The Patriot Characters: John Billings

John Billings

Portrayed by: Leon Rippy

John Billings is an Indian fighter who fought fought along side Benjamin Martin in the French and Indian War. Like Reverend Oliver is a personification of Gabriel's nobler principles, John Billings is a personification of the more savage brand of fighting along the frontier with the French and their Indian allies. Gabriel and Reverend Oliver had not lived through the frontier fighting and believed that the British are treated with respect and dignity in defeat. Benjamin and John were used to the days of take no prisoners, which was used as form of intimidation to bring fighting to end quicker.

Even though John Billings is rough and 'uncivilized', he also has a family to look after. This furthers the parallels between Benjamin and John. If Benjamin had not settled down, then he could have turned out like John with a small family and still rought around the edges. When his wife and son are killed by one of Colonel William Tavington's patrols, Billings feels like he has lost everything and gives up by taking his own life. It can be discussed that Benjamin was in a similar situation earlier in the film having lost his wife Elizabeth, his son Thomas shot dead and Gabriel on his way to being hanged, but Benjamin fought back and did what he could to save as much of his family as he could.

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