The Fighting Ground

The tavern bell near Jonathan’s home hangs from a mount, or rack, that allows the bell to swing freely when a bell ringer pulls on the attached rope. A boy rings the bell for several minutes to make sure that the entire village receives the alarm loud and clear. It’s a call to war, and the constant ringing also gives the scene an edge of tension. The ringing bell echoes Jonathan’s excitement and anticipation.

As a symbol, the bell represents the miscommunication evident throughout the community in relation to the war. Jonathan’s mother, for example, aches for communication from her eldest son, but when the bell rings out, it fails to communicate the news she wants to hear; in fact, she does not understand what news the bell carries at all. The bell can communicate only one message—there is a war. It does not communicate the subtle intricacies of such a message, like who is at war, what that war means for the individuals, lives lost, or cruelties engendered. The peal of the bell is a simplified message, just as most of the messages about the war are simplified and glorified. Throughout his 24 hours in battle,

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