The Fighting Ground

In The Fighting Ground, Avi blends symbology into his story about a 13 year old boy Jonathan, who has insisted that he desperately wants to go to war. However, when he goes to fight with his local regiment, Jonathan sees something completely different from what he expected. All of the soldiers are nervous, and the field is tense. Avi shows how, on the road to the battle, "The only sound was the shuffling of feet, an empty and hollow sound." During this dreadful silence, Jonathan realizes that "A storm was coming, a big one. He gazed about again. It was so quiet. He could hear no birds. Not even the men were talking." This silence, and anxiety gave an eerie aura. All of this gave the feeling that the upcoming battle would be filled with fear, dread, and even death! The truth of the matter is that Jonathan was blinded by his false beliefs, and he didn't realize the truth about war. Indeed, Avi truly meant to give a message about life, death, and war, so he created a symbolic book to tell his tale.