Johnny Tremain Book Report

Johnny Tremain

        Eighteen century Boston, a city of mounting tension between the Americans and the British, is the setting for Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes.  Johnny Tremain is fourteen years old and a skilled silver apprentice.  At first, he shows no interest in the politics that are happening around him.  Following an injury to his hand, his life changes, as does his involvement in America’s fight for freedom. In this historical novel, Johnny proves himself to be reliable in any situation, dedicated to friends and country, and courageous in his actions to support the cause of freedom.

Johnny shows through his actions that he is reliable.  Johnny lived in Lapham’s house and worked as a silversmith’s apprentice.  Mr. Lapham considered Johnny trust worthy, hard-working, and good-natured boy. Making a sugar basin his hand became useless, so he left the Lapham’s house to look for another job.  Johnny met Rab who became his best friend.  Rab was one of the semi-secret famous Sons of Liberty, those carefully organized mobs who often took Justice into their own hands.  Rab offers Johnny employment as a delivery boy for the Boston Observer, and teaches him how to ride Goblin, the company horse.  Johnny begins to deliver the newspaper, learns about politics, and He became a Whig and supporter of the rebels.  This kind of job he took and the responsibility that this entail, shows how he is reliable in any situation.

        Johnny demonstrates that he is dedicated to both his friends and country.  When Rab was knocked down by a British lieutenant, the medical officer that helped Rab asked Johnny for help to deliver some mail.  Johnny agrees using the job as an opportunity to spy on Colonel Smith and other officers to obtain information about any action against the rebels.  Johnny finds out that Colonel Smith is going to be part of a large raid on Portsmouth, so he rushes off to warn Paul Revere about it.  In another occasion, when Johnny is helping Dove to polish the saddle, he discovers that the British were planning a campaign. He again goes with Paul Revere to inform about. These events show how Johnny is dedicated to both his friend and country.