Rainie Pritchard Character Analysis in Where the Red Fern Grows

Rubin’s younger brother Rainie is a young boy about Billy’s age. Nervous, shifty, and always looking to make a bet, Rainie is wily and excitable. Rainie is the one who suggests Billy take on a bet that his dogs can tree the infamous “ghost coon”—an old and wily raccoon who roams the territory around the Pritchards’ homestead. Billy accepts the bet at his grandfather’s behest, but when he arrives on the Pritchards’ home turf, Rubin and Rainie denigrate him and his dogs, urge Billy to give up before the bet is done, and turn on him when he trees but refuses to make his dogs kill the raccoon. Rainie calls for Rubin to beat Billy, demonstrating his desire for violence and his excitable, changeable nature—but when Rubin falls on Billy’s ax, impaling himself, Rainie becomes full of terror and succumbs to a debilitating shock. Rainie’s meanness, then, is ultimately a mask covering his vulnerable nature—he idolizes his older brother and is devastated when Rubin dies.

Rainie Pritchard Quotes in Where the Red Fern Grows

The Where the Red Fern Grows quotes below are all either spoken by Rainie Pritchard or refer to Rainie Pritchard. 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:

).

About halfway up, far out on a limb, I found the ghost coon. As I started toward him, my dogs stopped bawling. I heard something I had heard many times. The sound was like the cry of a small baby. It was the cry of a ringtail coon when he knows it is the end of the trail. I never liked to hear this cry, but it was all in the game, the hunter and the hunted.

As I sat there on the limb, looking at the old fellow, he cried again. Something came over me. I didn't want to kill him.

Related Characters: Billy Colman (speaker), Old Dan, Little Ann, Rubin Pritchard, Rainie Pritchard

Page Number and Citation: 161

Explanation and Analysis:

“Don't let him up, Rubin," Rainie said. "Beat the hell out of him, or hold him and let me do it."

Just then I heard growling, and a commotion off to one side. […] I heard Rainie yell, "Rubin, they're killing Old Blue."

Rubin jumped up off me.

I clambered up and looked over to the fight. What I saw thrilled me. Faithful Little Ann […] had gone to the assistance of Old Dan.

I knew my dogs were very close to each other. Everything they did was done as a combination, but I never expected this.

Related Characters: Billy Colman (speaker), Rainie Pritchard (speaker), Old Dan, Little Ann, Rubin Pritchard

Page Number and Citation: 164-165

Explanation and Analysis:

Rainie Pritchard Quotes in Where the Red Fern Grows

The Where the Red Fern Grows quotes below are all either spoken by Rainie Pritchard or refer to Rainie Pritchard. 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:

).

About halfway up, far out on a limb, I found the ghost coon. As I started toward him, my dogs stopped bawling. I heard something I had heard many times. The sound was like the cry of a small baby. It was the cry of a ringtail coon when he knows it is the end of the trail. I never liked to hear this cry, but it was all in the game, the hunter and the hunted.

As I sat there on the limb, looking at the old fellow, he cried again. Something came over me. I didn't want to kill him.

Related Characters: Billy Colman (speaker), Old Dan, Little Ann, Rubin Pritchard, Rainie Pritchard

Page Number and Citation: 161

Explanation and Analysis:

“Don't let him up, Rubin," Rainie said. "Beat the hell out of him, or hold him and let me do it."

Just then I heard growling, and a commotion off to one side. […] I heard Rainie yell, "Rubin, they're killing Old Blue."

Rubin jumped up off me.

I clambered up and looked over to the fight. What I saw thrilled me. Faithful Little Ann […] had gone to the assistance of Old Dan.

I knew my dogs were very close to each other. Everything they did was done as a combination, but I never expected this.

Related Characters: Billy Colman (speaker), Rainie Pritchard (speaker), Old Dan, Little Ann, Rubin Pritchard

Page Number and Citation: 164-165

Explanation and Analysis:

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Rainie Pritchard Character Analysis

Rainie Pritchard Quotes in Where the Red Fern Grows

Rainie Pritchard Quotes in Where the Red Fern Grows

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