Shaw, the main character faces many problems. Forbes and Thomas do not see him as their military commander because they have known him all their lives. Forbes doesn't see the point of training the men for combat because he believes blacks will never see battle anyway. He accuses Sha

Shaw learns to be more assertive. For example, he fights to get the socks and shoes his men need and wins. He also fights for them to go into battle. Forbes doesn't change much-he seems more cooperative as time goes on, but there is nothing dramatic. He learns to respect Shaw for his leadership. Thomas becomes a good soldier and saves Chet's life. He shows real courage in his decision to stay and fight after he gets wounded. Rollins becomes an inspirational leader. He prays the folks back home will know they faced the enemy and fought for freedom. The men are empowered by his talk. Of all the characters, however, Chet changes the most. When Rollins sets him straight in a fatherly way (ending with, "Smart mouth, swamp-running nigger-if you ain't careful, that's all you ever gonna be."), he takes it to heart. His attitude begins to change. The night before they make their assault on Ft. Wagner, he prays with the other men and tells them they are the only family he has, and he loves the 54th. He has learned to see himself as a man. He helps Thomas when he falters (instead of bullying him) and goes into battle as one of the team.

w of acting high and mighty. Shaw doesn't under

Some common words found in the essay are:
Shaw Rollins, Union Army, Forbes Thomas, Civil War, Ft Wagner, Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick, Cory Elwes, Morgan Freeman, War Officers, civil war, forbes doesn't, union army,
Approximate Word count = 808
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)