Summary: The Drummer Boy Of Shiloh

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“You are the heart of the army.” What does that even mean? It is a symbol used to say that you control the army, just in a different way. That’s what symbolism is, a way of saying things without actually saying them. The Drummer Boy of Shiloh is a short story written by Ray Bradbury about a fourteen year old boy who doesn’t know what his purpose in the army is. In this story, the author uses symbolism to create a deeper thought. For example, the drumsticks that the drummer boy (Joby) used is a symbol that the author incorporated. In lines 40-41, Joby said “...I only got a drum, two sticks to beat it, and no shield.” This symbol is connected to the battle because he used them to keep the rhythm during the fight. In the text, this symbolizes