Jody Baxter is the young protagonist of The Yearling, with the novel tracing his one-year journey from childhood to young adulthood as his family endures many hardships. At the beginning of the novel, Jody is an adventurous boy who relishes in the beauty of the natural world. He naps by creeks, knows trees by name, and marvels at the diversity of creatures that inhabit the woods near his home. Jody’s father Penny nurtures his son’s love of the outdoors and respect for animals, while also teaching him to survive off the earth’s bounty. Though Jody’s mother Ora maintains a distant, yet loving relationship with him, the core of Jody’s being is built on his connection to his father. Jody looks to Penny for safety, knowledge, and acceptance, and when Penny grants his sole wish to adopt a wild fawn, he secures his place as a hero in his heart.

Though Jody’s life in the scrub of the Florida frontier in the late 1800s is not without its trials, his childhood is idyllic. Before the advent of technology and the modernization of life, Jody roams the wilderness finding his entertainment in dancing cranes, bee nests dripping with honey, and mysterious water holes that seep water from underground.