Author’s note: This is my theme essay on “I’m Deborah Sampson: A
soldier of the American Revolution”, by Jodi Clapp, and “The Hunger Games”, by
Suzanne Collins
Deborah Sampson in “I’m Deborah Sampson: A soldier in the American Revolution”, by Jodi Clapp, has had to suffer from the effects of war throughout the entire book. In the beginning, she’s forced to move away from her mother and move in with her Aunt, and when her Aunt passed away, she was forced to live with a head of a church. After this woman was close to dying, she then was forced into an 8 year tie with a family called the Thomas’s, whom were to take care of her throughout the rest of her childhood. This is not only an effect from the war, it is also the effect of abandonment, from her mother. The effects of war also make themselves apparent in the novel “The Hunger Games”, by Suzanne Collins. Katniss Everdeen has struggled with her country since she was a child, and when she is forced into being a participant in the Hunger Games for a second time, enough is enough and a war begins.
When Katniss Everdeen’s Father dies in a coal mine accident, everything changes for her. She gets less and less food, and soon she has to resort to breaking the law to provide for her sister and mother. Katniss takes on the role of a father for her family, and this is all because her father died. If Katniss had been living when Deborah Sampson was, she and her sister would have been taken to a new family, and forced to be separated from their mother. That’s what happened to Deborah Sampson after her father died. She was forced into living with a different family, even though she wanted to stay with her mother. Deborah almost took on a more manly role while she was tied to the Thomas’, who where a family of boys. I suppose that’s how Deborah was able to live in the war, because she grew up with boys.
Even though being removed from their families isn’t something they have in common, what they do have in common is that they both participated in war. Even though for Katniss it’s perfectly fine for woman to participate in war, for Deborah, it is considered abnormal for women to participate in war. After Deborah’s boyfriend Robbie died, she decided she needed to do something to avenge Robbie. So, she joined the war to finish what Robbie started. She stayed in war for 17 months, and then she was honorably discharged. Even though Deborah participated in the war, she didn’t look like a girl. She dressed like a man the entire 17 months she was a soldier.
While Katniss’s story is all about rebellion, and fighting against your country, Deborah’s is about fighting for her country to free them from the British, the people who are holding them back. Deborah joins the Continental Army to fight against the British, who are in a way, like the Capital. They are people who have a warped sense of government for people who aren’t them, and only do things that benefit themselves (in this novel). When Deborah dresses up like a boy to be a soldier, she realizes that she’ll have to kill a man, and at first, this goes against all her morals. But when she’s on enemy lines, she realizes that she has to kill in order to be a proper soldier. When Deborah is discharged, she has to return to watching and waiting for the war to be over. And when the war ends, and the Americans are successful, she does as much as she can for her country by dressing up as a man once more and traveling about, giving speeches to every state.
Both of these women have had to suffer from the effects of war in their own way, and both stories are quite tragic at times. But both of them power through it with the help of the people they love, and a strong will to make their country proud and free. When Katniss ends the rebellion and their country is a free nation, she is still haunted by nightmares of killing people, and seeing people she loves die right before her eyes. Deborah has these to, by seeing faces of fallen soldiers on her side, people whom she had grown fond of. The effects of war ring true throughout these girl’s lives, but they power on in their free country.
Deborah Sampson in “I’m Deborah Sampson: A soldier in the American Revolution”, by Jodi Clapp, has had to suffer from the effects of war throughout the entire book. In the beginning, she’s forced to move away from her mother and move in with her Aunt, and when her Aunt passed away, she was forced to live with a head of a church. After this woman was close to dying, she then was forced into an 8 year tie with a family called the Thomas’s, whom were to take care of her throughout the rest of her childhood. This is not only an effect from the war, it is also the effect of abandonment, from her mother. The effects of war also make themselves apparent in the novel “The Hunger Games”, by Suzanne Collins. Katniss Everdeen has struggled with her country since she was a child, and when she is forced into being a participant in the Hunger Games for a second time, enough is enough and a war begins.
When Katniss Everdeen’s Father dies in a coal mine accident, everything changes for her. She gets less and less food, and soon she has to resort to breaking the law to provide for her sister and mother. Katniss takes on the role of a father for her family, and this is all because her father died. If Katniss had been living when Deborah Sampson was, she and her sister would have been taken to a new family, and forced to be separated from their mother. That’s what happened to Deborah Sampson after her father died. She was forced into living with a different family, even though she wanted to stay with her mother. Deborah almost took on a more manly role while she was tied to the Thomas’, who where a family of boys. I suppose that’s how Deborah was able to live in the war, because she grew up with boys.
Even though being removed from their families isn’t something they have in common, what they do have in common is that they both participated in war. Even though for Katniss it’s perfectly fine for woman to participate in war, for Deborah, it is considered abnormal for women to participate in war. After Deborah’s boyfriend Robbie died, she decided she needed to do something to avenge Robbie. So, she joined the war to finish what Robbie started. She stayed in war for 17 months, and then she was honorably discharged. Even though Deborah participated in the war, she didn’t look like a girl. She dressed like a man the entire 17 months she was a soldier.
While Katniss’s story is all about rebellion, and fighting against your country, Deborah’s is about fighting for her country to free them from the British, the people who are holding them back. Deborah joins the Continental Army to fight against the British, who are in a way, like the Capital. They are people who have a warped sense of government for people who aren’t them, and only do things that benefit themselves (in this novel). When Deborah dresses up like a boy to be a soldier, she realizes that she’ll have to kill a man, and at first, this goes against all her morals. But when she’s on enemy lines, she realizes that she has to kill in order to be a proper soldier. When Deborah is discharged, she has to return to watching and waiting for the war to be over. And when the war ends, and the Americans are successful, she does as much as she can for her country by dressing up as a man once more and traveling about, giving speeches to every state.
Both of these women have had to suffer from the effects of war in their own way, and both stories are quite tragic at times. But both of them power through it with the help of the people they love, and a strong will to make their country proud and free. When Katniss ends the rebellion and their country is a free nation, she is still haunted by nightmares of killing people, and seeing people she loves die right before her eyes. Deborah has these to, by seeing faces of fallen soldiers on her side, people whom she had grown fond of. The effects of war ring true throughout these girl’s lives, but they power on in their free country.
