As the story opens, Travis believes he is already “nearly a man” (25). Confirming this feeling, Papa entrusts him with a man’s job: protecting the family and taking care of the homestead. Their man-to-man handshake seals Papa’s trust in Travis, and Travis takes on the new responsibilities with confidence. Travis respects Papa and does not want to let him down. Papa is a touchstone and role model for Travis: Travis is thrilled when he can kill a deer on the run as well as Papa can. He uses Papa’s words to assert authority over Little Arliss, and he adopts Papa’s opinions, choosing to believe Papa’s way of picking a puppy is superior to that of Lisbeth and her grandfather. Travis wants to be like Papa. Mama smiles at Travis’s initial efforts at asserting his adulthood; humoring, but supporting, his new role.

In his efforts to show he is grown-up, Travis distances himself from his childhood. Travis does not want Mama to remind him that was ever as childish as Little Arliss. He scoffs at the speckled pup, confident that he, like a grown man, has a “full-grown dog” (126).