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Theme Of Manhood In Friendly Persuasion

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For every movie made, the writer has placed a main, central theme as the backbone of the entire movie. People can recognize this theme without much thought. In addition to this main theme, the writer places multiple subsequent themes into the film. These themes are less noticeable than their primary counterparts. The 1956 movie Friendly Persuasion contains multiple auxiliary themes, one of which being a boy’s steps to manhood. Today’s culture sees manhood as being strong, fighting and doing dangerous things, but this is not how it is portrayed in this movie. The theme of manhood is portrayed through the transformation that takes place in the life of Josh Birdwell, the oldest child of the Birdwell family. When we first meet the Birdwells, Josh is an ordinary Indiana young adult of the time period, picking on his younger brother and …show more content…

It shows that Josh has a compassion for people, and that he doesn’t like fighting and killing, which he states earlier in the movie. It also shows that he is willing to do things he is scared to do in order to stand up for what he believes. The viewer could see that Josh was scared before the fighting started, but was still willing to do so because he believed he was doing what was right. Even during the shooting, Josh was going through inner conflict between his compassion and his convictions. After the battle when Jess finds Josh lying in the battlefield, he is lying next to a dead Confederate soldier. He conveys to his father, “He’s not very old…I killed him.” This statement shows his regret for killing his fellow man. This movie reveals to us the true measure of manhood. What it means to be a man is to be brave enough to do what is right and to stand true to your conscience. It is also being willing to lay down your life for what you believe in and the people you love. The society of today could greatly benefit from the principles conveyed in Friendly

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