Peach Blossoms and Growing Minds

     In "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury, there is a recurring symbol, the peach blossom. In the beginning of the story, peach blossoms fall from the tree above the drummer boy, Joby, onto him drum as he sleeps. In the beginning of the story the peach blossoms startle Joby. However, by the end of the story the peach blossoms are still falling but he reacts differently, he accepts them, instead of being startled by them.
     Although the peach blossoms are significant in many ways and represent many things in the story, one way Bradbury uses them is to show that the change Joby goes through is mental, not physical. The falling of the peach blossoms falling is a consistent occurrence throughout the story, and the setting remains the same throughout the entire story, even though the character undergoes a great change. His reaction to the blossoms is different at the end because at the beginning of the story he's apprehensive and scared about the coming battle, which is why the peach blossoms startle him. However, by the end of the story, when he's ready for the battle and has accepted his fate., the peach blossoms don't startle him anymore.
     The peach blossoms show the continuous aspect of the physical setting, and the fact that the story takes place over a short period of time, yet the character undergoes major mental changes.