Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Johnny Tremain, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Coming of Age
Pride vs. Humility
Patriotism and the Revolutionary War
Violence
Moral Integrity and Class
Summary
Analysis
1. Johnny hurries along back roads to get to the ferry slip, where wounded British soldiers are coming over from Charlestown. Only doctors and soldiers are allowed by the wharf, so Johnny is thankful for Pumpkin’s uniform—until he realizes that Pumpkin’s regiment has been out getting shot at for the last 12 hours, and Pumpkin’s uniform is far too clean. Johnny feels better after rolling in mud and mussing up the uniform a bit. Johnny speaks briefly with an officer on the wharf as townsfolk, hidden in the shadows to watch, begin whistling “Yankee Doodle.”
Over the course of the novel, Johnny has learned to be observant and to make himself fit in, rather than stand out. This highlights how mature he’s become—he no longer feels the boyish need to be the center of attention. Instead, he prioritizes his goals, which he can only accomplish if he blends in. When the townsfolk start whistling “Yankee Doodle,” it suggests that the men on the Common yesterday were right: the Yankees are reclaiming the song and are now using it to taunt the British.
Themes
Creeping further out, Johnny watches soldiers unload boats filled with wounded privates. The men doing the unloading treat the injured men like firewood rather than people; one officer even hits a screaming man. Johnny thinks of James Otis. This is why they’re fighting: so all men, even lowly privates, receive fair treatment. The third boat bears a gray-faced Colonel Smith and Lieutenant Stranger, who’s seriously injured. Johnny fights his desire to help his sort-of friend. Major Pitcairn is the last to return. Johnny learns that Earl Percy and his brigade are still in Charlestown to resume fighting in the morning, so he realizes that now is his chance to cross. He asks two sailors to take him over, insisting he has a message for Percy. The soldiers argue, but an officer tells them to obey.
In Johnny’s vision of America, all people, no matter their station, will be treated with compassion and dignity. Thus, seeing the wounded privates is difficult for Johnny, but it also impresses upon him again what exactly he’s fighting for. It makes the fight seem more righteous. It’s even harder seeing Colonel Smith and Lieutenant Stranger injured, as Stranger was Johnny’s friend—at least on horseback. Also, readers and Johnny can infer that such heavy casualties on the British side means that the Minute Men were successful and won the battle. Yet, Johnny isn’t able to take joy in that inference yet, as he cares too much about his friends to celebrate their suffering.
Themes
In Charlestown, Johnny sheds his uniform, washes his face, and begins wandering. Everyone is terrified to go to sleep, especially since British soldiers are sleeping in every tavern. At one tavern owned by a prominent Son of Liberty, Johnny learns what happened after Lexington. Colonel Smith marched to Concord, destroyed stores, and then there was a small battle at North Bridge. Minute Men began arriving in droves, though, and Percy’s reinforcements didn’t show up until the Minute Men had picked off many British soldiers. The British withdrew to Charlestown. Dr. Warren, the man explains, has been fighting and dressing wounds. And though seven or eight men died at Lexington, nobody knows their names.
Thanks to Johnny’s close ties to Mr. Revere’s spy network and the Observers, he’s able to find people he knows he can trust and who know they can trust him. Again, this highlights how integrated Johnny is in his community now, a consequence of him letting go of his prideful nature. Additionally, though it’s arguably good news that the Minute Men were so successful, Johnny doesn’t celebrate or get too excited. It’s hard for him to square this success with the cost of this success: people’s lives.
Themes
2. Johnny waits until the soldiers have moved out of Charlestown the next morning and then begins walking. He marvels that he almost believed the British were invincible—but the Yankees beat them. As he walks, he notices signs of the retreat. He passes men trying to pull Colonel Smith’s Sandy out of a pit, and then he passes a burial party. When he comes to a tavern, he buys some food and someone tells him to try to find Dr. Warren in Cambridge. In Cambridge, Johnny finds hundreds of Minute Men, poorly outfitted and not sure what to do now. A colonel with handmade epaulets sewn to his shirt shares that Dr. Warren is at a house in town, but when Johnny gets there, Paul Revere says Dr. Warren is in Lexington.
Initially, Johnny is elated: he never thought the rebels could win, and yet, they did. However, as he continues along, he’s forced to witness the cost of the rebels’ success: death, fear, and even a horse he knows and loves suffering and in danger. There seems to be widespread confusion among the Minute Men about what comes next; this highlights how rough and ready the rebel army remains. However, they’ve already proven that their informality doesn’t keep them from being effective.
Themes
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Walking back toward Lexington, Johnny passes six grenadiers who have surrendered to an old woman out picking dandelions. He passes burial parties and houses with bullet holes. Finally, Johnny sees a young woman drawing water from a well. He asks her for a drink and from her, he learns that he’s reached Lexington—and she shares the names of the eight dead at Lexington. Rab isn’t one of the names, so Johnny smiles. She says the Silsbee women hid, but all the men fought. Grandsire Silsbee sat at home.
As Johnny continues walking, he sees more of the damage done last night. The scene of the grenadiers surrendering to the old woman is particularly poignant: it suggests that the tables truly have turned, and those once thought to be unintelligent and incompetent (the rebels) are now the ones in charge of the colonies.
Themes
3. Finally, Johnny approaches Lexington Green, where the eight young men died. Recognizing Dr. Warren’s horse and chaise, Johnny approaches the doctor. He hands over the lists he made last night and then asks about Rab. Rab, Dr. Warren says, stood here when the British returned to Lexington. He refused to follow Major Pitcairn’s order to disperse, and he was wounded badly. Rab is at the tavern now, and Dr. Warren can take Johnny to see him. He cautions Johnny not to expect much and orders him to honor Rab by being mature and not crying.
Though the last passage made Johnny very happy because it seemed like Rab made it out of the battles unscathed, Dr. Warren makes it pretty clear that Rab is in tough shape and is perhaps not going to make it. This again impresses upon Johnny the cost of this war: men like Rab will give up their lives and their futures, just as James Otis predicted earlier in the novel.
Themes
4. Johnny follows Dr. Warren into the tavern and to a second-floor bedroom, where Rab is propped up in an armchair. He’s pale, but he looks alright. As Johnny explains that the British in Boston are furious, blood trickles from Rab’s mouth. Rab says he’s had a lot of time to think about his first meeting with Johnny. He’s silent for a bit, remembering things, and then says that a popgun would’ve done him as much good as his musket. He never got to fire his. Now, blood is streaming out of Rab’s mouth. After Dr. Warren settles Rab, Rab tells Johnny to take the musket and go see if the Silsbee women and Grandsire Silsbee are safe. Rab smiles as Johnny leaves the room.
Though Rab is putting on a good show, he’s clearly suffering from internal bleeding and isn’t doing well. While he did the noble, adult thing and stood up to the British, he also recognizes that war hurts and kills people no matter how mature or well-prepared they are: he would’ve been just as successful had he had something other than his musket. By passing the musket onto Johnny, though, Rab allows Johnny to finish his own coming-of-age journey by accepting his ability to defend his beliefs.
Themes
5. Johnny finds no Silsbees at Silsbee’s Cove, but he finds several farm animals, Grandsire Silsbee’s favorite cat, and two hungry farm dogs. Picking up the cat, Johnny enters the house. It’s empty. Johnny feeds the cat and dogs and then notices that Grandsire Silsbee’s antique gun is gone. Heading back to the village, Johnny finds Dr. Warren outside the tavern. Dr. Warren says that Rab died; someday, they’ll know how to fix injuries like what killed him. Rab sent Johnny away because he knew it was his time to die. A woman brings a tray of food for Dr. Warren and sinking into a chair, Dr. Warren says that James Otis’s last speech gave him goosebumps. He’d said that “a man can stand up,” and they’ll stand up and die, like Rab did, so others can “stand on their feet like men.”
Not finding Grandsire Silsbee, and discovering that the old man’s gun is gone, offers a clue that Grandsire Silsbee might have joined the fighting despite his old age—perhaps he was able to succeed where his grandson wasn’t. Rab’s death shocks Johnny, as now Johnny cannot ignore the cost of fighting for his beliefs. Still, Dr. Warren continues to reference James Otis’s words because he, like Johnny, found Otis’s speech stirring. Otis’s speech acknowledged that there’s a huge cost to war, but it also cast fighting for one’s deeply held beliefs as something noble that a person should do.
Themes
Dr. Warren asks the woman to fetch Rab’s musket and turns to his food. Johnny paces, unable to sleep or think. He picks up the musket, inspecting the changes Rab made to it. But Dr. Warren tells Johnny to put the gun down and let him look at his hand. Dr. Warren says the burn isn’t so bad; all that’s holding Johnny’s thumb to his palm is scar tissue. If Johnny wants, Dr. Warren can cut his thumb free. He can’t promise that Johnny will be able to do silver work again, but Johnny will be able to hold Rab’s musket. Johnny asks if Dr. Warren can do it now and says that he’s courageous enough to hold his hand still himself. Dr. Warren sends Johnny outside while he prepares.
When Johnny first picks up the musket, he can admire what the weapon can do—but his hand keeps him from fully coming of age, as he can’t work the weapon himself. But Dr. Warren’s offer to free Johnny’s thumb gives Johnny the opportunity to finally come of age. Now, Johnny isn’t the prideful, headstrong boy he was at first. Regaining use of his hand won’t make him prideful and arrogant—rather, Johnny now knows that he must use his skills and his hand to fight for a cause he believes in.
Themes
Outside, Johnny looks around and listens to the people milling around, caring for their farm animals. “This [is] his land and these his people.” It feels like nothing can hurt him today, not even Rab’s death. From far away, Johnny hears drums. Somebody is playing “Yankee Doodle” on a fife. The village falls silent as 30 ragged, bloody men, without uniforms and with assorted weapons, march into town. Rab had been one of them. Hopefully, these men will always be willing to fight. Then, Johnny notices a chaise coming after the men—Grandsire Silsbee is in it, as he’s too old to ride or walk. Johnny almost runs to tell him that Rab is dead, but he knows Grandsire Silsbee must get his men to join the siege of Boston. Rab and other men died, but the thing they died for never will.
In the novel’s final passage, Johnny completes his coming-of-age journey as he begins to feel truly American, not English. This land—North America—is his land, and the people who inhabit it are his fellow countrymen. For now, the “ragged, bloody men” in mismatched uniforms, like Rab—and like Grandsire Silsbee—are defending them. That Grandsire Silsbee has gotten up to fight and is taking his duty so seriously highlights the importance of fighting for what he believes in. He and Johnny will be able to mourn Rab later; for now, they must focus on the task at hand and fight for their freedoms—and for the rights of Americans generations down the line.
Themes
