"Am I Blue?" by Bruce Coville

The short story Am I Blue? by Bruce Coville was about a sixteen year old boy named Vincent (Vince for short) who was trying to figure out his sexual orientation.  In the story, he is getting bullied by Butch Carrigan, a classmate and the antagonist, when he meets his fairy godfather Melvin. Melvin was described as "a tall slender man with dark hair, a neat mustache, and a sweater slung over his shoulders. He was kind of handsome--almost pretty..." He helped Vince figure who is, who he wants to be, and how to accept himself.

One of the main themes that I noticed in the story was not to be afraid of who you truly are. Another is not to judge people based on their identity, or because of how they identify themselves. The author gets these messages across to the reader by using Melvin as his "microphone," and using dialogue between Vince and Melvin to state and represent what he thinks about homophobia and, as phrased in the text, "gaybashing." "Gaybashing is a special issue for me," Melvin told Vince. I believe that Bruce Coville also thinks that homophobia has to stop. For example, when Vince asked Melvin about having to hide the fact that he might be gay, Melvin replied, "It doesn't have to be [that way].  If gay people hadn't been forced to hide for so long, if we could just openly identify ourselves, there would be plenty of people you knew that you could ask for advice. Everybody knows gay people; they just think they don't." Bruce Coville is saying that society not accepting gays is what made them "hide" and not show their identities. He is saying that what people don't realize is that different people are all around them, and that they are still humans, and all humans are equal.

The other major theme is not to be afraid of who you are. The author conveys this by showing how confident Melvin is in himself, and how much pride he feels in being who he is. In the beginning, the author portrays Vince as being a little bit confused about his identity, and afraid to be who he really is because of what others may think of him. But towards the end, after Melvin teaches him that there are more people like them than he thought, he becomes much more confident and accepting of who he is. The last paragraph of the story is "I've decided to save it [the wish from Melvin] for when I really need it--maybe when I meet the girl of my dreams. Or Prince Charming. Whichever." Vince is now much more at peace with himself, and open about his identity and personality.

After reading this story, I felt that it could be relatable to almost any child or teenager, because all young people are trying to figure out who they are, where they are going to fit into society, and what they believe in. Stereotypically, when you are a teenager is when you learn most about yourself and what determine your future, which is one of the themes in this short story. "I didn't mention  that I had been trying to figure that out the same thing [whether he was gay or not] myself for over a year now."Melvin helped Vince determine his sexual orientation by giving him a "gaydar," which enabled him to see who was gay because the gaydar made gay people appear blue to whoever had a gaydar. It showed Vince that there were more people like him than he may have realized.

Am I Blue? could also be relatable to anyone who has been bullied based on their identity, physical characteristics, or other attributes that they can't control. Or someone who is concerned with what others may think if them. For example, Vince said "With Butch and his crowd already calling me 'faggot' and 'fruit,' walking around with a guy like Melvin was going to help the situation.' VInce was worried that those kids would think he is gay, and make fun of him for it if he is hanging out with an openly gay man like Melvin. He was worried about what the consequences would be in sharing his identity.

All in all, the author used Melvin to display his ideas and opinions, or as his "microphone"to the reader. He think that everyone needs to embrace their true self and identity, and not base it on what others might think. He shows that we should not judge people because of who they are. If you can't accept yourself, then you won't ever be very comfortable with your surroundings. It takes a lot of bravery and courage to really be yourself, and it takes even more to to embrace it and be confident in who you are.
It takes a lot of bravery and courage to really be yourself, and it takes even more to embrace it.

"The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury

In class, we read the "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury. It was a beautifully written story about a 14 year old boy named Joby who is a drummer boy in the Civil War. In the beginning of the story, Joby has very low self-esteem, and doesn't think that he has a purpose in the army. "Me, I got only a drum and two sticks to beat it, and no shield," Joby  thinks to himself. He feels worthless and alone. He doesn't even think that he deserves a shield or gun to protect himself with,

The General of the army sees Joby crying and goes over to talk to him. The General tells Joby some of his experiences of wars, and gives him some advice. He tells Joby that he too had cried, thinking of everything that would come in the future, of everyone that would die or become wounded. He also tells Joby importances of being a drummer boy, and how much of an impact that Joby will could have on the soldiers. "You are the heart of the army. Think about that. You are the heart of the army," the general tells Joby. For example, if he beat a slow beat the next day, then the army would lag behing and lack energy. But if he beat a faster rhythm, "then the hearts would beat faster in the men." They would have more energy.

The drum plays a huge part in this story. It is a symbol that shows up often and is subtly referenced throughout the plot. In the beginning, it is something of a burden to Joby. It represdents the object that he has instaead of a shield and rifle.

The author describes the drum as having "a great lunar face." This metaphor is an obvious reference to the moon, which is cold and dark unless the sun is shining on it. That makes me think of what the drum is to Joby. At first he didn't see the light, or purpose of the drum. But once the general shines the sunlight on the lunar face of the drum, it is bright and inspirational.

Another thing that the drum represents is inspiration and hope, similar to the moon. The moon is a beacon of light in the dark night sky. It can be seen from anywhere in the World. Everyone is under the same moon. The drum is a beacon of light to soldiers. It is something that they can rely on, something that will keep them going. If Joby beat a "sure, steady, ever faster rhythm, then their knees would come in a long line over the hill, one knee after another, like a wave on the ocean shore."

Joby has hope that he will survive that battle, and survive the rest of the war. He doesn't give up even though he is risking his life. At the end of the story, Joby turns the drum up so it faced the moon. I think that represents Joby acknowledging his importance, feeling proud of everything that he has been through, and having a higher sense of self-worth.

War leaves many people broken- both mentally and physically. It causes pain, violence, separation, and death. Many soldiers will never fully recover. But one thing that all soldiers are left is with respect and bravery. They receive honors and medals. The general taught Joby that every contribution will make a difference, and to never give up. Soldiers have a lot of courage, bravery, and hope, and those are qualities that all people could benefit form having.