Title: “Drummer Boy of Shiloh” Author: Ray Bradbury
Main Characters: Setting: Point of View:
Joby time: night, April 6, 1862 1st person
The General place: Shiloh Church; Owl 3rd person limited
Creek, TN; peach orchard 3rd person omniscient
Genre: historical fiction
Main Conflict: Joby is afraid to go in to battle.
Main Conflict Develops (complications):
1. The peach stone falls on the drum and scares Joby; he responds by turning the
drum on its side.
2. Joby is angry because he does not have anything to protect himself with in
Battle. He just has a useless drum and two drumsticks. While the “man-boys”
have the shields of family, patriotism, immortality, and weapons.
3. Joby is only 14 years old.He is too young to join the Army legitimately. You
need to be 16 to be a drummer boy and 18 to fight.
4. The General admits that he, like Joby, cried about the upcoming battle. He
knows that he is taking 40,000 untrained troops in to battle, and many will die.
5. The General tells Joby that he must beat a “sure, steady, ever-faster rhythm”
then he would save lives. If he beats slowly, many will die.
Climax of main conflict:
The General asks Joby “You’ll run them through for me then, boy?”
Resolution of main conflict:
Joby has found courage and will perform
his duties as the General asks.
Joby turns his drum back
up to face the sky.
The story ends happily unhappily ever after because:
“The peach blossoms fell on the drum” foreshadows the 23,000 deaths and casualties.
SYMBOL: Meaning:
drum fear; courage; order; death
peach blossoms tears; youth; sadness; fear
IRONY: verbal situation dramatic
The General, the leader of 40,000 men, cried before battle
FORESHADOWING SIMILE METAPHOR ALLUSION
“…and the peach blossoms fell on the drum;” the last few word of the story foreshadow all of
the death that will occur because of the battle.
FORESHADOWING SIMILE METAPHOR ALLUSION
Army=body; see image below.
IMAGE or
QUOTE