April Morning Adam Forced To Adulthood
April Morning Adam Forced To Adulthood
April Morning by Howard Fast takes place in Lexington, Massachusetts, on April 19th, 1775. The novel opens with a glimpse into the daily life of the Cooper family.
The members of the Cooper family are Moses, Sarah, Dam, Levi, and Granny. Adams father Moses is always harsh on Adam, and does not believe Adam is a man or has reached adulthood. Adam Cooper in the opening chapters has the desire to obtain adulthood, when it is obtained Adam wants to cling to his childhood. Although going back in time would be helpful, Adam’s day makes the innocence of childhood unobtainable as Adam experiences the horrors of war, declares his love, and witnesses death on April 19, 1775.
Adams father had never shown compassion towards Adam till the night before he died. Moses Cooper talked to Adam and put his arm around him that night, uncomfortable for both the father and the son but a loving action and an action of approval. During that battle Adam witnessed the tragic death of his father. From the death of his father Adam learns to be a man and knows he will have to take care of his family. The British unfeelingly gunned down Adam’s father along with most of the defenders in the plain sight.
Most of the men still living from this encounter ran away from the British army. Among these men is Adam. Adam run’s to a near by smokehouse, finally escaping from the British and dealing with the loss of his father. Eventually Levi, Adam’s brother, comes looking for him. Adam helped to console Levi in their father’s death. Adam helps Levi just like a mature adult would, not as 15 year old teen. Both soon part, Levi goes home to inform the family, Adam is trying to hide in the woods outside of town where he is shot at. Luckily the gun did not fire, thus Adam jumped over a wall and met Solomon Chandler. Adam and Solomon walked together to a meeting place called Ashley’s Pasture. Over a hundred men gathered their and discussed their plan.
They were to lie in wait next to a stone wall lining the road and as the British passed, rise up and fire over the wall. And so on except in the next meeting place they split into groups. At one encounter Adam fires at a redcoat, most likely killing...