Change In Soldier's Heart By Gary Paulsen

Words: 556
Pages: 3
Open Document
“He heard it all, Charley did; heard the drums and songs and slogans and knew what everybody and his rooster was crowing,” (Soldier’s Heart). Everyone is enthusiastic for the Civil War. They think the war is going to be a fast, easy win, but they are wrong. The book Soldier’s Heart written by Gary Paulsen is about a young boy with the name Charley, who dreams of being in the Union Army, and he gets his wish. Only if someone could warn Charley of what is yet to come. Throughout the story, Charley develops a soldier’s heart. A soldier’s heart is a way to explain the mental damage done to soldiers at war. Charley changes from a young boy seeking adventure to a young man with a soldier’s heart.
At the beginning of the book, Charley, a very curious …show more content…
“Death was everywhere… Bullets flew past him with evil little snaps and snickers as they cut the air,” (Soldier’s Heart). It does not feel like a fun adventure now. Charley witnesses some extremely gruesome events that make his mind start to change. Death happens to be one of the few things Charley can think about. Blood and resting bodies cover the ground all around him, luckily the blood does not belong to him. The soldiers all around him drop like flies. Nothing seems like what he imagines war to be like. Charley starts to develop something known as shell-shock or soldier’s heart. Even though he remains unscathed, his mind starts to go crazy. Horrific events he sees and does starts to make his heart evolve into a soldier’s heart.
During the war, Charley witnesses one of the people he knew very slightly commit suicide, yet it still causes lots of mental damage. Even though, Charley came out of the war alive, he came out with a soldier’s heart. He did change physically. For instance, Only at the age of twenty-one, “He was tired and broken, walking with a cane and passing blood,” (Soldier’s Heart). But worst of all he transforms mentally. He even has thoughts about committing suicide himself. Everything about the war pulls him down, eating away at
Show More

Related Documents: Change In Soldier's Heart By Gary Paulsen

Physical Changes In Soldier's Heart By Gary Paulsen

happened, either to Charley or to men around him. Every event is factual, including the building of a wall of dead bodies to stop wind.” (Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen, 103) A soldier’s heart is someone who waiss in war who now faces mental issues. From the beginning of the book to the end of the book, Charley’s physical and mental appearance changes dramatically. At the beginning of the book, Charley is just an ordinary fifteen year old boy doing whatever he can to be in the war. By the…

Words 681 - Pages 3

Soldier's Heart Analysis

Change Creates A Soldier’s Heart To start, focus on building the new, not fighting the old, is one of the many secrets to change. For instance, in Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen, on page eighty-four, it says, “Joy of winning, the joy of killing to live (Paulsen 84).” This line from the story shows Charley’s change from beginning to end. At the beginning of the book he was scared, to scared to even fire his weapon. As the war and fighting continued, he would do whatever it takes, even kill, to stay…

Words 216 - Pages 1