Three Day Road

One scene in the novel Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden that I thought was very important was the death of Sean Patrick. This scene is a critical point in the novel, as it helps to show the horrors of war, and to show the growing differences between Elijah and Xavier.

"An aeroplane drones overhead and I look up from my work to see if it is one of ours, or Fritz come to strafe us. I bend back down to fill sandbags when I hear Gilberto shouting for help. When I look over, I see ten yards from me Sean Patrick on the ground writhing like a snake and grabbing his neck, blood spurting out in impossible amounts, his eyes wide with terror of what is coming. I run to him. We all run to him, McCaan and Elijah, Graves and Fat who've become closer and closer over the last months like a skinny father and his heavy son. We stand over Sean Patrick dumbly, none of us really knowing what to do, in shock at the sight of bright red blood pumping from between his fingers clenched so hard that he appears to be chocking himself, McCaan kneeling and fumbling.
"Shot through the neck," Graves mumbles as if to no one.
Immediately i think of the snipers rumored to be around here, of one especially, the one they say stalks our lines and has impossible numbers. Elijah claims that the man doesn't really exist.
McCaan pulls gauze from a pack near him and tries to move Sean Patrick's hands. "Help me," he shouts, and the tone of his voice sets us all into action. Elijah and I pry Sean Patrick's hands away and hold them above his head while Graves and a stunned looking Grey Eyes clamp onto his long skinny legs. McCaan applies the gauze to his neck, but we all know it is futile. I stare into Sean Patrick's eyes near to my own. He stares back at me in pure fear. I smile to try and reassure him that soon he will be on the long road and won't be scared or in pain, or cold or wet anymore. I can see the fear die a little at the time that the bright light drains from his eyes. They turn glassy as those of Grey Eyes. McCaan quits working. I let go of Sean Patrick's arms and watch the muscles relax into the slow release of the dead." (pg 111-112)

Although Xavier and Elijah had witnessed the horrors of war before, this was the first time it had happened so close to them. This shows Xavier how real the dangers were on the front, and while Elijah would only consider his death much later, this event brought the realities of war much closer. The reason for Sean Patrick’s death was also very trivial. His death was caused by a small, simple mistake by Grey Eyes. This also shows how death could happen at any moment without warning, and without reason.

Another way that this scene is important is how it shows the growing disconnect between Xavier and Elijah. Both of the two friends were shocked by Sean Patrick’s death, but their reactions to it were very different. Xavier was saddened by Sean’s death, while Elijah becomes obsessed with the idea of revenge, and wanting to kill an enemy sniper in the hopes of sending a message to his killer. This is an example of Elijah’s growing obsession with violence.

This scene is a good example of many of the themes in the novel, and is one of the most important events in the novel.