How many time does the word bear appear in the book Lyddie?

The word “bear” appears 39 times in the book, referring to the bear that broke into Lyddie’s house.

The prevalence of the use of the word “bear” demonstrates how significant it is in the book.  The bear serves a symbolic purpose for Lyddie.  It reminds her of everything she lost, because the bear coming into their house is what caused her mother to leave.  Lyddie feels like things were never the same after that.

The bear is obviously mentioned a lot in Chapter 1, which is where it first appears.  The book essentially begins with the bear coming in and trying to get the porridge or other food.  Lyddie’s mother is terrified, and although Lyddie is scared too, she is the one who acts.  She gets everyone safely into the balcony.

The book actually begins with Lyddie explaining the bear’s significance to her life.

The bear had been their undoing, though at the time they had all laughed. No, Mama had never laughed, but Lyddie and Charles and the babies had laughed until their bellies ached.  Lyddie still thought of them as the babies. She probably always would. (Ch. 1) 

Lyddie’s mother was not mentally stable to begin with, since before her father left to go west.  She could not handle living alone on a farm with four children.  Saying the bear was a sign, she left to go stay with Lyddie’s aunt.  Lyddie and her brother Charles took care of the farm for a while, until they got a letter from their mother telling them that they had to go to work. 

Later, Lyddie would say that the bear was the beginning of the end, and she felt the curse of the bear that her mother was talking about.  Lyddie worked at the tavern until she was fired, and then got a job at a factory.  Eventually, her mother was institutionalized and her brother took her other sister in, while the youngest one died. 

The bear had won. It had stolen her home, her family, her work, her good name. She had thought she was so strong, so tough, and she had just stood there like a day-old lamb and let it gobble her down. (Ch. 22) 

Despite all of this, Lyddie remained strong.  She held her own at the factory, becoming one of the most successful workers.  She was fired for standing up for Brigid.  With nowhere to go, Lyddie decided to try to go to college.