A Soldier's Heart

Literary Critique

By Felicia
March 21, 2001

The title of the novel that I read during the third quarter is “ A Soldier’s Heart,” by Gary Paulsen.  The genre` for this book is historical.  The genre` is historical, because this event took place in the past. It took place during the Civil War.  

The main character is Charley Goddard.  Charley is a boy that wants to be a man in the army.  The only problem was that Charley was fifteen, but only men eighteen and over were allowed to be apart of the army.  Charley decided to go and become apart of the army.  Instead of signing up at Winona, Minnesota where he lived, Charley signed up at Fort Snelling, that way no one would recognize him. Charley went to war at Fort Snelling; they fought in the battle of Bull Run, the Battle for Manassas Junction, and other battles.  After every battle Charley got paid eleven dollars.  Charley would send some money to his mother, and buy cake, and other snacks for himself.  

One day while Charley was on the train to one of the battles, a black lady ran out of a house, waved at him, and kept telling him thank you for fighting the war.  Charley didn’t know why she was thanking him, but he found out later in June 1867.  In June 1867 Charley was shot with a .36 caliber and he died.  At the end of the Gettysburg battle before Charley died, he realized that he was fighting for blacks’ rights.