The Drummer Boy of Shiloh

  In class, we have recently finished going over and analyzing the short story, "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh," by Ray Bradbury. The story focuses on a distraught, terrified drummer boy named Joby. He is with his army camping out in Pittsburgh Landing, Mississippi prior to  the bloody Battle of Shiloh. However, i noticed throughout the story that behind the fear and sadness Joby feels throughout the story, there is a large theme of perseverance and confidence. The author uses Joby particularly to send this message to us.
  Joby in the beginning of the story is very scared and cant help but crying his eyes out. As the story progresses however, he is spotted by the general of whomever army he belongs to and immediately wipes his tears away. When he approaches him, Joby describes the man as smelling of "as all fathers should, of salt-sweat, tobacco, horse boot and leather, and the earth he walked upon,". I thought this line was very important because it foresighted a possible symbol of confidence and hope in Joby and made me think  that Joby saw this man as a father figure. After all, he is only 14 and being so young and alone in war is hard, especially when you don't have a real father to guide you toward the right path.
  After the confrontation, the general starts to tease Joby lightly. I found this interesting because that sounds like something a father would do with a son. Then, he tries to bring Joby's morale up by giving him a long, meaningful pep talk. He says things like, "You are the heart of the army," and that gives Joby purpose and responsibility. The way the general gave his pep talk however, is what really made me see what the general was to Joby. He gave in it a raw yet fatherly fashion, which made Joby realize his worth and power while at the same time comforting him from his emotional ailments. This sends Joby through a climatic character change, seeing that he is actually worth way more than he saw himself to be. Thus, he feels more confident in going on with the battle.
  In conclusion, the author is in fact sending us a message of always persevering through scary times and staying confident in times of great peril. He uses Joby as somewhat of a messenger, as we see Joby change somewhat drastically. From being scared  and depressed, he has matured and regained his confidence. This is because the general, who served as Joby's  father figure, gave him what he needed to become stronger: purpose.