The Drummer Boy of Shiloh Reader Response

  In the story of "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh"Joby, the main charcater is a 14 year old drummer boy for the Union Army in the Civil War. he is not very confident also he has many fears about the war. The general comes and talks to Joby. Joby starts to have more and more confidence as he keeps talking to the general. By the end of the convosation Joby is feeling better about being the drummer boy.
  Joby feels useless, scared and anxious about the war in the beginning. Joby begins to cry soon the general come over. Joby describes him as a father figure. But at the same time he is a general so he tells Joby about the dangers of war. He says "It's gonna be a carzy time, counting both sides about a thousand men. Sometime this week more innocents will be shot later this week out of pure Cherokee enthusian." This shows the general knows the risks of war and knows how bad war can be. Sometimes people know things are wrong but they just go along with it , because they can't do anything or because they don't have the courage to do anything.
  Toward the end of the generals and Joby's convosation, the general explains to Joby how important he is to the army. The general says to Joby "You, boy are the heart of the army." This makes me think of the human body. Joby is the heart that keeps the beat and the general maybe the brain and all the soliders are the bones and muscles.
   So Joby is just an ordinary boy. Well at least maybe back then. Joby isn't anything special though. The general didn't need to talk to him. He didn't do anything spectacular. But the general gives Joby a new perspective of his role in the war. The general tells him he is heart of the army, he builds Joby's confidence with just one compliment. Sometimes perople don't do that though. if they perhaps see themselves as higher or more important they moght try to bring you down not up. The general the hightest and maybe the most important person in the armydidn't need to say anything to Joby but he did.