English Summary of The Patriot

By Philip L. Klok

The movie starts at a small plantation in South Carolina. Benjamin lives there with his kids. His wife passed away a few years back. Gabriel and Thomas, the two oldest children, are eager to join the Continental Army when South Carolina decides to join the rebellion against the British king. Gabriel decides to join the Continental Army against his fathers will, but Thomas doesnt dare to do so against his fathers will. Two years later Gabriel shows up at the plantation wounded and in need of medical care. The British army shows up the following morning and takes Gabriel and kills Thomas who desperately tries to free him. When they leave they burn down the plantation. Benjamin goes after them and hides along the road and then ambushes them to free his son. Benjamin decides to join the army. He is to put together a group of militia to ambush the British supply lines. They are successful until the British sends extra security to hide in the nearby area. He and a few men manage to escape. He uses scarecrows with stolen redcoat uniforms to trick the British general to exchange prisoners. When he finds out that they are not real men he gets Colonel William Tavington to get Benjamin and his men out of hiding by using unethical methods that are also against the rules of warfare. The Colonel targets the mens wives and kids. He is not really successful, but it does have its effects on the men. Then after a little while the colonel attacks a city that a lot of the men live in and burns everyone inside the church. Some of the mens wives get killed along with Gabriels wife who he just had gotten married to. He and some other men follow the colonels tracks to seek him and get revenge. Everybody dies except for the colonel, he escapes. Benjamin is destroyed over the loss of his oldest son Gabriel and decides to quit the army just before the last battle. He is sitting begging over the corpse of his son as he sees the American flag and how he repaired it. He then decides to join the army again and fight the last battle. The Americans only win because of the solidarity the flag creates. In the end you see the men from the militia that he had fought with, helping him rebuild his plantation. The American Revolutionary war, also known as the American war of independence, began on the 18th of April, 1775. It started by General Gage sending in 900 men to Lexington, a small town outside of Boston. Riders warned the city. When the British troops arrived there were 75 minutemen waiting for them. The Americans were only secretly delivered supplies by France,

Spain and the Dutch Republic until the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777. France joined in openly in the early 1778. Spain and the Dutch Republic also joined the war since they at the time were allies with the French. The US (and allies) had a total of 273,000 men, while the British only had a total of 112,000 men. Even though most of the US men were only militia, 161,000 men is a pretty big difference. The US (and allies) lost a total of 91,500 about 2/9 of them died in battle and about 6/9 died of sickness. The last 1/9 were civilians. The British lost a total of 42,000. 15,000 of them died in battle and the last 27,000 died of sickness. Benjamin Martin is the father of five sons and two daughters. His wife Elizabeth Martin died in 1773. Everywhere he go people will recognize him for the one who mercilessly killed the French at Fort Wilderness. Gabriel Martin is Benjamins oldest son. Gabriel is more a patriot than his father. Hes the one who repaired the flag. Hes the one that didnt believe that the war was a lost cause. The only reason that Benjamin joined the war was to protect Gabriel. Gabriel reflects all the young men who are eager to fight since they were not alive at the time of the French and Indian war. Gabriel doesnt fight for honor and glory, he fight for his country. Colonel William Tavington is one of those bad guys that need to die twice. First Gabriel shoots him but he escapes wounded, just to get killed by Benjamin later. He is trying to get General Cornwallis approval. He takes his task about getting the ghost out of hiding as a small approval from the General. His character is basen upon Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton. Banastres father was broke and had destroyed his family name. Based on that, that could be a reason to take the task and get Ohio as a land lord in America when the British had won the war. I think that the movie is definitely laying weight on the Americans being the good guys and how the evil British King comes and tries to take away their freedom and kill all who oppose him. But that America is unbeatable and shall never fall, even in the darkest hour. And of course the flag, how Benjamin raises the flag and the men regain their morale and turns back again to fight to the end for their country. How god blesses the flag by letting the sun shine through the cloudy sky and onto the flag. I think that the film promotes the flag and they sure do glorify it too. This is seen basically every five or so minute, but also how everyone gets their chance in life to build a good and successful life, if they work hard enough, this is seen in the beginning at the plantation. Their right to carry a weapon is also one of the values; it also shows why they have the law in the first place. Patriotism of course, it is after all what the movie is about. The declaration of

independence, even though its not mentioned in the movie, is after all the reason that they are at war with the British.