Way Of Letters From Jethros Union Brothers example essay topic

In Across Five Aprils, the characters are faced with many difficult decisions, which range from difficult choices on love to loyalty. One such example is the decision Bill Creighton makes. Bill, decides to enlists in the Confederate Army, declaring that he Wont fight for arrogance and big money against the southern farmer. This shows that Bill cares about others and feel that things that have already been established should stay the way they are. Finally, Shadrach Yale is faced with another difficult decision. He decided that though he could have stayed home with the things and people he loved, he should go off to war to fight on the Union front.

Shad did this because he felt that he shouldn't be safe at home while other men were out fighting the war. His decision says that Shad is an unselfish person who is courageous. Another character that must make a difficult decision is Jethro. Nine year old Jethro Creighton finds himself the man of the family after his three brothers answer the call to arms as the war begins, and his father is taken ill and unable to work. The other two boys join the Union forces. As the story progresses, Jethro finds himself caught between not only his brothers divergent allegiances, but also those of families in the area.

Jetro was again torn, after finding his cousin Eb hiding in the nearby woods. He doesn't turn in Eb because he loves his cousin too much to turn him in. Jethro doesn t tell his family about this because he doesn't want to add another load to their already very heavy burden. This says that Jethro is willing to stay loyal to his family, even if it means breaking the law, as with Eb.

He also cares very much about his family because he doesn't want to upset them. Again, torn between family and country, Jethro writes to President Lincoln for help, about the plight of deserters. He actually gets a reply from the President, outlining the recent policy allowing deserters to return to their units by the first of April, without penalty. The letter captures the sadness and weight of duty the President feels and is again symbolic of the anguish throughout the country, because he writes Abraham Lincoln and he takes on the emotional burden of dealing with Eb. One of Jethros brothers is killed at Shiloh (Pittsburgh Landing) and of course the unspoken question is could his Confederate brother Bill have been the unknowing shooter?

Once again, the deep division within the population speaks to the reader. Finally, the surviving Union brother writes after the battles of Chattanooga and Nashville, telling that he has talked to Bill, who is a prisoner of war, and as the brother reports, He was not at Pittsburgh Landing. That bullet was not fired by him. All the characters represent only a portion of those in this book who sacrifice things dear to them to do what they believe is right. This was typical of the region during the war, and is symbolic of the way families and communities in all the border states were often torn apart.

The story of the war and many of its battles are told by way of letters from Jethros Union brothers, and we see the battles of Gettysburg, Chattanooga and Shiloh from the viewpoint of the foot soldier. Finally, the assassination of Lincoln and the end of the war bring the book to a close..