The Drummer Boy of Shiloh

In The Drummer Boy of Shiloh by Ray Bradbury, there are only two main characters that are easily noticed: Joby and the general. Joby is going to be a drummer boy at the battle of Shiloh the next day and the general is, well, the general. Another “character” whom I thought very important is the drum, though it might often go unnoticed because it is not a person. The drum has connections to Joby, the general, who explains to Joby his importance in the battle, and the setting and the nature of the story. If you think about it, the drum really is the main character. The drum causes Joby’s fright of war which is the start of the whole conflict.

In this short story, the drum is connected to the general. The general knows a lot and is the mentor of the story. He knows the drum is an important part of the battle because he is experienced in war. I think that he has a good connection with the drum because the drum is taking some of the pressure off of him. It is almost leading the army more that he is himself. He also sees the significance of the drum and he is happy to share his knowledge with Joby.

The relationship between Joby and the drum is the most complicated because it changes throughout the story. Joby begins the story with his regret for the drum. All he can see is the fact that he will be unarmed on the battle field. Then he begins to realize what he and the drum have the power of doing, but also the responsibility that comes with it. It says in the story, “I only got a drum.” When I read this, I imagine Joby not really appreciating his drum and knowing what it is worth in this particular battle. This is the beginning of the story when the general has not yet told Joby of his importance in the army. Towards the middle of the book, the general reveals to Joby his importance and the drums importance. In the story, the general tells Joby, “You will tell them----- one part humble and one part proud------ I was the drummer boy at the battle of owl creek.” Here, Joby realizes that the his drum is the best weapon in the army. He is very thankful that he has the drum now. He needs the drum and the drum needs him to keep the army in line.

This rings a bell. I know that my cats’ depend on me to feed them and change their litter boxes. But I also need my cats to keep me in line and help me feel better when I need it.

By the end of the story, Joby feels the power of his responsibility. He is in charge of tens of thousands of men. The mood of the story goes down with Joby’s feelings at the end of the story. Joby has become closer to the drum but he has also become farther away.

The drum also has a strong relationship with the setting. I thought this was interesting because there was a connection between two non-people in the story. Without the drum, there are only two official characters in the story which in my opinion makes the story less complicated and interesting for the reader.

Towards the beginning of the story, it describes the face of the drum as “lunar,” connecting with the moon. This makes me as a reader imagine a bright moon shining on the drum head. The author also helps describe the April peach blossoms through the drum in the sentence, “blossoms fell from the orchard trees and lighted with rustling taps on the drum head.” I liked this sentence because it makes you actually feel the wind and the peach blossom petals falling. In this way, the setting helps to describe the drum and the drum helps to describe the setting.

The way that the story is written, it fools the reader into thinking that the drum is a character. The drum is as complex as a character: it has relationships that differ for every person, place, or thing in the story. It made me realize that sometimes characters don’t have to be people.

The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 1

The main character in The Fellowship of the Ring is Frodo. Frodo is a hobbit from the Shire. Throughout the book, Frodo changes emotionally because of the possession he carries and the position he is put in.

At the beginning of the book, the reader sees how Frodo lives in the Shire. He has very little power because he is so young and inexperienced with the outside world beyond the Shire. All of a sudden, he is put in charge of a powerful ring that has many dangerous secrets. He does not understand why it is he who must protect it until it is brought to Mordor. Frodo is sent on a mission to bring the ring to Mordor where he will be the leader of a few hobbits who will travel with him. He is not used to leading other people and protecting importance objects. It seems as if there is too much responsibility for Frodo and I began to think that he could have much more power than he thinks he does with the ring with him, and he begins to realize this too as the book progresses.

Towards the end of book one in The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo has suffered from a loss of innocence. Frodo is more experienced with danger and responsibility as well as leadership. He used his journey wisely and he learned many things including how to protect himself. He survived many attacks from people much bigger, stronger and well-equipped than he, so he can use that skill well for the rest of his life. In the Shire, Frodo was always able to eat a large and delectable meal, but on his journey he was not so fortunate. This may have been the first time in his life that he was not able to eat as much as he would please.

Frodo learned a lot about responsibility as well. He had the responsibility to protect four hobbits and a ring. It was critical that he was able to lead them properly and make the correct decisions, which he did not always do. At one point in the book, the riders were coming towards Frodo and he slipped on the ring against his friend Strider’s advice but he went along with what the rider’s wanted. He ended up badly injured and learned to trust his friends.

Frodo discovered that by trusting himself and others, he will gain the trust of others and is able to lead them peacefully. He undergoes a loss of innocence and is willing to do anything to protect his friends. Although through the book he lost a loss of weight, he is stronger on the inside and out. And this is all in just book one of The Fellowship of the Ring!

A Long Way Gone

Over the Summer I read A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. It is about a boy (Ishmael Beah) in Africa who is trapped in a war and forced to become a soldier. The story was unlike any other I have ever read because Ishmael Beah is writing about himself. The whole, sad story is true and I think that that makes a difference in a story. In a piece of fiction, the reader can have feelings for the character, but when it gets too sad or upsetting, the reader will just think to themself, this is just a story so it is all ok. But in this story, I knew it was true and that made it even sadder to think that Ishmael Beah had to live with this over his shoulder for his whole life. 

I really liked the story and the way it was written. One thing I really liked was how the author skimmed some of the parts of the story that were a blur to him when this was actually happening. It made me feel like it was all a blur and made me realize what he was going through. One example of when this happens is when he becomes a soldier. He doesn't know what is happening and he describes the details he remembers of his first time fighting in the war. But he dimly mentions the two years of being a soldier after that. I think it made him seem somewhat like a robot, the same routines and fights and bloody scenes each day. This “blur technique” is something that made the book seem more realistic.

One thing in the book that made me question my own life was how no one trusts Ishmael and his friends even though they are just twelve year old boys’. This made me think about how many people I trust without a doubt. In the story, there are many twelve year old boys fighting with the Rebels, so people can’t be sure whether Ishmael Beah and his friends are safe to be around. This creates a tension in the book and more lying. Trusting the wrong person could have led to Ishmael’s death.

I really liked A Long Way Gone because it is written well, it is an interesting story, and because the characters’ and the story are true. I feel like after I read this book, I have actually experienced a war.