Johnny’s most precious possession Imagine you could live in luxury, you would never have to work again and all you have to do is knock on a door and present your family heirloom, a silver cup, to one of the richest men in town. Set in Boston in 1773, Ester Forbes published “Johnny Tremain” in 1943. Johnny Tremain, an orphan and a young, not stupid apprentice to a silversmith, named Mr. Lapham, burned his hand in molten silver because of the carelessness of a lazy, despicable boy named Dove. Johnny Tremain is then considered useless to the Laphams and is constantly teased and harassed because of his unproductiveness. It seemed as though the whole world had turned its back on him. Now as Johnny gloomily sits beside his mother’s grave, he thinks …show more content…
Johnny should present his cup to the Lytes for three reasons: Johnny desired the advantages of living in the Lytes household; the Laphams scarcely valued Johnny’s work; and Johnny disdained his current living situation. The first reason Johnny should present his cup to the Lytes is that Johnny desired the advantages of living in the Lyte household. Johnny wished for the work-free life the Lyte’s lived. With the Lytes Johnny would no longer be required to work for his living. Johnny hoped to acquire the Lyte’s fortune. Johnny reasoned that he would be entitled to all the luxuries that the Lytes enjoyed by becoming a member of their family. As a respected member of the Lyte’s family his burned hand would not matter. The second reason Johnny should present his cup to the Lytes is that the Lapham’s scarcely valued Johnny’s work. Johnny was unable to work as a silversmith, which was the Lapham’s business. Because the Laphams were poor, they only maintained absolutely necessary workers. Since his injury Johnny’s main use to the Laphams was chores, which could be accomplished by anyone in the Lapham family. Johnny hated and argued with Dove and Dusty, whom the Lapham’s