The Drummer Boy of Shiloh

The Drummer Boy of Shiloh

          In “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh,” by Ray Bradbury, there is a fourteen year old boy whose role is to play the drum for the army. Joby thinks that his job there is useless, and that he can’t actually help with the cause.  He doesnt know the importance of his place in the army but soon he learns.

          At first, Joby is scared and alone, afraid that he will like die many of the others, especially because he is unarmed and unprotected. “I only got a drum, two sticks to beat it, and no shield.” Joby doesn’t know that he doesn’t need anything else, he doesn’t know that all he needs is the drum. It has more power that what he believes.

          Then, the general comes and speaks to Joby. To ease Joby’s fear, the general tells Joby that neiter side wants to fight, and I agree. It is done because because we have to. Nobody likes to kill, and nobody likes to risk their life for something they don’t enjoy. The do it because we as people cannot solve problems with just a simple agreement. There are just too many people involved for that. Humans have to take action, and each individual is just a tool to be used.

          The general also tells Joby of his importance. “You are the heart of the army.” Joby is told that he is the controller, the person testing and setting the pace fo the tools, the one that decides how they feel. I believe that the greatest weapon is not one that causes pain and destruction, but one that brings hope and motivation to complete a goal. This is why Joby is important, and now he realizes that. The drummer boy is the one that people listen to, the one that keeps the soldiers fighting. It reminds them what they are fighting for and why they are there. The drummer boy, is probably the most important part of any army.