"The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury

Through the story "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh," the author, Ray Bradbury is trying to show his readers what impact strong role models can make on your life, and how they can completely turn everything around.  This is shown through the character change of the drummer boy, Joby.

In the beginning of the story, Joby is insecure, alone, and afraid.  The story says, "But without these last, the boy felt his family move yet further off in the dark, as if one of those great prairie-burning trains had chanted them away, never to return..."  This shows how incredibly alone Joby feels when he mentions his family, but adding the part about moving further into the dark really shows the desperateness of his need to go home or just to be comforted by the presence of family.  That also displays the idea that danger is lurking in this war, and there is always the darkness to hide from.  The same sentence continues, "... Leaving him with this drum which was worse than a toy in the game to be played tomorrow or someday much too soon."  The comparison of the war to a game goes further into the fact that no one is ready for this war, and that everyone is being used for the outcome to win or lose.  Having it compared to a game, however, strips away the harshness and thought of death.  This increases the presence of fear and insecurity of Joby in this situation.  It also mentions how bad this is for him to have only a drum, and no other form of a weapon or protection.  No shield or arms means Joby is almost meant to die. He recognized this fact and is just waiting for the moment to come where his life as well is stripped of him, along with his family, home and safety.  He isn't thinking like the rest of the soldiers, he is embracing the fact of death in a cautioned way, so that he doesn't want to die, but is anticipating that is probably will happen, and "much too soon."

In the middle of the book, Joby meets the General in the peach orchard and is enlightened to a new perspective on the war.  This section introduces a father-figure to the boy's life and begins to lead him in the right direction.  Joby's character ending is in confidence and leadership.  One thing that the general says to Joby is, "You are the heart of the army.  Think about that.  You are the heart of the army."  This statement got Joby thinking and understanding that how he beat the drum set the pace for the war, and started the fire underneath the soldiers' feet, just as the words of the general had done for him.  The general also said, "Do you know now you're  general of the army when the general's left behind?" The total character change from his role model is displayed when Joby announces in response,  "Yes, sir."

To close off the narrative, the story states, "Then, at last, very slowly and firmly he turned the drum so it faced up toward the sky."   I think that the drum symbolized Joby throughout the story, from when at first he calls it a worthless toy, to when he opens it up towards the sky.  Joby went from concealed to secure, all because of his role model, the General.