KEY: Short Story Analysis of "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh"
Title: “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh”
Author: Ray Bradbury
Famous for writing science fiction, especially for the novel Fahrenheit 451.
Setting General Time: Civil War (1860- 1864)
Specific Time: April, begins at midnight and lasts for about 30 min. the night before a battle
General place: the South, Tennessee Specific place: battle site, near the church at Shiloh, by Owl Creek
Protagonist: Joby, the drummer boy (we don’t know which side of the battle he is on)
Conflict Internal or external? Internal Man versus self
Antagonist: Joby’s fear of battle, his lack of belief that he will survive due to his feelings
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peach pit “struck once like panic” (comparing the startling sound of the pit hitting the drum to the panic the sound created in the boy’s imagination) p5
3. Soldiers’ whispering “was like a natural element” (comparing the combined whispering of all the soldiers to the sound of a great wind approaching p5
3. “this drum which was worse than a toy” (comparing drum’s effectiveness as a weapon to a toy) p6
4. “him lying small here, no more than a toy himself”
The second phase of the Battle of Shiloh starts as reinforcements from General Buell’s Army of the Ohio and a unit of Grant’s own reserve division joined the Union Army now positioned at Pittsburg Landing. These reinforcements added over 22,500 men to the Union lines13 bringing the total number of Union forces to over 45,000, which is more than they had on 6 April, the first day of fighting.14 On April 7, General Grant renewed the fighting with an aggressive counteract.15 Greatly outnumbered (Confederate forces now around 25,000) and disorganized the Confederate forces now under General Beauregard fought hard but eventually had to retreat to back Corinth.16 The second phase of the Battle of Shiloh was won by General Grant and his Union forces due to two main reasons. The first, Union troop numbers greatly outnumbered their enemy, over 45,000 to 25,000 respectively. And secondly, the reinforcements received by General Grant had not fought the day before and were fresh and excited to fight, unlike the exhausted remaining Confederate troops.17 This was the bloodiest battle fought on American soil up to that point, with 23,746 casualties (Union: 13,047; Confederate: 10,699).18 The Union lost more men but claimed the victory because the Confederate Army retreated back to Corinth, Mississippi.
In the second stanza the distinctive experience of power is present. The use of the technique of imagery and emotive words “to pluck them from the shallows and bury them in burrows’ tells us that the soldiers were strong, loyal and had enough power within a degree to assist fellow soldiers. The use of personification to create sound “sob and clubbing of the gunfire” This leads the audience to understand what the soldiers were up against without even directly saying it. The imagery visually shows the scene in their
In the short story “Shiloh”, written by Bobbie Ann Mason, symbolism is widely used. The story has several different messages behind the symbols used throughout the story. The log cabin, the Civil War battle of Shiloh, the dust ruffle and a flock of birds are all similes used to foreshadow and help readers further understand. Although the symbols have different messages, they all tie together to produce the conclusion of the whole story.
Who is the antagonist, or the person who causes the conflict for the protagonist? What is he like?
There are several characters in this book, including both adults and children, that demonstrate integrity and/or social and political responsibility. These dynamic characters include, Mariatu, Marie, Mohamed, Yabom, Kadi, and Salieu. These characters have a positive change throughout the memoir, The Bite of the Mango, and they learn from their experiences in the civil war to strengthen their character.
A main trend seen throughout the book is that each soldier carried something very important with them, this object, or idea, whatever it be, helped the soldiers cope with the dangers and fears that the war brought upon them.
There are few companies in the 101st Airborne that achieved the status the men of Easy Company would gain during their career in World War II. From the making of formation of the company at Camp Toccoa, in Georgia, the men of Easy Company were destined to impact the course of the war. They became legends in American military history with their acts of bravery and heroics they showed in the face of the German army. From Normandy to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, their fame grew with each great mission they accomplished. The generations that would follow respected the uniform they wore, and the company’s comradeship grew deeper than a normal soldier’s companionship would in a war with his fellow- man. Throughout the book, Stephen Ambrose, pointed
Have you ever thought of being on the run from an intense army ? Well , in this speech from Chief Joseph , he explains how is army has been killed and majority of his people have ran away to the hills because of the cold weather upon them. He is also worried because the young men now have to step up and lead the chiefs in an innovative direction. This has put him in a heartfelt situation where he now wants to put a cease to fighting , and find his children for the good of his sake. In contrast , he uses three rhetorical devices to release his thoughts and feelings from the outcome from fighting.
In the short film, “The Negro Soldier,” the whole focus was to get African Americans to join the military. With the use of propaganda, the U.S. government hoped to promote getting African Americans to want to fight for their country. It hoped to instill patriotism in them. It showed that Germany and the Nazis had no respect for them and considered them the scum of the earth. It also portrayed them being accepted as equals into the American society. It was used to make them think they were wanted and play a major role in the success of the war against germany. And to ultimately make Germany and the Nazis look like the bad guys (destroying their monuments) instead of the racist America they lived in. It also portrayed African American soldiers prior contributions in previously fought wars as pivotal moments in American history. It made it seem like they were the reason for those victories. It also explained how the African American soldiers were honored with tributes, memorials, medals and parades for their service in the military. In the ongoing WWII, it was said that there were three times the number of African Americans soldiers in WWII than in WWI. Also, many more were getting commissioned and attending West Point and OCS (Officer Candidate School). African American men that were once printers, tailors, entertainers are now soldiers in the Army as gunners, tankers, radio operators, mechanics, quartermasters, and infantrymen. They were now the backbone of
Drummer Boys played a valuable role in the war. They supported the troops by: 1) completing camp chores to free the men for more difficult tasks, and 2) They played duty calls and signals to tell the soldiers what to do during combat and played marching music to boost troop morale. 3) They helped sustain order and discipline. The drummer boys were from the thirteen colonies. They were often enlisted by their parents or if they were a slave by their master. Some slaves volunteered so that they could earn their freedom. The drummer boys also enlisted because they were very patriotic. The age range of the drummer boys was sixteen to twenty although there younger drummers who were twelve to fourteen years old.
feel isolated and afraid. Moreover, the narrator of “The Pit and the Pendulum” also experiences
In Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, characters such as Paul and his friends become indifferent to shocking elements of war through constant exposure to them. For example, the characters are unconcerned about the dangers of the front because they are accustomed to being on the front. In another instance, Paul’s friends show no emotions when they witness snipers killing enemy soldiers. Also, Kat finds the unusual effects of mortar shells amusing. These examples prove that through war, characters of the book have become indifferent to things that they would normally find shocking.
1. “In any war story, especially a true one, it’s difficult to separate what happened from what seemed to happen. What seems to happen becomes its own happening and has to be told the way. “ (71)
“Which in the field developed into the finest thing that arose out of the war - comradeship,” (Remarque 27). Throughout the war, soldiers depend on each other to be able to live another day. Through small acts of kindness, sorrow from loss, and never leaving one behind emerges the theme of comradeship, which is clearly represented in the novel, All Quiet On The Western Front.”
The speaker lets the reader know right away about the reality of war. The invincible, fearless soldiers that are envisioned by the reader are quickly transformed into