Analysis Of The Finish Of Patsy Barnes

The characters Patsy from “The Finish of Patsy Barnes" and Joby from “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” each have their own individual struggles and personalities but they also each share certain qualities and experiences. For example both Patsy and Joby are both young boys who have been thrown many roadblocks that they had to overcome to become who they are at the end of their respective stories. However, it is also clear that they have their differences, especially regarding their character and personality. Patsy is much more of a troublemaker and fairly self centered, especially near the beginning of his story. Joby on the other hand, in almost direct opposition to Patsy, is a scared young boy, fighting not for himself but for his country in the

For example, Patsy and his mother live in poverty on a “scanty livelihood” and were too “poor, too poor to even call in a doctor.” This shows one of Patsy’s many struggles and how it affects his and his mother’s life by showing how they can’t even get proper treatment for Patsy’s mother’s sickness. Another example is the struggle Patsy faces with being black in the 1800s, being told things like “Why don’t you stay down south where you belong.” Likewise, Joby also deals with struggles related to the time his story is set. For example, the Civil War made it so “Nothing stayed put. Nothing had a name. Nothing was as it once was.” The repetition of “nothing” shows how Joby feels almost like his whole world has been changed to the point that “nothing” is familiar to him, that nothing is recognizable anymore. Ray Bradbury emphasizes the terror Joby experiences when he writes that Joby “shut up his eyes, to hide inside himself” as someone approaches. This shows Joby’s youth and the fear he is feeling as he wants to “shut” himself up, wanting to be safe again like he once was before the war. This shows the similarity between Patsy and Joby both in that they are both so young while enduring such horrible

Patsy is said to be “incorrigible” , his own mother calling him “a sore thorn in her side”. This makes us as the reader feel as if Patsy is almost deserving of his shortcomings, which is surprising considering that the pain Patsy experiences is not something that anyone should have to go through. Then we have Joby, a sweet young boy, fighting for his country. Even at first glance you can tell a distinct difference between their characterization, Patsy being shown as a mischievous, trouble-making child and Joby being characterized as a scared little boy, trying to help his country during a time of war. Immediately the reader feels sorry for little Joby, a strong wave of sympathy washing over them. After all, when reading Joby’s thoughts, “Me, thought the boy, I only got a drum, two sticks to beat it, and no shield.” The reader feels immediately sorry for Joby, pitying his circumstances and his inability to protect himself. However, if you think about Patsy’s circumstances you would realize that his situation of poverty, a sick mother, and constant racism and legal segregation are also all things incredibly deserving of one’s sympathy. Only when you add back in the character traits of each boy that your perception of their unfortunate situations change, this shows the great difference in character of each boy, their different personalities