Half Broke Horses

by

Jeannette Walls

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Half Broke Horses makes teaching easy.

Old Man Pucket Character Analysis

The owner of the ranch that neighbors the Caseys’, Old Man Pucket shoots all four of Dad’s Great Danes after thinking they’re wolves chasing his cattle. After readily admitting to the shooting in court, he repays the Caseys with “half-broke horses,” one of which is Patches. He also tells Lily she would make a good lawyer.

Old Man Pucket Quotes in Half Broke Horses

The Half Broke Horses quotes below are all either spoken by Old Man Pucket or refer to Old Man Pucket. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Women’s Strength in a Man’s World Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2  Quotes

Mom and Dad always talked as if it was a matter of course that Helen and I would marry and Buster would inherit the property, though I had to admit I'd never actually met a boy I liked, not to mention felt like marrying. On the other hand, women who didn't marry became old maids, spinsters who slept in the attic, sat in a corner peeling potatoes all day, and were a burden on their families, like our neighbor Old Man Pucket’s sister, Louella.

Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:
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Old Man Pucket Character Timeline in Half Broke Horses

The timeline below shows where the character Old Man Pucket appears in Half Broke Horses. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2 
Women’s Strength in a Man’s World Theme Icon
...admires Dorothy’s work ethic. One day Dorothy finds all four dogs shot dead by neighboring Old Man Pucket , who accuses them of chasing his cattle. A furious Dad grabs his shotgun, but... (full context)
Women’s Strength in a Man’s World Theme Icon
Poverty and the American Dream Theme Icon
Fate vs. Self-Reliance  Theme Icon
Dad decides to file a legal claim against Old Man Pucket instead and appoints Lily to speak for him in court. Lily is well-prepared to make... (full context)
Women’s Strength in a Man’s World Theme Icon
Connection to Nature Theme Icon
Fate vs. Self-Reliance  Theme Icon
Old Man Pucket ’s horses are “half-broke,” meaning no one had properly trained them and they will be... (full context)