what does this book reveal about common Union soilders who answered the call of duty and fought the war- their character and courage, their dignity in pain and dying? why is the death of John the dramatic apex of the book- and what impact did it have on Alcott?
John's death is a testament to courage and bravery. Alcott’s choice of making a nurse of Tribulation is very symbolic, for the strong manly soldiers, under her charge, were as needy and dependent on her as children. This conveys the truth that women are the core and foundation of society. Without them, men would be utterly lost. One symbolic example of this is the brave and strong John, who yearned for nothing, during his last moments, than the touch, care, and sympathy of a woman.
In addition, patriarchy is mistakenly thought to be the source of oppression and doom for women alone. Men, however, can also be its helpless victims, and this is what Alcott had attempted to tell her readers through the character of John. John was a blacksmith from Virginia. He had a mother and a brother to sustain, and a young life spreading slowly before his eyes. The societal norms regarding masculinity, however, had flung him head first into the dangers of war where all his dreams were taken away from him. John is Alcott’s way of speaking about the deadlines of patriarchy even for men.
Hospital Sketches
