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Getting the Goiter Out of Apron
When Robert had to get the goiter out of Apron’s gullet, he was taking a chance of possibly losing his arm and dying. Taking this risk had rewarded him and Mr. Tanner, but there was also the chance he could’ve died, along with Apron. He had learned that day that taking a chance and hoping for the best outcome is sometimes all that you can do. -
Mr. Tanner's Gift to Robert
When Robert got Pinky from Mr. Tanner after saving Apron, it allowed him to develop some kind of responsibility, being that he had never had any kind of animal to take care of. This taught him how to be responsible over other living things and his own actions. It also meant that he had to take the chance of possibly dealing with Pinky’s death if she didn’t become a brood sow. -
Talk With Papa About Being "Rich"
Robert, at the time, had only thought being rich meant you had to have lots of money. But once his papa discussed to him that being rich didn’t just mean you had money, but that it meant you were able to live off of your land, without the need for currency. This taught him to respect and use his surroundings. -
Papa Telling Robert About His Soon-To-Be Death
When Papa had told Robert that he was going to die soon and to not tell anyone, this forced Robert to hold onto a burden of a secret. This forewarned him that Papa would die soon and that Robert would have to face the challenges of running the farm alone. This also allowed him to prepare to have to run the farm, learning things such as: tilling fields, irrigating the crops, knowing the seasonal crop times, etc. -
Weaseling Hussy
When Robert had weaseled Hussy with Papa and Ira Long, what he had experienced changed him very much. The experience taught him how to deal with traumatizing things, for instance, the death of Hussy. It also allowed him to partially face the death of something so sweet and innocent. This would prepare him for the events that would occur later. -
Finding Out That Pinky Was Barren
Once Robert found out after a few months of Pinky being bred that she was barren, he had to deal with the fact that she was going to be slaughtered eventually, no exceptions. This forced him to prepare for the events that were to happen next, meaning that he would have to deal with Pinky being slaughtered. He also learned that everything isn’t always what it is expected to turn out to be. -
The Death of Pinky
The day that Papa was forced to slaughter Pinky right in front of Robert’s eyes taught him to finally face the death of something that he has loved for as long as they lived. The events preceding this had enabled him to face this slightly easier than a usual person. When Pinky had died, Robert was forced to realize that it was done for a specific cause. This had also allowed him to become a man, as Papa had said. He had finally felt true loss. But it wasn't over yet. -
Finding Out That Papa Was Trying to Write
When Robert found the little box with a wore down pencil and a scrap of paper with Papa’s name, Haven Peck, several times, he realized that Papa wanted to learn how to do things. It’s just that he had never asked for any kind of assistance, possibly because being old and asking for assistance would seem foolish. It taught Robert that even the most inexperienced people would try to do great things. -
Facing the Death of Papa
The day that Papa had died was the day that Robert had to finally face what he had feared. He had finally felt true, genuine sadness. After all of those 13 grand years, it was finally over. Robert had learned what losing someone very dear to his heart had felt. That day had taught him that it was finally time to become a true man, even more than what Papa had told him, and have control over the land his father once had owned (not fully owned, but close).
