Quiz 2 (RBoC)

Even at the very beginning, Henry was viewed as the young, uneducated one ever ready to learn from his peers and know what they know.

"There was a youthful private who listened with eager ears to the words of the tall soldier and to the varied comments of his comrades." (Chapter 1)

"He felt a quiet manhood, non assertive but of sturdy and strong blood.....He was a man." (Chapter 24)

Now Henry is confident and considers himself a man.

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Wilson was the loud private because he always needed to put his word in, or get the opposing side in. Wilson was a man of words.

Finally he said: "Well, you don't know everything in the world, do you?" (Chapter 1)

"He seemed no more to be continually regarding the proportions of his personal prowess. He was not furious at small words that pricked his conceits. He was no more a loud young soldier." (Chapter 14)

Wilson now is a mature man, knowing that his fellow comrades died where he did not. Even after the first battle, Henry notices that there are drastic changes in Wilson's character, and they are for the good.

Chapter 24 (RBoC)

Now that the battle and the war are over, Henry and Wilson wonder what now? They head back to the river with everyone else and see the end result of everything like the wounded and the other worn out soldiers. On the way back Henry looks inside himself and notices that he has changed. He regrets running from that first battle, but he feels that he can move on and not forget it, but learn from it. He thinks in his head that he is good now. The deeds that his friends and comrades saw made him a better person. Henry does however, feel a twinge of guilt for the tattered soldier, for he left him in the field by himself when he helped Henry move Jim. Henry thinks that his comrades can read his failure on his face, but no one is paying attention to him. Everyone is going over the battle with each other. Henry realizes that he can put the tattered soldier behind him, and get over his sins from the first battle. He is a man now. The sun then shines with big puffy clouds after raining a little.



Response- The end. Henry has an ego, but he has to deal with guilt just like everyone else. He is a real person, and even though he sometimes is selfish, he matured a lot in the last half of the book.

Themes-

*Manhood~ I think Henry has finally achieved this, for he put his sins behind him and got over everything, but not without feeling guilty first. Like every other human.

Motifs-

*Youth and maturity~ Compared to the 1st chapter, not only has Henry Fleming matured greatly, but Wilson as well. Good for them!

Question- IS THE LIEUTENANT ALIVE? It isn't answered! Ahh!

Chapter 23 (RBoC)

Some officers tell the soldiers that they must charge the rebel army to get anywhere and they do it with great energy. Henry keeps the flag in the front and urges on the men to run and fight. Henry felt like a mad man, running, but felt good. During their charge, the confederate army turned and ran, not giving the union army the satisfaction of charging them, and randomly turning back to shoot and continue running. But there was one group of rebels that stayed to fight, a group with their flag. Henry focuses on the soldier with the confederate flag. Henry's buddies shoot at the enemy and hit the flag-bearer. Henry is happy and goes to get it, but that flag-bearer knows his purpose and clutches it while trying to retreat. Wilson jumps over the fence and rips the flag from that guy's hands. There are four POWs and one was shot in the foot. The four prisoners all had different reactions to being a prisoner.
Everyone is congratulating each other and rejoicing!

Response- Glad to see that Henry did something... haha. I wonder if the POWs will end up getting killed. Good for Wilson for getting the rebel flag! He beat Henry. HA.

Question- Did the lieutenant make it?!?!?!

Chapter 22 (RBoC)

Henry's self-confidence is huge at the beginning of the chapter, especially since he can just stand there and watch the battle for a while. While looking around, Henry notices to one side that a couple of regiments are fighting like the rest of the war doesn't matter, and their battle is most important. To the other side Henry sees a brigade of soldiers running the enemy out of the forest. All of the men on the battlefields were fighting intensely, but after a few minutes, the Union was winning. Suddenly fighting breaks out near the wood and the upper-hand in the battle keeps going back and forth. Once the fight reached Henry's regiment, they unleashed their fury on them. Still Henry isn't fighting, just watching... but he doesn't feel like he's useless. The enemy was getting dangerously close, but the regiment took care of them and sent them back to the fence area where they came from. Everyone in the regiment wants to keep the ground because they were called mule-drivers.
Henry thinks that his dead body on the battlefield would be the ultimate revenge to the general who called them mule-drivers and mud-diggers. Henry notices that the regiment is getting smaller and smaller but also sees that Wilson and the lieutenant are still alive.

Response- Pretty vivid battle. I could picture it easily, so it was good. Henry does need to fight though, if he notices that the regiment is way small now! duh!

Question- It said that the lieutenant was swearing like it was his last ones, does that mean the battle is almost over or he is going to die?

Chapter 21 (RBoC)

Chapter 21 opens with the regiment almost thinking that it's too good to be true, having a pause in the fight, and actually having an advantage? Hasn't happened for them in a while. Some random soldier wanted to fist-fight, and it brought Henry's attention to the mockers. He turns around and sees that the distance that looked so huge to him earlier, was hardly anything. Henry almost looks at the dead soldiers with contempt for dying in that short distance. The young soldier then starts to reflect upon his actions and give himself praise. Then the officer who called them mule-drivers rides up to Henry's regiment. The general is yelling at the commander, telling him that they basically failed. The lieutenant of course was enraged when hearing this, but the colonel who was yelled at told him not to worry about it.
Wilson walks over to Henry and they both tell each other that they don't like the commanding officers and that they want to tell them that they can fight for themselves. While having this discussion, some random soldier runs over to them and tells them that the colonel asked about Henry and the lieutenant told him about Wilson and Henry, and that they should be major-generals! No matter what that general said, it was forgotten by Henry and Wilson.

Response- I'm liking that colonel more and more already. And that one general is just an arrogant prick to be honest. This chapter was interesting, since Henry and Wilson were fluffing each other's egos... a lot.

Question- Will that general get what he deserves?

Chapter 20 (RBoC)

This chapter starts with basically the rest of the regiment running away and getting yelled at by other officers. Henry and Wilson fight over carrying the flag. Henry wins that little tift. The charge stopped for a second, with Henry's regiment realizing that they are most likely going to die. Henry tries to see if he can find the officer who called him mule-drivers, (aka SLOW) and realized that he wants revenge and hates him more than the enemy.
Henry tries to pump up his fellow soldiers, but the regiment was too weary. Right away the enemy is close to them! Soldiers keep trying to run away, and Henry is worn out, Wilson says it's the end and Henry won't admit it. Henry notices the lieutenant standing with his feet apart and not swearing in the middle of the battle. The lieutenant then points out that the enemy is upon them. The confederates seemed to look new to Henry, and clean. They also weren't ready for the regiment's fire! The Union soldiers kept on firing and fighting and when the smoke cleared away, they saw that there were more rebels dead. Their confidence was renewed!!

Response- They charged for a really long time. Wow. I'm glad that Henry's regiment is getting some glory... they aren't mule-drivers now, are they?

Motifs-

*Clean and dirty~ At the end of the chapter, the rebel army is clean and not doing so well. Henry's side is dirty, worn-out, and doing well. It also hinted my thinking in the last sentence, "And they were men."

Question- How many of the regiment will be left by the time this is over?

Chapter 19 (RBoC)

Henry is disoriented at the beginning of the charge, but then gets over it. The narrator describes Henry to look like an insane soldier during the charge. Without knowing it, Henry is in the front of the charge and a lot of soldiers are getting killed. While running towards the enemy Henry seemed to notice everything and understand, except why he was involved in the charge. People kept dying, and Henry still can't understand why he is there. The pace of the charge is tiring a lot of the soldiers out. Once they are close, they start to slow down and look around and notice that most of their regiment is either injured or dead. The lieutenant bursts on the scene and tells them that they gotta keep going. Then Wilson fired his rifle into the woods and that woke everyone up.
The regiment moved as one single unit, slowing down to reload and find their bearings. They get to the trees, and the lieutenant can't stop swearing. He gets Henry's attention and tells him that they must cross the lot because they can't stay in their current position. Henry sort of challenges the lieutenant to charge and he and Henry charge with Wilson close behind.
While charging, the color sergeant (guy who carries the flag) dies and Wilson takes the flag from him and he and Henry continue charging.

Response- I thought the lieutenant was right next to them.... hmm. I'm proud of Henry for not running in the other direction. As always, GO WILSON!

Symbols-
*The flag~ To Henry, it's a goddess of beauty, fills him with hope, and will hopefully save lives.

Question- How exactly did the lieutenant die?

Chapter 18 (RBoC)

This chapter starts out with the rebels in the distance and the regiment noticing that Jimmie Rogers is hurt. Wilson offers to go get him water and ends up getting it for basically everybody. Henry goes with him. They couldn't find one so they head back, and see in the distance, the battle still raging on. They also see a house and a distant road, and wounded men searching for their friends. On their way back, a general and another officer are riding past them and talk about the enemy charging somewhere and they are arguing what they are going to do when the other officer tells the general they can spare the 304th division... Henry's division. Henry and Wilson rush back to tell the lieutenant that they are charging. The regiment didn't believe them, and then the two officers rode up to them, told them they were charging and that was the end of it for the rest of the regiment. Only Henry and Wilson knew that overhearing the discussion of the two officers, that those officers think of them as insignificant and they don't expect them to live.

Response- I wonder what is honestly going through Henry and Wilson's minds. I would most definitely not want to hear my commanding officer tell someone else that I am insignificant!

Motif-
*Clean and dirty~ When the army is having self-doubts and hesitant, they are clean. When they are done with fighting and calm from the battle, they are dirty. The dirtyness adds some manhood to the soldiers, I think.

Question- What is going to happen to Jimmie Rogers?

Chapter 17 (RBoC)

This chapter starts out with Henry thinking that because he had thinking time yesterday, the battle should stop and let him. Henry tells Wilson that he probably can't stand too much of the rebel army, and Wilson just calmly replies. The young soldier thinks that his army should have more power than they actually do so they can prove themselves.
Once the battle actually begins, Henry seems to lose it. He wants to injure them all and just straight up attack them. He loses all sense of direction and fights hard and quick, withstanding things he normally wouldn't. When the rebel army fled, Henry didn't notice that they were gone and the rest of his regiment just watched him with some awe. He lays on the ground in a sort of trance and the lieutenant complimented Henry on being an amazing fighter. Everyone is shocked sort of and Wilson asks Henry if he is alright. The lieutenant is having kittens about Henry being such a good fighter and everyone is happy.

Response- Who knew Henry had it in him? I did NOT understand the saying about beating dogs, women, and walnut trees though.

Theme-
*Manhood~ I'm pretty sure Henry has achieved a small part of manhood by fighting like he did.

Question- Now that Henry fought amazingly once, is he going run away ever?

Chapter 16 (RBoC)

Henry's regiment gets to the battle and relieves another regiment in a trench. Everyone is getting ready to shoot and the canons are thundering. Henry wishes that he could break the silence with a joke or something, but the cannons are too loud. A rumor starts to spread that they aren't doing so well. So they end up going back to camp, since they got "licked." Henry can't believe it however, and Wilson seems to be in a mood. When the young soldier is demanding a reason, the way he says something makes it seem like he actually fought and he thought someone would ridicule him for it. Wilson just thinks that they don't have any luck. A sarcastic soldier buds in to their conversation and asks Henry if he thinks he fought the whole battle himself yesterday, and Henry freaks out inside. That sarcastic man might know that he ran away! (hahaha, get what you deserve.) He didn't know about it, but it still shut Henry up.
Once they got to a clearing, everyone teamed up with their regiments or brigades and turned toward the confederates. The Lieutenant of Henry's regiment thinks that the enemy would fight every minute the sun is up if possible. The army gets ready for the enemy and all Henry can say is that the Union army are a bunch of cowards because they just get shot around and beaten all of the time. Wilson stays optimistic and tells him it will turn out right in the end.
The Lieutenant then yells at the regiment since they sound like a bunch of hens and are jackasses for verbally fighting instead of thinking about the battle ahead.
The sun comes out and Henry gets ready to meet the enemy head on before the tempest. The rebel army comes out of the forest and the whole regiment has a mini hesitation, where Henry describes it as men being tied to the stake.

Response- Since when is Henry so into the battles? He seems to still be full of himself, and also wonder what was up with Wilson, falling asleep before they retreated. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't fall asleep in the middle of a battle field, no matter how tired I am.

Question- Why is Wilson never talking anymore? I know he matured a little, but still...

Chapter 15 (RBoC)

This chapter starts out with Henry realizing that he has Wilson's yellow envelope and tries to get his attention. When Henry said Wilson's name, Wilson was staring down the road looking sullen, and Henry decides to change his mind and not bring it up. Henry thinks that now he is superior to Wilson sense he has his envelope. Henry's confidence is renewed, and he thinks that sense no one knows of his running away, he could be considered a man still. [Yeah right.] Henry thinks that he is fully prepared for the battle coming up and thinks that he ran away with dignity while the others ran with terror and are weak. He refers to them as mortals. Henry is ripped from these thoughts however, from Wilson, asking for his letters back with embarrassment. Henry hands them over slowly, because he is trying to think of a way to embarrass him further. He doesn't embarrass him, and thinks that because he didn't, he is a true man. Henry thinks about when he goes home and how he will entertain his mother and this girl with stories from war. The chapter ends with Henry thinking this.

Response- Henry really needs to get over himself. His confidence is fake, and will most likely falter.

Question- What is in Wilson's letters?