62 pages • 2 hours read
John Reynolds GardinerStone Fox
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1980A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaSymbols & Motifs
Dogs
Dogs are universally known as man’s best friend. In Stone Fox, the deep bond between man and dog is a prominent symbol. Dogs are known to be immensely loyal to their owners, and they tend to symbolize similar meanings in literature. This is definitely the case here as well. Willy and Searchlight adore each other, and they both have an almost telepathic connection. Searchlight seems to understand what Willy and the farm need, when they need it. While the connections between the other dogs and their owners in the novel are undoubtedly strong as well, Little Willy and Searchlight’s connection is rare, having been formed almost at birth
Though the story revolves around the heroic acts of Searchlight, the dogs in the story function as a motif of the loyalty, kindness and the love that their owners have for their pets as well. This motif is most evident near the end of the novel after Searchlight has passed away in an interaction between Little Willy and Stone Fox. Little Willy brushes the snow off of Searchlight’s fur, telling her, “You did real good, girl. Real good. I’m real proud of you. You rest now. Just rest” (37). This tender act of kindness for a dog that was Little Willy’s best friend clearly speaks to Stone Fox. It is in this moment that the man decides to help Willy. Gardiner writes how Stone Fox’s “eyes shifted to his own dogs, then to the finish line, then back to little Willy, holding Searchlight” (37). Both Stone Fox and Willy have a connection to their dogs in a way that no one else in the novel seems to have. Both characters love, and are loved by, their dogs.
Money and Financial Struggles
Money and financial struggles are motifs that repeat themselves a surprising number of times in the short story. This motif is similar to a common literary theme of Man versus Society; in such a theme, the protagonist must contend with circumstances dictated by the world around him. Be it other people in society or the institutions and laws around it, the character has to find a way to overcome the challenges these factors pose. Money is one way that this theme may come to manifest.
Money occupies a complicated role in the story; Grandfather’s inability to put their financial situation in order, Willy’s naivete regarding taxes, the banker’s refusal to allow them a loan, and Stone Fox’s mission to use the money to buy land back for his people all reflect the different ways that money can be both a help and a hindrance. Money is simply a tool that reflects how its user chooses to spend it, share it, or secret it away. Through the important place that money holds throughout the novel, it makes Stone Fox’s sacrifice at the end of the novel an even nobler one. Amongst the townspeople who may have more to share, a greater ability to help Little Willy, it is Stone Fox who chooses to do so at the expense of himself and his people.
Nature
Unlike Man versus Society, the Man versus Nature theme centers a protagonist’s relationship with the great outdoors. Unlike Willy’s relationship with the town and society, his connection with nature is far from contentious. Little Willy’s bond with Searchlight is one such example; they are able to understand each other almost telepathically, sharing a language and love that bridges species. Apart from this, Little Willy has a profound respect for animals and nature that appears numerous times in the novel. Gardiner writes of the young boy, “Little Willy loved this country. He loved to hike and to fish and to camp out by a lake. But he did not like to hunt. He loved animals too much to be a hunter” (30). Willy’s love for nature is a big part of his character, as it ties him intimately with the farm and the land while also separating him from society. This connection with mother nature is another motivator for him to win the race; upon staring up at the mountains, Willy recalls his Grandfather saying that “there are some things in this world worth dying for” (30).
