What are the contrasts and similarities between the main characters of the connected text you studied this semester?.
The two text I studied this year are "Soldier Boy" written by Anthony Hill, along with "I had seen castles" written by Cynthia Rylant. "Soldier Boy" is a biography on the youngest known ANZAC James Martin, he was just fourteen when he died on the shores of Gallipoli. "I had seen castles" is a book written by a female author about John Dante during the Second World War. Both Protagonists are obvious male but James is only fourteen while John binds his time and joins at eighteen. Their experiences in war had many similarities and differences the reader would expect from their different ages and the different wars. James Martin died at the tender age of fourteen, while John lived on to become what he had once called an old man. There is also a variety of contrast between the authors and there styles. .
The on coming of war was all that fourteen-year-old boys needed to let their imagination run wild. Jumping in and out of trenches with their guns firing at the enemy or diving out of planes and landing behind enemy lines were all the dreams of the young boys. None of them would be James Martin the youngest known Australian ANZAC at World War 1. While others of the same age were dreaming, James was there fighting for his young life. James's early life had started off the same as any other boy surrounded with cricket in summer and football in winter with the occasional schoolyard fight in-between. Everyday after recess the children would lines up in two lines and march into class with the sounds of the drum and whistle behind them. James had dearly wanted to play the drums and couldn't wait until he was twelve to join the junior cadets. James's dream did come true he joined the junior cadets and ended up playing the drums. This was to be the start of the series of events that would lead the young boy to war.