Johnny Tremain Essays

Johnny Tremain

Author: Esther Forbes

Essay by Nathan

In the book Johnny Tremain, he is the main character and he was a very skilled silversmith apprentice who lived with the owner of a silversmith shop, and his wife. There were two daughters and two other apprentices. In the book, Mr. Lapham, the owner, was not a very political person. He never spoke about politics, therefore, Johnny and the other boys did not know what was going on with the Englishmen.

Well one day Johnny was making a sugar basing for John Hancock. Mrs. Lapham and Dove, one of the other apprentices, were also in the shop. Dove, is older and really does not like Johnny at all. While Johnny was working, Dove was standing there watching and handing tools to him. Well, Dove thought it would be funny to hand Johnny a broken crucible (which is a mold) to make him mess up so that Mr. Lapham would be mad. But when Dove handed the mold to Johnny, he dropped it. And, Johnny’s hand fell into the fire and he burnt it real bad. Mrs. Lapham thought that they should wrap it up, but when she did she stuck the thumb on the inside. Johnny’s thumb became fused into the palm of his hand.

After Johnny’s hand was messed up, Mrs. Lapham felt that he should not be an apprentice anymore because he was not bringing in money anymore. So he went out looking for a job but because of his hand everyone turned him down. Then, one day Johnny was walking back to his place and saw this light on and the sign had something to do with printing papers. Well, he went in and the guy in there talked to him and did not say anything about his hand and really did not care at all. Johnny got a job delivering papers. What I am saying is that the guy he met was really into politics and wanted to fight in the war coming up, well Johnny did not know and so he got real deep with the politics and learned how evil the English are and what they were doing.

So if Johnny did not get hurt then I don't think that he would have met Rab (guy in the shop) and he would have never wanted to get into the politics and learn about it or anything. I think that if he did not get hurt, he would still be at the silversmith place under shelter not knowing what is going on, but since he got hurt and learned everything about the king and what he really is doing. I felt that is why he wanted to get his hand fixed and fight in the war. Johnny finally stood up for something that he believed in.

Essay by Gabe

Johnny has a lot of different elements implemented into his story. His burnt hand is a major symbol of the story and I can tell you that the story would have been very different he had the blemish. Even though his hand was useless it still had a lot of significance in the story. At first it changed how Johnny saw the world and how he acted toward it. Johnny had to not only cope with the pain of loosing his apprenticeship to a total loser; he lost a lot of opportunities. While you felt sorry for Johnny you kinda saw how he also deserved it, but you also saw how it also became part of Johnny in making him humble towards others. Whilst he truly never got over the hand until a little more trauma beheld the good sir, the hand seemed like a leash on his attitude towards others. I believe that Johnny wouldn't have met certain people, including Rab, The Lytes, and Pumpkin, and Johnny probably would have been oblivious too much of the war and he wouldn't be associated with the sons of liberty.

There are a few Quotes that would have totally changed if he didn't burn his hand.

“Get into your clothes, you lazy boy. Stop by at Deacon Parson's for a quarter of milk. Get to a pump.”

This was the start of Johnny's turmoil. As you can tell Johnny's getting yelled at by Mrs. Lapham, which never happened, because Johnny wasn't making money anymore. Now that he seems to be useless, she puts Dove above him, even though Dove is a jerk and does not deserve it.

The second quote made Johnny feel better toward his hand, and wouldn't have met Rab. “That’s quite a recent burn' it was the first intelligent remark about his hand any, man, woman, or child had made about Johnny's hand in any shop he had been in.” First off, he would not have met Rab, because he wouldn't be looking for a new job in the first place. I mean maybe he would have met Rab, but still he might not have become a friend with him. If this happened without his hand burnt, Johnny would have acted out a bit more rudely towards Rab.

Last is a quote from the Lytes. Whilst their were many a part that happened, but I believe that the beginning was the most important. When he first met the Lytes. “Come my boy, and let’s see this cup.” This was when Johnny came back with his cup and they kicked him out. I believe that he would not need to have gone to the Lytes at all if he was still an apprentice, and even if he did he would have been more obtrusive if he was without his burnt hand.

I believe that many things wouldn't have happened if Johnny had not burnt his hand, and I also believe that it would have been a very bland story. I mean you could say that that the hand was a mark of his sins. But I think it was more of a good blessing.

Essay By Cody

Contrast James Otis’ rousing speech about the need for revolution with Samuel Adams’ attitude toward rebellion. Which do you think Johnny finds more appealing, and why?

After both Samuel Adams and James Otis spoke their mind about the war and such, it was clear who Johnny favored. Otis’ speech talked more about the people, even the British. That they, and anyone else for that matter, should be allowed to stand up and live their lives. Johnny would go on to remember a quote from Otis for the rest of the book, perhaps even the rest of his life.

“A man can stand up…” Page 322, Paragraph 6

This line would be ever present throughout the rest of the story, being not only the name of the last chapter, but also the last line in the book. It could quite possibly be the most important line in the entire novel, being that it details why the war had to be fought. This line is not only speaking of people in America, but humans in general. That a man should never be kept down by another man, which is exactly what England was doing. This quote, in terms of Sam Adams, I believe, reflects his ideas as well, just not in the same respect. Adams’ mind is mostly focused on him and his fellow patriots escaping the clutches of evil that is England, which, even if it is a little bigoted and less powerful an idea than Otis’, still relates to the basic idea of the quote. Johnny, on the other hand, I believe, wants any man to be able to stand up and live in peace, regardless of said man’s origins, be he British or American.

Otis’ powerful words moved much more people other than Johnny, majorly everyone present was deeply affected. Paul Revere, for instance, was nearly speechless for a moment.

“Paul Revere, like his friend, Joseph Warren, was still slightly under the spell of James Otis. ‘I had not thought about it that way before,’ he said not answering Sam Adams’s words. “You know my father had to fly France because of the tyranny over there. He was only a child. But now, in a way, I’m fighting for that child…that no frightened lost child ever is sent out to a refugee from his own country because of race or religion.’ Then he pulled himself together and answered Sam Adams’s remarks about the spy system.” Page 228, Paragraph 8

Revere’s words really describe what Otis was talking about. How they are fighting for the unfairness of say, the child who had to fly away from his home. The men that would give their lives in the war, it was all to give life to others, so future generations wouldn’t have to live under such tyranny.

Not only Americans, but the British as well, the Americans were fighting for both. A fine example of this was a section near the end of the book, where, yet again, Johnny is reminded of Otis’ words.

“The first two boats were filled with privates. They had been packed in, and now were being tossed ashore, like so much cordwood. Most of them were pathetically good and patient, but he saw an officer strike a man who was screaming.

Johnny’s hands clenched. ‘It was just as James Otis said,’ he thought, ‘We are fighting, partly, for just that. Because a man is a private is no reason he should be treated like cordwood.” Page 302, Paragraph 3

This is what Otis is fighting for, revolution. While Adams is more concerned with rebellion and getting revenge on the British. Johnny probably thought more like Adams before Otis’ speech, but not anymore. He, like Adams, fights for rebellion, but even more so, he fights for revolution.

By Austin

In the book Johnny Tremain, the British soldiers had different opinions on going to America to baby-sit the Yankees. After the Boston Tea Party, the British were commanded to go to America until the Fiddler’s Bill was paid. Of course it wasn’t. “For it had been voted in far-off London that the port of Boston should be closed…not one ship might enter, not one ship might leave, the port, except only His Majesty’s warships and transports, until the tea was paid for. Boston was to be starved into submission.” (Page 163) Most of the soldiers who were shipped over to American soil expected their stay to be a long one.

Most of the soldiers wanted to run away and live the life of a Yankee but couldn’t do so without being found out and shot. One of the British soldiers named Pumpkin said, “Lots of the British regulars are Whigs, you know. Lots of ‘em just like in England, are on your side. That’s why there has been so much deserting. It’s just about getting our officers crazy.” (page 245) Many didn’t hate them Yankee’s guts, but others became almost friends with them like Johnny’s “friendship” with Lieutenant Stranger and Pumpkin. When it came to horsemanship, Stranger and Johnny were like buddies, but when it came to war they were enemies.

A lot of the cocky British soldiers got a nice slap in the face when they realized how many Whigs there were that were willing to fight. Some died, some lived but had intense injuries and such as they returned on boats tattered into shreds. They had indeed “danced to Yankee Doodle” as the people had said. “Four more boats were coming in. Johnny dared move out onto the wharf, but he still kept well in shadow. More wounded. Could these be the very men who had started out so confidently? Bedraggled, dirty, torn uniforms, torn flesh, lost equipment. Faces ghastly with fatigue and pain. Some were twisting and crying out. The first two boats were filled with privates. They had been packed in, and were now being tossed ashore, like so much cord-wood. Most were pathetically good and patient, but he saw an officer strike a man who was screaming.” (page 302) It was complete and utter chaos. The British who thought so lightly of their Yankee foes now realized that what was to happen was no joke.

Most of them wanted what they were really fighting against. There was no farmland in England for the average man to own. America was like freedom, like an invigorating walk in the park after being cramped in a cubicle for three and a half years with nothing to eat but celery and Quaker rice snacks. Not only did some of them not want to fight, lots of them died for a cause that they ruled unjust.

By Asia

When reading Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes, I noticed how a close bond between two sisters was broken due to a change of setting. When these two sisters, Cilla and Isannah, were sent to live with the Lytes’ family everything took a turn for the worst. Not only did they grow apart as sisters but as friends as well.

While living with their family, the Lapham’s, the two girls were closer than ever. “Cilla loved Isannah. She was proud when people stopped her on the street and said, is that little angel your sister?”

Cilla and Isannah spent almost every part of their day doing things together, starting with Isannah’s hair. “Cilla was sitting on the edge of one of the unmade beds, brushing Isannah’s hair. Cilla always managed to keep her sister in hair ribbons.”

In the Lytes’ household, Cilla was treated like a slave while Isannah was treated like a pampered pet.

“Miss Lavinia is going like the Black Queen of Spades and her special admirers are going as kings or kna ts or jokers out of the pack.”

“Isannah is going too?”

“where Miss goes these days that child goes too.”

Cilla had never called Isannah “that child” until that day. Moving in with the Lytes’ was definitely not the best thing of the sisters’ relationship. The main reasonthey became so distant was because Miss Lavinia Lyte was now Cilla’s new “master.”

“Cilla, fetch…”

“Cilla evidently knew what would be wanted. She came running with smelling salts, but she got it too close to her mistress’s nose. Miss Lavinia was gagging.”

“Oh, you stupid girl! You’ve half-killed me! There away with you!”

Towards the end of the book, the girls ended up being separated completely because Isannah found material more important than the love of her sister.

“Isannah is going with me, she said at last. Your mother, Cilla, has too many kittens (referring to children).”

“Miss Lavinia, said Cilla, you can’t do that.”

“A little diffidently Isannah herself emerged from behind the lady’s great dark skirt.”

“Isannah, Cilla said gently you can’t go off and leave me like this. It’s no matter what Mother says. Look, dear, if you go to London, maybe you will never come back. Isannah…don’t go away…from me.”

“She shall be free to choose between the two of us, said Miss Livinia. Which do you love most, Cilla or me?”

“I don’t know, she sobbed.”

“Which would you rather be, a common person like your sister, or a fine lady?”

“Fine lady, she sniffled, and went on dreamily, and I’ll have a gray pony and a pony cart?”

“Yes, dear, you will.”

At that point, Cilla broke down. She loved her sister dearly. She may not have liked the way that her sister had been acting lately, but she still loved her.

The relationship between Cilla and Isannah touched me the most because I have a sister whom I never get to see. She was also given the choice of living with my mom, dad, and I or living with her mother, she chose her mother due to materialistic bribes. I strongly sympathize with Cilla because I felt her pain as I was reading the chapters that the two of them were involved in. Just like Cilla didn’t let Isannah’s attitude affect her, I also haven’t let my sister’s attitude affect me. I love her, regardless.

By Travis Wonder

What would of happened if Johnny never met Pumpkin. Well I think that a lot of stuff would have not happened, like when Johnny was delivering newpapers and the British stopped him for spreading lies in the newspaper. Pumpkin was there and if it would have not been for him, he would have been a captured prisoner of the British because Pumpkin told him to hit Goblin which is his horse, with his boot spurs, (Their eyes met, Pumpkin didn’t say the word, only formed it with his lips. Chapter 9, line 19) which sent him into a violent state. Went mad and ran everywhere which, got Johnny away from the British.

Another example is Rab might not of gone to war because the only reason he went is because he had a good weapon which he got from Pumpkin. He tried to get one before from some black market guy who was illegally smuggling guns and they got caught doing it. Rab went to jail and they told him to get a pop gun insinuating he was too young. (Colonel said to Rab, “get yourself a pop gun boy.”). Ant that’s when Johnny was talking to Pumpkin about how Pumpkin didn’t want to be a soldier anymore but rather be a farmer. That’s when Johnny gave Pumpkin some farm clothes and in return, Pumpkin gave him his uniform and musket (And Pumpkin had left behind him his musket.). With no Pumpkin, that would have not happened and Rab would probably still be alive. There is also the uniform that Johnny sneaked on the boat with if it wasn’t for pumpkin he wouldn’t have been able to sneak on because it was a British boat and he was not British.

I recommend this story to a little bit fo an older audience, maybe 15-25. It was a great story kind of boring at times, but good. I kind of disagreed with how the author killed Rab though she should have let him live.