reading response #4

    In the story "The Drummer  Boy of Shiloh" Joby is a young drummer boy of to war with some soldiers. However, Joby feels as if he plays an unimportant roll in the war. He is very upset by the thought. The General and Joby have a talk and they connect. The General helps Joby realize that he is important and can help the situation.
     At first Joby just thought he was a useless toy in the war. On page 51 Joby says that he is no more than a toy himself. "Me, thought the boy, I got only a drum, to sticks to sticks to beat it and no shield" I think this proves that he feels unimportant. Its basically like getting leftovers. I think Joby feels really insecure about being in the war. I feel that he feels that way because he may be intimidated by the fact that he is really at a war. I also think he feels lonely because he doesn't have his family.
     Joby started crying. That is when the General comes in. He hears Joby and talks to him. While the General is talking to him, Joby thinks that the general is how a father should smell. That also proves that Joby might be a bit lonely because hes thinking about fathers. I think the General actually sat down and talked with him because he might have felt lonesome himself; I think the general was glad that he talked with Joby. I think he needed to get it off his chest.
      The talk with the General really Joby's self esteem up. Joby thought he was merely a useless toy. Now Joby feels confident about what he is, a drummer boy. He has respect for himself. He is the heart of the troops and he keeps the rhythm that they walk to.  He turned his drum facing the sun and went back to sleep.