The Motelscape of Lister

The Tiger Rising

The Kentucky Star Motel and its surrounding woods form the small world in which Rob’s isolation and connections develop.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

A Temporary Home A Temporary Home from "The Tiger Rising". A Temporary Home Life at the Motel Rob and his father live in a small room at the Kentucky Star Motel after moving from Jacksonville.

A Temporary Home from "The Tiger Rising". A Temporary Home Life at the Motel Rob and his father live in a small room at the Kentucky Star Motel after moving from Jacksonville.

A Temporary Home Life at the Motel Rob and his father live in a small room at the Kentucky Star Motel after moving from Jacksonville. Their living space contains an unmade bed, an old recliner, and a hot plate. Unsettled Security Rob says the arrangement is temporary, a way to get back on their feet. The motel is both shelter and a visible sign that the family has not regained its former home.

The Sign Above Rob The Sign Above Rob from "The Tiger Rising". The Sign Above Rob Neon Company Rob waits beneath the Kentucky Star sign, whose yellow star rises and falls over blue neon.

The Sign Above Rob from "The Tiger Rising". The Sign Above Rob Neon Company Rob waits beneath the Kentucky Star sign, whose yellow star rises and falls over blue neon.

The Sign Above Rob Neon Company Rob waits beneath the Kentucky Star sign, whose yellow star rises and falls over blue neon. He believes dimly that it may bring good luck. A Personal Landmark The sign gives him a steady point in a life marked by loss and change. It becomes a repeated image of hope that Rob is not yet willing to make explicit.

Work Around the Rooms Work Around the Rooms from "The Tiger Rising". Work Around the Rooms Motel Labor Rob sweeps walkways and helps Willie May clean rooms and fold sheets.

Work Around the Rooms from "The Tiger Rising". Work Around the Rooms Motel Labor Rob sweeps walkways and helps Willie May clean rooms and fold sheets.

Work Around the Rooms Motel Labor Rob sweeps walkways and helps Willie May clean rooms and fold sheets. The work introduces him to the people who keep the motel functioning. Contact Beyond the Classroom His days outside school bring him into adult conversations about sadness, animals, and responsibility. The motel becomes a setting where Rob can participate rather than only endure.

The Woods Behind the Rooms The Woods Behind the Rooms from "The Tiger Rising". The Woods Behind the Rooms A Hidden Landscape The woods lie beyond the motel, wet with rain and filled with pines and palmettos.

The Woods Behind the Rooms from "The Tiger Rising". The Woods Behind the Rooms A Hidden Landscape The woods lie beyond the motel, wet with rain and filled with pines and palmettos.

The Woods Behind the Rooms A Hidden Landscape The woods lie beyond the motel, wet with rain and filled with pines and palmettos. Rob knows that Beauchamp owns the land and does not want people wandering there. A Place of Risk and Wonder The woods contain both the tiger and the children’s secret meetings. Their distance from the motel lets Rob and Sistine test ideas outside adult supervision.

Sun Over the Motel Sun Over the Motel from "The Tiger Rising". Sun Over the Motel A Clear Sky Rob’s father tells him there is not a cloud in the sky.

Sun Over the Motel A Clear Sky Rob’s father tells him there is not a cloud in the sky. Rob watches sunlight enter his room and begins imagining what he might make next. Home Still Unfinished The family remains in the motel, and its problems have not disappeared. Yet the familiar setting now contains a possibility of future plans and renewed companionship.

at the beginning of the story

before the school bus arrives

during Rob’s days away from school

during Rob and Sistine’s visits

the final morning