Shields; Physical and Metaphorical

The Battle of Shiloh
April 6-7, 1862

In the short story entitled "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury, the protagonist Joby goes through a fast yet subtle change. He goes from being frightened of the battle that lay ahead to confident and sure of himself. This change occurs so rapidly it's hard for us, the readers, to depict where exactly in the text it happens. What I believe is the true change in Joby is not when he agrees to fulfill his duties as drummer boy, it is when the General speaks to Joby of how the drummer boy acts as the heart of the army. I believe this is when the General builds up Joby's personal "shield" so that he is prepared to go into battle. When Joby agrees to act as a drummer boy, rather than cry for his troubles, it finalizes the construction of Joby's shield, and the change is therefore final.

In the opening paragraphs of the story, Joby describes the soldiers as all having "shields"cast around themselves, to protect their hope and courage from the depressing tendrils of the battle and what deaths will soon come when the battle takes place. Joby envisions the soldiers' shields as being compounded of the soldiers' "...family devotion, flag-blown patriotism, and cocksure immortality..." This is what protects them, what pushes them onward into the fiery havoc of battle, and what will give them hope and strength in their hours of need. Joby is not blessed with such a shield to protect him from the upcoming battle, the battle that leers at him and awaits for the sound of his drum and the march of soldiers. Joby only has "...a drum two sticks to beat it with, and no shield." This makes Joby vulnerable, unprotected, a target for the opposing side. This, it seems to me, is what seals Joby's fate at the beginning of the story, what seals the fate of the other soldiers, of the whole army, for they depend on Joby to motivate them, as he is the drummer boy. When Joby is unprotected, vulnerable in such a way that he is, it means the army is vulnerable as well, and their shield begins to deteriorate.

In the long run, Joby is also a part of the army's collective shield, their shield as a whole. Joby provides motivation as the army enters the bloody battle that surely lies ahead. If Joby is not there to provide the motivation they thirst for, the army will not function properly, and the collective shield of all the soldiers will begin to break down. The army will not be able to carry on with battle without feeling the stabs of pain and fear that almost certain death can bring. With Joby's shield nonexistent, or, at least, not functioning properly, the army does not function properly, for Joby is the heart of the army, he is the drummer boy. How can one have a shield themselves when a crucial part of your shield has deteriorated, when your shield has no shield of its own, as Joby does not have a shield?

The General arrives, and sees what a dire situation his army is in. He sees the vulnerability that Joby is to the army, and yet also realizes that Joby is a vital part of the army, a crucial aspect that he cannot cast off. The General takes it upon himself to build up Joby's shield, to make Joby confident and hopeful for what lies ahead. Before the General casts this shield over Joby, Joby is raw, unprotected, yet he is such an asset to the army's well-being and self-assurance, that the General sees it necessary to console Joby, and build up his self-esteem. Afterwards, Joby is new, shielded, and the army will therefore be stronger and prepared to fight the following day.

When viewing such a situation, one can connect it to real life and the shields that one casts to protect themselves against certain things, whether good or bad. In what ways do you act as a shield for others? How do your personal shields affect others if they are built up of deteriorating? Perhaps these "shields" we cast in every day life take more of a toll on others than we realize. If someone extremely close to you is breaking down emotionally and their shield begins to break down with them, the so-called shield that you cast will break down as well. Our brains by themselves cast out a protective layer so as that we are not constantly going through emotional trauma, so we don't get hurt. Do we continuously wear shields as protection, and when we get emotionally scarred is the only time they come down? This is my belief, and although Joby was not necessarily "scarred" emotionally before his shield was rebuilt by the General, the fear and hatred of the upcoming battle surely broke it down enough for Joby to feel the cold fingers of reality.