Esther Forbes's award-winning classic is the American Revolution era tale of Johnny Tremain, a fourteen year old boy who resides in the house of a master apprentice and has been promised the hand of his teacher's granddaughter, Cilla, when they are considered of age. A work-related accident happens, however, that cripples Johnny's hand, preventing him from continuing his career as a promising silversmith. Johnny then looks for other jobs, and after rounds of bad luck, turns to Mr. Lyte, whom he is related to but has been sworn never to reveal the relation. Johnny is arrested shortly after presenting his namesake cup to Mr. Lyte because Mr. Lyte claims it is a stolen item. After being set free, Johnny takes a job for a political newspaper in Boston and takes interest in politics. When the Battle of Concord breaks out, Johnny and Cilla have developed a friendship and become members of the Whig political party. After the battles of Lexington and Concord in the American Revolution, Johnny and Cilla fall in love and Johnny's injured hand is cured by a doctor. From the character of Johnny himself to the old, forgetful silversmith, Mr. Lapham, to even Lavinia Lyte, Forbes demonstrates the divisions between various social classes and the first political parties in America.
Personal Impressions
Being a lover of history, I really liked the historical ties Forbes writes into her novel. I think it is interesting because while the story is fiction, the events and some of the characters, such as John Hancock and Samuel Adams, were actual people during this time period. I think Forbes must have been interested in history herself to write a book that seems so much like something that could have happened during the American Revolution period. I thought the characters were believable. I mean, what boy wouldn't think about doing the same thing Dove did to his higher-up, more beloved, and often very snooty co-worker? And Forbes further paints a realistic picture of this incident by having Dusty, a fellow apprentice, run away in sadness once Johnny leaves the Lapham house. My favorite part was when Mr. Lapham had Johnny read aloud from the Bible in front of the entire Lapham household as a means of telling him he is much too prideful. I actually laughed. At any rate, I feel like Forbes did an adequate job tying in the history of Boston during the time when the early American colonists were embarking on the first legs of a journey that would ultimately define America and grant us freedom.
Professional Review
The following is a review from Publisher's Weekly titled Happy 55th Birthday.
The 1943 historical novel Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes looks at the Revolutionary War through the eyes of a hard-up, 14-year-old boy in Boston. This addition to the Illustrated American Classics series features black-and-white scratchboard illustrations by Michael McCurdy. (Houghton, $20, 288 pages, 10-up).
Library Uses
Johnny Tremain would be the perfect novel study to accommodate a unit on early American history or the American Revolution. The librarian could pair with the reading, social studies, or language arts teacher, showcase the novel as it is being read in class, and present facts on the time period. Classes could come, view a small presentation of historical facts represented in the novel and other sources, and discuss the book. It would be a way to reinforce what is being taught in class and utilize the many resources contained in the library. The librarian could even have a mini Q & A paper that would require the students to work in pairs and access resources online to answer the questions. To make it even more engaging, it could be a sort of relay to see what team(s) come up with the correct responses the quickest.
References
Forbes, E. (1943). Johnny Tremain. London, England: Houghton Mifflin.
Notes. (1998). Publishers Weekly, 245(42), 82.
No comments:
Post a Comment