Just as King Leonidas led his men to fight the Persian forces, a task which required the ultimate sacrifice, Ned has chosen to do the same against his oppressors. Leonidas and Kelly know that if the corrupt dictators go unchallenged and unpunished they will continue their treachery and further the suffering of their people. Granted the Spartans never faced the harsh treatment the Irish did, they very well would have if they had offered the gift of “land and water” to Xerxes. The foundation of my argument is that the two protagonists are doing something necessary for the survival of their people. They are aware of the potential dangers and realize they may die in their efforts. They want to show their individual societies that “it can be done”, if the oppressed unite and act as one against injustice.
Ned didn’t want it to come to this. He was satisfied manifesting all his shortcomings and misfortunes into his anger towards Wild Wright, using the fight as a cathartic means for all his frustrations (188). But the Cons and the Squatters continue to pour it on, until he can’t take it anymore. They stole his horses, they beat up his brother, they get his sister pregnant then she dies, his baby sister dies, Jem’s bald and hurting, his dad’s dead, everyone’s accusing him of stealing livestock, his mama’s rocking the cradle, there’s too much going on in Ned’s head. It’s time for some action.
So now Ned is going to fight a battle he is destined to loose but his intention is to create a war his people will win
i think that i would agree with you on the fact that Ned has certainly been through alot, whether it be intentional or he was just an innocent victim of circumstance. but im not so sure that he was trying to incite a war for the betterment of his people. throughout the novel i felt that Ned only reacted to situations that directly involved himself or his family and i dont really see him as trying to be some sort of martyr for the irish people in general. in fact, i think that there are several instances throughtout the book, but specifically when Ned takes his younger brother Dan out to the isolated and desolate wombat ranges and attempts to clear the land, he states that he attempting to have a "quiet life", which lends to my belief that he isnt trying to take on the political power shots of the time, but only does what he deems as neccessary to proctect he and his family.
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