The Battle of Lexington and Concord in April Morning

Author's Note: This is a piece contrasting and comparing the Battle of Lexington and Concord with the book April Morning.

April Morning takes place in Lexington on April 18^th and 19^th. The time lapse of the book is only 24 hours therefore it is described very well.  The bloody battle of Lexington and Concord is tremendously descriptive and surprisingly accurate. The book, April Morning is reliable and trustworthy to the history of the battle of Lexington and Concord. 

When the battle of Lexington began in the book, all of the Militia and British soldiers were lined in rows facing each other waiting for someone to break the silence.  This is the exact same way they were arranged when the battle took place in reality. In the book and in real life, the weapons the colonists carried were a variety of different guns with a variety of different equipment needed.

In April Morning, Adam fires at marching British red coats fleeing from Concord from behind a wall parallel to the road. This also happened in 1775 during the battle of Lexington and Concord .  In reality the minutemen did just so and would fire volleys of rounds at the unprotected redcoats who could do nothing but continue onward down the road.

In Adam's mind the British opened fire on the Colonists first. In reality the truth of which side shot first is undecided.  In the book it says that a red coat fired a shot at Adam's father who was attempting to ward off the oncoming troops through verbal persuasion.  As history tells it no one knows who shot the first shot of the Revolutionary war.  

The book is extremely accurate to what happened in reality. It is very well done that I would use it as a resource for a paper if I had the need to. The book only makes a few unnoticeable mistakes in the truth of what happened but that is only to enhance the experience of the book. This happened a lot anyways in the days of the Revolution because the newspapers would write things that gave sympathy for the colonists. The history of the Battle of Lexington and Concord is written accurately in the book April Morning.

Cause and Effect: April Morning

Adam's father is dead.  The effect on Adam is huge.  Adam lives life an entirely different way now.  When his father dies Adam’s first thought is to run. This is exactly what he does. Like the rest of the minutemen standing ground in the town square, he runs to safety.  His first impression of his father’s death broke him to pieces. He sobbed almost to insanity. Although, he later overcame his father’s death and he continued to fight against the British.  Stored in his mind though, his father is dead and he knows that he could be next.  When matters are intense, Adam loses it though he remembers what happened to his father and he will never forget.

Living Through Lies

Author’s note:  This is a fictional piece assigned on December 6^th from the substitute. This is the first part of the story there will likely be a second.

The footsteps are getting clearer. They're getting faster. Click clack click clack. The owner of the feet are at a full out sprint, Then silence. A crash, like that of a window breaking, woke me with a start. I tiptoed downstairs stepping as if so that Santa couldn’t hear me. My head spins around cautiously and takes into view the living room, the television and the DVD player are missing.  Unluckily my parents are not home, they are at a party. I sneak through the doorway into the kitchen to get to the phone to call the police.

Thud, I get pinned against the wall in an instant. The one holding me to the wall is twice as wide as me and twice as muscular. A thinner man in a leather jacket steps in front of me with a bag of our belongings. The thinner thug yanks me up by my collar and violently utters, “You tell anyone we were here it’ll cost you your life.” The larger one steps up to me and indirectly reminds me that they know where I live and could kill me anytime they please. I nod in agreement. The thinner one almost choking me know, releases his grip and I fall on the kitchen floor. The pair break out the back window with our items. I lift myself up and grab the phone. I without thinking dial Mom’s number and wait for her to pick up. I quickly press the end button. I hang up the phone remembering what will happen.  

The following morning I wake up to the sound of my alarm clock. Like normal I take a shower and put on a fresh pair of clothes. I make myself a bowl of cereal and lazily pile it into my mouth.  My mother walks downstairs and spots me in the kitchen.

“Did you see what happened?” she questions.

I reply, “No?”  

“Well while we were out last night our house was robbed,” she exclaims.

Astounded I say, “No way!”

“They took the TV, the DVD player, our GPS, and that’s not all!”

“I had no idea.”

At this point my mom broke into tears. It was extremely difficult to lie to my mom but it was for the best. If I wanted to live I would have to lie. I would have to lie to the world.

The Outsiders Essay

 

            You are the smartest person in your grade year.  You are the captain of the High school football team. You have tons of friends.  What if one day that all changed?  The parents you knew and loved died and you had to take control of the family and forget anything you had in mind for a successful life. This is what Darry had to go through in the book The Outsiders.

When Darryl Shaynne Curtis was a child he had a superior life. He was Quarterback of the high school football team and he was even offered a college scholarship. This is what Darry gave up to take care of his brothers. Darry had everything as a child. Giving up his dreams for his family changed his relationship with his brothers specifically Ponyboy. Darry is a dynamic character because he has to change the way he lives to adjust to the death of his parents.

Darry says numerous times: "Ponyboy, use your head" page(50). I believe that when Darry gets angry with Ponyboy he does not mean what he says and uses too much force and is unkind. On page 49 he yells at Ponyboy for sleeping out in the vacant lot. He slaps Ponyboy and causes Ponyboy to run away. When Darry was a child no one ever hit each other in the family. This shows that the way the family ran has changes becuase of the death of their parents.

 The way Darry acts has entirely changed since the death of his parents.  Ponyboy speaks his opinion of Darry on page 51, "He didn't use to be like that…we used to get along okay…before Mom and Dad died. Now he just can't stand me. Darry is going through a lot of stress with two jobs and does not have much patience with Ponyboy. Towards the end of the book Darry creates respect for Ponyboy and does not yell. In the rumble Darry shows a lot of respect because he shows that he cares for Ponyboy.

In the beginning of the book Darry does not treat Ponyboy with respect. In the end he does. Ponyboy also is not afraid of Darry in the end of the book either. Darry’s respect for Ponyboy changed in the book making Darry a dynamic character. Even though Darry did not reach his dreams, at least he still has his family and has learned how to be a better parent -- and brother.

Dynamic and Static Characters Cherry Valance

  Cherry is a Dynamic character is the book "The Outsiders". I think that Cherry is a dynamic character because she changes her belief about  greasers in general and about Ponyboy.  I think after she and Ponyboy talk at the movies they know each other better and Cherry knows that not all greasers are mean and dangerous.  Ponyboy also changes at this point and does not think that all socs do not like greasers.  Another point that proves Cherry changes is when she is a spy for the greasers.

The Meaning of the Title: The Outsiders

The reason for the title I believe has to do with what Ponyboy and his friends are.  They are greasers but they aren't hard core greasers. They are different than greasers they are friends with each other and look out for each other.  Typical greasers rob daily and will without thinking pull guns and knives on innocent people.  Ponyboy and his family do not look to hurt people only when for defense.  The outsiders means that they do not fit anywhere. They are there own type. They can be friendly and nice yet they are still greasers.