubbling sound                                                          

Character Sketch

Jody

Jody is a young boy. But he is quite sensible and mature for his age. He stood by his father’s side when he was bitten by the snake. Jody is also very sensitive. He is constantly worried about the little fawn whose mother they had killed to help his father’s recovery. He eventually decides to bring the fawn home. He struggles hard to find the fawn amongst the bushes. He even carries it all the way home. We also see his determination when he successfully feeds the fawn with milk even after its initial apprehension.