My summer Novel is Old Yeller by Fred Gibson.

My essential question is what does it take to mature into a man?

During the course of the book "Old Yeller" I saw Travis, the main character of the book, transform from a boy to a man. Maturing into an adult/ man takes a lot more then just simply what you own or have in life. Woodrow T. Wilson once said "No man has ever risen to the real stature of spiritual manhood until he has found that it is finer to serve somebody else than it is to serve himself."

Travis felt it would be better to serve his family then to serve himself. Like Travis throughout the story i saw him become selfless the instant his dad was gone. Travis was doing things not because he had to help but he wanted to step up, to show how much of a man he could be. Travis would help his mom every day with chores with farm work with everything because he was the new "Man" of the house. He was there for his family when they needed his support the most which showed how selfless he truly was.

Another big step to becoming a man is consistency. We saw Travis be there for his family when his dad was gone. He was consistent with his work ethic and dedication to do all he could for his family. He would work the fields every day, because he knew how important they were to his family. Many times in life we are not their for people when they need us most, but to truly become a mature man we need to be their for those we love as Travis has shown us.

Hard work is one of the most important parts of maturing in life. We have to work hard for what we want in life or want to achieve in life. Travis worked very hard because he wanted to show his maturity as well as get a horse like many men had during the time. Travis worked day and night to work the fields to prove to his family how mature he could really be as well as be their for his brother little Arliss and Old Yeller the family dog. I'm sure many of us have heard hard work builds character. Many times in life we brush that off like that's all but a lie, but in reality hard work builds character and makes a boy learn what it truly means to become a man.

Humility is a big part of maturing into a man. I saw Travis throughout the story show how vulnerable he truly is. Many times in life we hold on to this ego that we put up. Yet just like Travis we must belittle our selves and serve others before our own selfish needs. Walter Russell once said "My power will be in humility." This statement shows how humility gives us inner strength.