Glory Themes

Glory, often called “one of the most powerful and historically [films] accurate ever made about [the] war,” (McPherson, Glory) is a film from that tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the first African American regiment who volunteered to fight for the Union Army. Many of the scenes of the war help portray what the members went through. However, three scenes best depict the experience of the war for the regiment: when Colonel Shaw reads the proclamation from the Confederate Congress, when Corporal. Thomas Searls is shot in a small fight, and when Col. Shaw volunteers to Fort Sumter. These three scenes best portray Glory’s theme of the willingness the regiment had to fight and compassion they possessed for their cause. …show more content…
Shaw reads the Confederate Congress’ proclamation to the whole regiment. The Confederate Congress drafted a proclamation that states what will happen to the members of the regiment if they were to be deemed victorious. It states that all African American soldiers who fought in the army will be brought back into slavery, all African Americans taken in federal uniform shall be sentenced to death, and all white officers who lead African American troops will be sentenced to death as well. A few members appear to show their worries about being a part of the regiment, including Major Cabot and Private Jupiter Sharts. In the morning, Col. Shaw wakes up to discover that no members of the regiment have abandoned him. This scene is important since it shows how the African Americans soldiers were behind the cause. This corresponds to the theme of the movie, as to the regiment, fighting for their country was more important than the possibility of death or slavery. This also demonstrates true historic issues at the time of the Civil War, as racial inequality is shown by stating that “any negro taken in arms against the Confederacy will immediately be returned to a state of slavery”, but only “white officer[s] taken in command of negro troops and shall be deemed as inciting servile insurrection and shall likewise be put to death.” There were only a limited number of white …show more content…
Shaw volunteers his regiment to fight for control of Fort Sumter. This Confederate base was one of the biggest they had, so conquering the fort was a formidable task. When the General must decide who he wants to fight, Shaw volunteers. He says that “there's more to fighting than just rest sir. There's character. There's strengths of heart... We're a sight to see. We’ll be ready sir.” This is an important scene because it reveals the true feelings of Col. Shaw. The African Americans in the regiment have proved their will to fight, and it has had a clear impact on Shaw as he volunteers his regiment to take on Fort Sumter. This scene helps show the historical issue with there being only one African American regiment. It also shows the impact that the regiment had on the leaders of the war, as he trusts them enough to fight one of the most important battles. During the actual fight, Shaw shouted to his men “Forward my brave boys!” and by calling them brave, shows their effect on him. This helps further the key theme of the Civil War by proving how equality was partially achieved during the war, and the actions of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment made this possible.
It is arguable that these three scenes were not the ones that best to portray the theme. For example, one scene many people feel did this was when the regiment marches through the town. They are greeted by cheers from the people watching on, however, this more