What did Lyddie mean when she thought "The bear had won"?

The reference to the bear comes from the opening scene of the story, when a big hungry grizzly wanders into Lyddie's log cabin looking for some food. Although Lyddie eventually scares off the animal, it comes to symbolize all the trials and tribulations she must endure throughout the story.
In the short-term, the bear's appearance convinces Lyddie's mom that the family should pack up and leave. The increasingly deranged Mama is so spooked by the experience that she takes her two youngest children with her to her sister's place, leaving Lyddie and Charlie to go off and find work after their mom rents out the land.
In the long-term, Lyddie comes to see that the sudden appearance of the bear marked the beginning of the end of her family as a single unit. From that day on, the family would remain split apart, broken up into little pieces as each member was forced to make their own way in the world.
When Lyddie's fired from her job at the factory, she claims that the bear and all that it represents has won. Lyddie was exceptionally brave when the bear wandered into the family home, and she's been brave ever since. But look where it's gotten her: nowhere. Lyddie feels utterly dejected, like she's been defeated by life (or "the bear," as she now calls it).