Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Hero?
How effective a hero does everyone see March? His principles led him to enlisting, but it seems they also hindered him, namely instances of inaction such as at the Bluff or not taking the pistol. He was able to do some good, teaching freed men to read and write. But it seems he didn't do much for the abolitionist cause by coming down south like he expected. He didn't change any minds, he didn't free any slaves. Did his efforts justify overlooking his duties to his family?
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11 comments:
Boy, did you steal this question out of the study guide in the back of the book? It's a damn fine question, wherever you got it.
"...what the good Lord go make switches for, if it ain't for lickin' boy chilluns?"
Another damn fine question. One that bears repeating.
Hehehe. I have been thinking of this quote all day since someone mentioned it on another blog.
If I ever see something in your hand that looks even remotely like a switch, I'm running!
And actually, I checked the back of the book to make sure the question wasn't there. So there!
I would make you cut your own switch while I sipped sarsaparilla on the porch.
"Boy chile, fetch me a switch!"
(I have to think more about this question, but my kneejerk reaction is that March did do a lot of good. He set a good example, if nothing else)
How would you answer this question yourself, G?
I'd say he was a hero, based on his efforts. His heart was in the right place, and I admire him for adhering to his convictions. I can overlook that he wasn't all that effective, and I think he did make a difference with the people he did come across, particularly Canning.
It's interesting that his sheltered life kept him relating to the other men in his unit, but he was able to relate to the freed slaves. I guess it helped that he travelled the South as a younger man, getting a look at the atrocities of slavery up close.
I think that also made an interesting contrast with Marmee. She was much more vocal and passionate about the cause, but she was content to fight from the comfort of Massachusetts. It seemed even some hypocrisy showed up when she arrived at Blank Hospital -- "A Negro Boy--are there no end to these people?" and "A slender Negro woman, tidy, at least ..." (p. 216).
I noticed those things with Marmee, too, George. I wondered if perhaps her bitterness about her husband being gone -- possibly never to return -- was clouding her view. She seemed sort of naive to me in some ways. Like her convictions were much more important to her before she had to make any real personal sacrifices.
I agree about March's heroism. He made significant impact on several people on a personal level, which I think was easy for him to discount when he was looking at the social issues on a wider scale. Whether his service was worth it, that's a more difficult question. He and his family will likely be paying the price for the rest of their lives.
Erin, I sensed the resentment, too. She resented losing the money in the John Brown deal; I got the feeling that if March found himself in that situation again, he would do no different.
I think he made a critical difference in the time he worked at the plantation, even though the attack undid a lot of his work. I would hope the slaves who could read, who knew what it was like to be paid, might have had a better chance once they escaped their renewed state of captivity.
That's a good point, cl. Also they had learned that they could, in fact, trust some white people to do right by them.
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