Jeff’s Growth The protagonist of Rifle for Watie by Harold Keith, Jeff Bussey, is one of the many children who were forced to grow up too quickly due to the outbreak of the Civil War. In this historical fiction novel, Jeff is a sixteen year old boy eager to go off to war looking for adventure and excitement like many other boys from that time. Over time, however, Jeff experiences sickness, treachery, friendship, despair, and violence. Jeff soon grows and becomes a more experienced, wiser individual. Jeff changes over time due to his experience of war, the choices he has to make, and his loyalties being questioned. Jeff is forced into maturity by his experience in the war. He starts out excited for battle and glory, but soon learns there …show more content…
After helping raid a town for the purpose of survival, he realises that “there are looters in both armies” (152). He sees that not everything bad is done out of pure evil and that sometimes wrong is required in order to stay alive. These actions also begin to awaken him to the idea that he is no better than the rebels. He later is forced to take a cow from a woman who had previously fed him while her husband was away fighting for the rebels. Jeff hears the woman shout “Ye brought ‘em here, jist liken I said ye would” (83) in angry screams. He is so conscious ridden that he steals back the cow, bribes a guard, and sneaks out in the middle of the night to give the cow back. After this event, he never wants to volunteer for anything in the war. He learns to keep his head down and try not to harm anyone else. He also sees his first real experience with the effects of the war in innocent people's lives. His most important choice made in the war however, was neither returning the cow or participating in a raid, but his choice to stay with his country at all cost. After running into Lucy while on the enemy side, he “had to decide for all time between having Lucy or staying with his country” (299). He discovers that he will stand by his beliefs no matter what cost. He is willing to give up his own happiness for the joy of others. Jeff’s choices he makes throughout Rifles for Watie mold, shape and grow