In the
"Drummer Boy of Shiloh", a short story by Ray Bradbury about Joby, a
drummer boy who realizes his self worth and importance in battles, through a
speech given to him from the general of the army.
In the
"Drummer Boy of Shiloh", throughout the course of the story, not only
does Joby realize his importance in battles, but also Joby matures drastically
in just a few short minutes because of the general's inspiring speech.
Before
the general's speech, Joby was dreading war and battle. Not only was he scared,
but he was also a bit annoyed. In the beginning of the story, a peach stone
fell and woke Joby up. The story goes, "In silence he listened to his own
heart ruffle away, away- at last gone from his ears and back in his chest
again." If just this small peach stone caused Joby so much fear, he must
be terribly anxious for the battle before him. He gives off the impression that
he's annoyed because in the story it says, "Me, thought the boy, I
got only a drum, two sticks to beat it, and no shield." He also feels
like his family is leaving him behind, "leaving him with this drum which
was worse than a toy". The fact that he thinks the drum is worse than a
toy, really shows what little importance he thinks he is in battle.
During
the general's speech, Joby was very quiet. You can tell he was quite impressed
by the general, and carefully processing his every word. At times, you hear
Joby's interpretation of the speech, like when it says, "But if he beat a
sure, steady, ever faster rhythm, then, then, their knees would come up in a
long line down over that hill, one knee after the other, like a wave on the
ocean shore." You can practically hear the excitement rising in the tone
of voice. When he repeats the word, "then" you can tell he's
practically jumping out of joy and excitement. He also learns that he's the
heart of the army, and that if he beats slowly, the soldier's hearts would beat
slowly, but if he does beat a "sure, steady, ever faster rhythm",
then their march would be in sync with the rhythm of the drum, like waves on
the ocean shore. I like that Ray Bradbury compares the drumbeat to a heartbeat
and the ocean. The ocean takes up most of the Earth, and the drum affects most
of the performance of the army, which affects the loss or victory of the
battle, which affects lives. Without a heart, or a heartbeat, you can't
survive, so the drumbeat and obviously the drummer boy are essential.
Near the
end of the general's speech, the mood gets calmer. It went from a huge
crescendo, to a very quiet decrescendo. The tone and beat of the story
calms down, as well as Joby. When asked if he knew he became general when the
old one is left behind it says, "The boy nodded mutely," This makes
me think he's trying to process the information he received, a bit in shock, a
bit in gratitude. When the general leaves, Joby says, "Goodnight,
sir," in a very sophisticated and respectful manner. Then, when the
general is gone, Joby faces the drum toward the moon. This gives off the
impression he's giving the drum the respect it needs. In the beginning of the
story the drum is described as having a great lunar face, and at the end he
faces the drum's great lunar face to the moon, kind of putting everything right
back in its place, which is a big step from saying the drum is worse than a
toy.
I can
relate to this because sometimes I feel like I can't do anything. I'm too
intimidated or afraid to do something, and all I really need is someone to help
boost my confidence. Sometimes all you really need is help, and someone to
tell you that you can do it. I always feel more "grown up"
because I know something I didn't before, and did something new as well. I
think this might be how Joby felt after the general's speech.
These
examples obviously show how Joby's attitude changes, but if you dig
deeper, you can tell the general's speech was a wake up call for Joby to
"man up". It also helps Joby realize that no matter your age, role,
or responsibility that we all serve a purpose, and they are all important. When
you're young you never really realize that, but as you grow up it becomes clearer. It seems like
what Joby got out of the general's speech was a boost of maturity.
