What did Lyddie mean when she said the bear had won in Lyddie?

Lyddie blames the bear for separating her family. 

For Lyddie, the bear is kind of a symbol of her troubles.  When Lyddie’s father left, her family became very fragile.  Her mother just did not know how to handle life.  As Lyddie’s mother’s mental stability diminished, Lyddie became the caretaker of the household.  Lyddie handled the bear well, but her mother saw it as a sign.

The bear came into Lyddie’s cabin looking for food.  Thinking fast, Lyddie was able to get her family upstairs into a loft.  The bear left, but Lyddie’s mother was shaken.

Lyddie’s mother is convinced that the bear is a sign from God, and they should leave the farm.

"Clarissa said when the end drew near, the devil would walk the earth." 

"That weren't no devil, Mama," Charles said. "It were only a black bear." 

" 'Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.' " (Ch. 1) 

She takes the younger two children and goes to her sister.  Lyddie and Charlie remain on the farm, and then their mother sends them a letter saying she rented out the land and they will both go to work.  Lyddie will work at a tavern, and Charlie at a mill. 

Lyddie is horrified when her family is separated.  She does not like the tavern, feeling enslaved.  She is fired for leaving when the cook gave her permission, and gets a job at a factory.  The entire time, Lyddie plans to pay off their debts and get back the farm.  She wants her family together. 

It is not to be. Her youngest sister dies, and then her mother is institutionalized.  Lyddie’s uncle brings her Rachel, the next youngest sister, and Lyddie keeps her briefly at her boarding house until Charlie takes her to live with his family.  Lyddie is dejected.  She is then fired from her factory job for standing up to her predatory boss.  

At this point, Lyddie feels like she has nothing left. 

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) 

The bear became symbolic of all of the trials and traumas she suffered.  It was the first step that lost her the family that meant so much.  Lyddie is on her own now, and has to make the best of things.