The Bear

The Bear Summary | Chapter 1 Summary

The opening lines of the book introduce the reader to several important characters. The first character is Old Ben, a bear who has become infamous in the forest and has earned himself a human name. Second is a man named Boon who we learn later is the man who kills Old Ben. Next is Sam Fathers, a man that is a mentor to the narrator. Finally, we learn the name of Lion, who is the unloving dog that hunts Old Ben. Sam Fathers, Lion and Old Ben are described as taintless and incorruptible. The boy, Ike, narrating the story is sixteen, and we learn he has been hunting for six years. The boy describes the importance of the wilderness, the presence of alcohol on all of the hunting trips, and that the day in December when Old Ben is caught starts with whiskey.

The narration goes back to when the boy is ten and first learns about Old Ben. Old Ben has one mangled paw, is a legend because of the destruction he has caused, and he has a solitary nature. The bear is described as being absolved of mortality. As a child, Ike watched the men leave for their November hunting trips, and finally at ten he is allowed to join his cousin McCaslin, Major deSpain, and General Compson. Ike describes the drizzly day and sitting with Sam Fathers who is teaching him to hunt. Ike describes this as though he is witnessing his own birth, for he had always imagined the trip and is now finally living it. Ike describes the bad food cooked by a man named Ash and the rough sheets. Ike recalls practicing to aim his gun and learning patience by not shooting.

Once, Sam and Ike see Old Ben walking along, and Sam explains that the bear runs the other bears off because he is the head bear. Back at the camp, Ike describes smelling the odor of beast and fear. There is an injured dog, and Sam explains that the dog had to be brave to be a dog. Sam leaves camp for a while, and the boy begins going to his hunting stand-alone. On the third morning, Ike hears the dogs and the hunt go by. Ike describes dedicating his life to the wilderness to learn patience and humility. Then, Ike hears a shot and learns a buck has been shot.

Sam returns and the two ride together, with Ike on a one-eyed mule that will not be spooked. The two come across Old Ben's paw mark, and Ike describes feeling the eagerness and abjectness in knowing his own fragility in comparison with the timeless woods. The bear is becoming a part of Ike's dreams. Ike and Sam talk about how they need the right dog to be able to hunt Old Ben. Sam says Old Ben is smart, and the boy realizes that the bear has been watching him. The next morning, Ike gets an early start to ride to his hunting spot and has a flashback of the day Sam had placed him practicing holding the gun which was too big for him and recalls the bear watching him. Ike also recalls smelling the odor of fear, which he had been able to recognize even as a little boy. The boy decides that he has look at Old Ben.

In June of the following year, the group returns to the camp to celebrate the birthdays of Major deSpain and General Compson. The boy has a new gun and leaves early in the morning with his compass looking for Old Ben and learning to become a very good woodsman. Sam knows what the boy has been doing and tells Ike that Old Ben has probably been watching him, but stays away because of the gun. The next morning, the boy leaves the gun behind and brings only the compass and a stick for snakes. Ike recalls Sam's advice to be scared but not afraid. At one point during the boy's trip, he realizes that he has become lost. Ike has done all of the navigating Sam taught him to do, and finally he surrenders himself to the wilderness. Ike sits on a log and then sees Old Ben's paw prints. When Ike looks up, he sees Old Ben. Old Ben is not as big as he has always imagined. Old Ben walks away and fades into the wilderness.