Symbolism In 'The Drummer Boy Of Shiloh'

Though Shiloh means “place of peace” in Hebrew, it was the place of 26,000+ casualties during the Civil War. The Battle of Shiloh is the second bloodiest battle in American history, both sides losing over 13, 000. The short story “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” by Ray Bradbury alludes to this event, using symbols to show how much war changes people, and the innocence that is lost. Among these there is the drumbeat, the General, and the peach blossoms.

When the drummer boy beats the drum, it becomes the heartbeat of the army. The drumbeat represents the pace of the army, just as it dictates the tempo of a musical piece. On line 145 in Collections, it states, “If he, Joby[the drummer boy] beat slow tomorrow, the heart would beat slow in the men. They would lag by the wayside[fall behind]. They would drowse in the fields on their muskets.” This proves that Joby represents the heartbeat, as only a fast heart will truly inspire soldiers to continue despite their fear, shown in line 151. A fast drum beat is also described as steel armor over the men, keeping them going so they do not make a fatal mistake. In spite of this, there are other symbols in “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh” such as the General.

When he first approaches Joby, he is described as, “He smelled as all fathers should smell, of salt sweat, ginger tobacco, horse and boot leather, and the earth he walked upon.” Even our first impression of the general illustrates him to be someone we look up to. The General also tells Joby that crying is not bad before the war, because it will be an inevitable slaughter. His foresight into what will happen indicates that he has a vast amount of knowledge, and uses it wisely. Unlike the many young soldiers around him, the general knows the brutality of war and that he may not survive, no matter how hard he tries. Conversely, the peach blossoms represent the innocence that the soldiers