Johnny Tremain – Week 3

Johnny knows that the time of danger is going to be approaching soon. Rab has his heart set on getting a gun like the British have, but he has no way to afford one, and so he does his best with the one he owns. Johnny knows that this consumes his thoughts and tries to find a way to get one for his friend. While helping out Cilla get the silver from the country home of the Lytes’, he comes across a Bible with the family record inside. He sees his parents names inside, and decides to keep them as future leverage if needed against the mean older gentleman, but before he leaves the home, he feeds the pages into the fire. He knows who he is, and that is enough for him. Cilla tries to get him to take back the silver cup, since Mr. Lyte had kept it when Johnny tried to sell it back him, again accusing him of stealing it. But Johnny refuses. He wants nothing to do with the family, or own the cup any longer. He hates the sight of it.

An opportunity finally presents itself for Johnny to get Rab the weapon that he is wanting. Pumpkin, one of the privates in the King’s army, has decided that he is going to desert. Johnny offers to help him, and provides the clothing and wig that he will need. All he asks is that Pumpkin hide his weapon where he leaves the clothing. Pumpkin agrees, but when the day comes for him to leave the town of Boston, the clothing is gone and the weapon has been left, but Pumpkin does not arrive to leave with the farmer that has agreed to smuggle him out of the city. It is not until a couple of weeks later when Johnny sees him again. He is being led to the firing squad for deserting the army. The entire episode shakes Johnny more than he cares to admit. But what is to come will shake him even more..

This week we are reading Chapters 8-9

Questions:

1. Why do you think Johnny went to help Cilla with the silver?
2. Pumpkin helps Johnny escape the British, and Johnny offers to help the young man out when he can. Why do you think Pumpkin helped him at all?
3. What do you think of the friendship forming between Dove and Johnny?