The Drummer Boy Of Shiloh Literary Analysis

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Ray Bradbury’s story “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” is an accurate and believable account of the events before the massacre of Shiloh. A few of the reasons I believe that is because the setting is correct, the characters have the believable psyche of soldiers before a battle, and that the events line up almost perfectly. While others do not agree, some including myself cannot help but feel as if the characters, Joby and the general, were real people fighting during the Civil War. My first point is the fact that the setting fits flawlessly. “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” takes place in the night while the main character Joby lies awake dreading the fight. He is lying beneath a peach blossom tree, surrounded by many soldiers, near a church by a river. Ray Bradbury did his research since those details of the setting are the exact same in Shiloh. “In Tennessee near the Mississippi border beside the Tennessee River (Shiloh was a nearby church) at the site of a peach orchard, owned by Sarah …show more content…

This story takes place in April, which is when the real Battle of Shiloh happens. It is also discussed whether or not this story takes place before or after the ambush of Shiloh, but most people believe it is before, which works. The summary before the story says it was the night before the battle, so there is no other explanation. “Here on April 6, 1862, a Confederate army of 40,000 men under General Albert S. Johnston surprised and attacked a Union army of 45,000 men under General Ulysses S. Grant.” “In the April night...” I think that Ray Bradbury’s story “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” is very believable and convincing. Not only do the facts line up, it is obvious that Bradbury was able to get into the mind of a soldier before a battle, and was able to display it excellently. Although his story isn’t full to the brim with facts, it is the little things that count towards a story like this

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