THE DRUMMER BOY OF SHILOH: BY RAY BRADBURY

                    In ELA I’m reading a short story called The Drummer Boy of Shiloh by Ray Bradbury. This short story took place in 1872. It’s told in the perspective of the Drummer boy, Joby. Joby ran away to join the Army. This story is the night before the battle, and Joby is very confused.

              War can affect people both emotionally and physically. In this particular story, we see the main character, Joby, effected emotionally by war. His thoughts are all jumbled up and disoriented.

             War. This topic is such a terrifying topic. Right now, there are soldiers in Afghanistan getting killed. Fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, uncles, and aunts, cousins, and friends are getting killed. A lot has to go into making war. First, there's hate.

            Hate is an emotion, an emotion so strong that is causes you to hurt other people. Have you ever gotten into a fight with a sibling, I have. My sister and I often fight about rights around the house or what objects belong to who. One time I saw my sister wearing a neckless (that was obviously mine), and for some reason I got so mad! I DEMANDED for my neckless back, and when she wouldn’t give I threw my self right at her. (Literally, it kind of hurt.) 

             This is kind of the hate that I’m talking about. When you feel so STRONGLY about something that you're ready to attack someone for it. Your ready to hate, (of course I dont hate my sister, I just “hated” her that moment). 

           But it’s the people that make the war exist. They are like chess pieces in the game. These pieces are noble. Just like Dakota Meyer. The soldiers are like pawns, brave but only have the choice to go forward, and diagonal. Getting sagatogwed as the queen moves forward, killing several pawns in the process. Sometime I wonder what are a soldiers thoughts before they fall to the ground. Dead. Did they wonder if the were going to die, previously in the morning as Joby had? Was there doubt, how about hope. Joby wondered about "the truth...people will die...and maybe that’s why I cried.”The general cried. He cried, and cried. Many of us ask our selves this question. Why? Why did the general cry? Perhaps is was because he knows that he might die. That his men might die. That they won’t see the sun rise up from the hills. 

               “Me. I’m the one, I’m the one who won’t die. I’ll live through it. I’ll go home. The band will play. And I’ll be there to hear it. After I read this line, I thought, are you REALLY going to hear the band, Joby, after all, “You got only a drum, two sticks to beat it and no shield.”  The land, the people, the economy, and families. War effects these. But along with war there must be peace. I hope that Joby, does go back to his house, to peace to life. But Joby will never be the same Joby that he was in the beginning. He will have changed in ways that he can’t recognize or explain. 

AM I BLUE?: BY BRUCE CAVILLE

                        In ELA we finished reading a short story called Am I Blue? by Bruce Caville. This story is from the perspective of a sixteen year old boy named Vincent. Vincent has the problem that most "gay" kids have been having for the past century. He's been picked on, and abused because people think he's gay.
                     "The point is, you're getting picked on because people think you are gay. Gay bashing is a special issue for me." This line really stuck me because you don't even have to be gay to be harassed, you just have to act, and look gay. For example "Mr. Alwin the fat guy who ran the grocery store looked like a giant blueberry- which surprised me because he was married and had three kids. On the other had Ms. Thorndyke, the librarian, who every one knew was a lesbian, didn't have a trace of blue on her." Now I suppose your wondering, "What does having blue mean?" Blue means how gay you are. It's comes in different shades depending on your "degree" of gayness.   
                        Being gay is a huge theme in my story. It effects constantly what Vincent thinks, says and does. I've noticed that every time he is about to say something he always stops and says something different. For example "Gaydar,' said Melvin. 'A lot of gay guys have it to some degree, it would make life easier on us-" then Vincent interrupted and said "speak for yourself." It's almost as if he doesn't want to be gay. Perhaps Vincent was "taught that being gay was wrong" by Butch. Butch was the protagonist in this story, he bullied and beat up Vincent in the beginning of the story.  So Vincent's choices were to either be "gay" and live under terror knowing he will be gay bashed by Butch Carrigan, or try to fit in with everyone else. Not this best choices some one can have!