Jim The Boy And The Blue Star Character Analysis

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Guns drastically alter character’s actions and outlooks in novels. In the dyadic stories, Jim the Boy and The Blue Star, guns play an important role for the protagonist Jim (the boy). Tony Earley’s saga places Jim’s (the boy) childhood in a setting that showcases the usage of guns. The historical context of the Great Depression adds a dynamic to this theme as characters are affected by the wars around that period while in the location, rural Maryland, residents commonly use pistols---for self-defense---and hunting rifles---to obtain food. Because of this Jim’s relationship with guns was influenced by those who used them. Throughout Jim the Boy and the Blue Star Tony Earley uses this relationship with guns to provide insight toward his character …show more content…

The protagonist’s father died a week before his birth shown by the letter which Zeno sent to Amos Glass: “Just over a week ago, . . . [m]y brother Al found him [Jim Senior] in the field where he had fallen, already dead . . . Yesterday Cissy gave birth to a son . . . whom she named Jim Glass in memory of his father” (Jim the Boy, Earley 3-4). The stories of his late father enamor Jim (the boy) as Mr. Carson remarks about how his father never wasted a shot (105). Additionally, Amos Glass, Jim Senior’s father, shares this trust; he shows this when he counts Jim’s (Senior) shells compared to the game Jim shot to determine, as irrefutable proof, whether his son shot his whiskey distillery despite the chance of failure (106-107). That begs the question, how impressive is this irreproachable hit ratio; We know that it occurred around 1917 (the when the United States entered the Great War) and his gun was a “.22” (106) meaning that Jim’s gun would not have the advantages of bolt-action or scoped sights as they would have been a rare sight to Americans at the time (Carmichel no pg.) (Towsley). These tales appear to inspire Jim (the boy) to become well versed in hunting and general gun use: “Jim never wastes shots” (jtb). (I might need end …show more content…

His grandfather serves as a warning, that pride can lead to one’s downfall. The two rebellions that Amos Glass fought in show this message clearly; the American Civil War and his rebellion of Lynn’s Mountain. During the Civil War, he served under the command of Jeb Stuart (Jim the Boy 212). History does not remember Jeb Stuart fondly as he disobeyed orders during the Battle of Gettysburg: “[Lee’s orders were that] the cavalry should remain on the Army of Northern Virginia’s right flank during the campaign, screening the infantry and scouting for the approach of Gen. George G. Meade’s Army of the Potomac. Rather than remain within the rather broad confines of Lee’s orders, Stuart grossly abused the discretion Lee had given him by going off on a grandiose raid to the outskirts of Washington, D. C. (Woodworth, 578)”. Without Jeb Stuart’s cavalry, General Lee was left blind to the advances of his enemy which set the stage for defeat in Gettysburg (Robinson, 144-147). Jim’s grandfather later started a rebellion because he could not swallow his pride and pay taxes (Jim the Boy 211-213). Find information in Blue Star about Jim not following in his grandfather’s

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