All Creatures Great and Small

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1972

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-10

Chapters 11-21

Chapters 22-31

Chapters 32-47

Chapters 48-67

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Discussion Questions

Essay Topics

In All Creatures Great and Small, the character James Herriot qualifies as a vet in 1937, while the author qualified in 1940. This change means that the story starts before England enters World War II in 1939. Why might Herriot have made this change and what effect does it have on the narrative?

Herriot is practicing veterinary medicine in a time of great change in both the medicines available and government interest in agriculture. Discuss his attitudes towards these changes. What are the reasons he holds those attitudes?

Discuss Siegfried’s role as a mentor in this book. What wisdom does he impart? Does he cause more problems than he solves?