I read the story "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury, which is about a boy who is the drummer boy for the Union army during the Battle of Shiloh in the Civil War. He is nervous and scared that his position in war is too small, and that he's not as important as everyone else, he's also worried that he's going to get killed. Bradbury uses the setting to show all of these issues throughout the story.
I think it's interesting how Ray Bradbury uses the setting to symbolize Joby's fears. In the beginning of the story the author mentions peach blossoms and how a peach pit fell on Joby's drum, because he's resting under a peach tree. Later in the story he says " a moth brushed his face but it was a peach blossom. A peach blossom flicked him but it was a moth." I think this symbolizes Joby's nervousness and confusion about the war and his place in it. Wouldn't you be scared if you were caught in a war at age 14? He's too young to really understand war, and the price each army has to pay. For us it would be like, instead of applying for high school this year, we'd be planning to run away and train for war. Most of the soldiers in the war in both armies didn't know how long and bloody it was going to be and they thought it would be fun and exciting. By the end of the story when Joby's general comes to talk to him and boost his confidence about him being a drummer boy, it says in the text, " the peach blossoms fell on the drum" i think that it symbolizes the beauty and vast importance of Joby's drum. I think this because in the beginning before the general gives Joby hope a peach pit fell on Joby's drum. A peach pit is the rough, slimy and ugly part of the peach that's hidden inside the peach itself, like Joby's fear, and the fact that he's buried it inside himself. But after the general speaks to Joby a peach blossom falls on the drum witch is light weight and beautiful and not scary or ugly, which is like Joby's fear and his burden becoming lifting and becoming lighter.
I also think the drum itself represents Joby's fear of his lack of protection from the fighting. In the beginning of the story it says in the text, " he turned the drum on its side." It's like he doesn't want to face it. Just like the way he doesn't want to face his fears, he just keeps crying. But maybe he turns it on its side so he can watch it, he can protect and hide it from the others and i think he doesn't want anyone else in the army to see it, the drum or his fears, he's ashamed of both of them. He thinks the rest of the soldiers are more important then him , and that they all look down on him, that they should look down on him. But also I think he's trying to protect himself with it even though during battle it won't truly protect him, he knows that i think, but he's to scared to accept it. But at the very end of the story it says in the text,"then, at last, very slowly and firmly he turned the drum so it face up toward the sky." This motion makes it seem like he's more proud of the drum and he doesn't have as much fear towards it.
In the story "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury it was interesting that he used the setting and Joby's drum to represent Joby's fear and confusion about the war, which we as people now can relate to any war or any of the current wars going on. Any soldier can relate to this story, any family of a soldier can relate, war is scary now matter how old or how well trained you are nothing can truly perpare someone for watching friends die, like many did in the Battle of Shiloh on both sides.
I think it's interesting how Ray Bradbury uses the setting to symbolize Joby's fears. In the beginning of the story the author mentions peach blossoms and how a peach pit fell on Joby's drum, because he's resting under a peach tree. Later in the story he says " a moth brushed his face but it was a peach blossom. A peach blossom flicked him but it was a moth." I think this symbolizes Joby's nervousness and confusion about the war and his place in it. Wouldn't you be scared if you were caught in a war at age 14? He's too young to really understand war, and the price each army has to pay. For us it would be like, instead of applying for high school this year, we'd be planning to run away and train for war. Most of the soldiers in the war in both armies didn't know how long and bloody it was going to be and they thought it would be fun and exciting. By the end of the story when Joby's general comes to talk to him and boost his confidence about him being a drummer boy, it says in the text, " the peach blossoms fell on the drum" i think that it symbolizes the beauty and vast importance of Joby's drum. I think this because in the beginning before the general gives Joby hope a peach pit fell on Joby's drum. A peach pit is the rough, slimy and ugly part of the peach that's hidden inside the peach itself, like Joby's fear, and the fact that he's buried it inside himself. But after the general speaks to Joby a peach blossom falls on the drum witch is light weight and beautiful and not scary or ugly, which is like Joby's fear and his burden becoming lifting and becoming lighter.
I also think the drum itself represents Joby's fear of his lack of protection from the fighting. In the beginning of the story it says in the text, " he turned the drum on its side." It's like he doesn't want to face it. Just like the way he doesn't want to face his fears, he just keeps crying. But maybe he turns it on its side so he can watch it, he can protect and hide it from the others and i think he doesn't want anyone else in the army to see it, the drum or his fears, he's ashamed of both of them. He thinks the rest of the soldiers are more important then him , and that they all look down on him, that they should look down on him. But also I think he's trying to protect himself with it even though during battle it won't truly protect him, he knows that i think, but he's to scared to accept it. But at the very end of the story it says in the text,"then, at last, very slowly and firmly he turned the drum so it face up toward the sky." This motion makes it seem like he's more proud of the drum and he doesn't have as much fear towards it.
In the story "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury it was interesting that he used the setting and Joby's drum to represent Joby's fear and confusion about the war, which we as people now can relate to any war or any of the current wars going on. Any soldier can relate to this story, any family of a soldier can relate, war is scary now matter how old or how well trained you are nothing can truly perpare someone for watching friends die, like many did in the Battle of Shiloh on both sides.
Rosie, interesting ideas! But it seemed at first like you were only going to discuss the setting. Why not just say earlier that Bradbury uses many forms of symbolism so you can cover all your bases?
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