James Lincoln Collier's My Brother Sam Is Dead

“Why Men Fought in the American Revolution,” explains the reasons that American men decided to fight and risk their lives for their families and their beliefs. Robert L. Middlekauff lists his opinions in this excerpt of the many reasons men chose to fight against the British in the Revolutionary War. In “Why Men fought in the American Revolution,” MiddleKauff makes the argument that the American soldiers fought because their beliefs were reflected through their fighting. He shows that soldiers used their relationships to endure the fighting, felt a sense of responsibility to their family and to their country, and shows the false explanations that some believe to be true.

My Brother Sam Is Dead by Coller and Coller is a story about a boy named Tim Meeker and how his family falls apart during the Revolutionary War. Throughout the story, Tim is confronted with a life changing dilemma. His father is a Loyalist and his elder brother Sam is a Patriot. He knows that no matter what side he chooses in this war, he will end up fighting his flesh and blood. As the story progresses, Coller and Coller paints a vivid picture of how Tim changes from a boy to a man .

10. What is the lesson about freedom and free people that the author wants the reader to learn from this story?

My Brother Sam is Dead carried vivid details. The book dragged at the beginning then soon became interesting. I believe that it gave good examples of metaphors. Also it had positive and negative messages. The title was a harm, making you wonder when Sam would die. I like that the book wasn't a puff piece. I admired that the book always grabs your attention instead of leaving you astray. Additionally I thought the way Father forgave Sam was bold of him. Tim’s loyalty to his family was very caring of him. Tim’s detachment from Sam was really uprising. I disliked how part of the book was made up. Also I unfavored that the characters

The fight for American independence was a long, arduous struggle, but many great literary works aided the battle. One such example is Patrick Henry’s “Speech in the Virginia Convention”. Given in 1775 at the Virginia Provincial Convention, Henry aims to convince listeners of the futility of peace with Britain, and that they should join the efforts for the inevitable war. To accomplish this, Henry uses many different persuasive techniques and rhetorical devices. In Patrick Henry’s “Speech”, Henry uses techniques such as rhetorical questions, allusion, and emotional appeal to convey the point that the United States must rebel against Britain.

223 years ago, an innocent, ten-year-old boy died on a prison ship. His name was Jerry Sanford and he lived with Captain Starr, a local Patriot. The day Jerry was captured, British troops raided the only home he had ever known and killed several of his friends including his guardian, Daniel Starr. In My Brother Sam Is Dead, one of Jerry’s friends was a boy named Tim Meeker. He was not killed the day of the attack on Starr’s house, but witnessed the deaths from behind a rock. In the story, Tim has a brother: Samuel Meeker. He was a Patriot soldier fighting in the American Revolution for freedom, rights, and glory. Sam and Tim’s parents, however, were loyal to the British Crown and disapproved of their son fighting with the rebels. In My Brother Sam Is Dead, although both sides of the war are shown, authors James and Christopher Collier ultimately argue that war is futile.

My brother Sam is dead The story of “My brother sam is dead” is set in Colonial America.It is set in the year 1775 in Redding, Connecticut where the story follows the main character Tim and his family going through the revolutionary war. Tim doesn’t really pay attention to all the politics and war, but his family does. His father especially is a Great Britian loyalist. The story’s first big event happens (page 13) when Tim’s brother Sam comes back from Yale. The Family is eating dinner on Sam’s first day back when he breaks the news. Sam seems zealous and

A small family of four, living in the Tory town of Redding. Life was great Mr. and Mrs. Meeker owned a small tavern that supplies their town with food, rum, and supplies. Their son Timmy helped around the tavern and did chores, because his older brother Sam was off at college. Everyone in Redding was close and knew the Meeker family, they all admired how they had raised Sam and Timmy. Every year after college was over, Sam would come home and visit, except one.

This book begins with Sam Meeker, Tim Meeker's admired older brother, arrives in uniform at the Meeker tavern one rainy April evening in 1775. "We've beaten the British in Massachusetts," Sam exclaims, beginning a fight with Father, who is staunchly loyal to the English government and king. Sam explains to the people around the table how the Minutemen lay a surprise attack on the British "Lobsterbacks" in Lexington. Sam basks comfortably in all the attention. Father asks him a series of skeptical questions, including who fired the first shot. Sam does not know who fired first. The

The idea of freedom has never been more fundamental to Americans’ as individuals and as a nation. Freedom and Liberty are a central term which has almost always been used interchangeably in our political vocabulary which has been deeply embedded in our language and history of everyday life. In this essay, I will be comparing the Confederacy and the Union on how they represented their causes, and their respective ideas of freedom.

This shows that people will fight for what they believe freedom is. The British had also fought for what they believed as they fought the American Colonies and took prisoners as they believed that is their value. “So how many rebel prisoners did your men bag, Colonel… Near three thousand of them devils.” This shows that the British army fought for the values and what freedom is for

In the speech to the virginia convention by patrick henry he strongly expresses liberty. In the virginia convention, politicians were debating whether to go to war with britain or stay the same and have to follow all the rules from britain. Patrick sat through two days of people talking about how we should not go to war and when Patrick finally got the chance to speak he changed everyone's mind. Patrick one said “Forbid it. Almighty god! I know not what course others may take but as for me give me liberty or give me death” (85). Patrick shows liberty by not sitting there and going along with all the other politicians but standing up for what he believes in. Patrick also shows liberty by saying he would rather die than have his liberty taken from him. In this part of the speech patrick explains that some people might think that america will lose the war but that won't happen. Patrick pleaded, “Three millions of people armed in the holy cause of liberty” (84). Patrick shows that America can't be beat because

This is definitely different, mind-blowing, and altering to the way most people, like myself, have thought of the word believe to mean. As an attention-grabber, seeing and reading this statement from Armstrong’s book earlier in the semester shows that “to believe” or even to “have a belief” requires and implies a more complex or bigger meaning than the common definition. The way the term believe is defined by Armstrong seems to underline a level of intensity. With the words loyalty, bound, and promise, “believe” suggests a strong tone, one that leads to action. In fact, to me, it reminds me of faith. Interestingly, Armstrong’s findings show how rich the original meaning of belief was and still is, as well as what its meaning implies or

“When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.”

Freedom is expressed in many different ways, but each of them will lead to a contented life. Most people finds it hard to find freedom, this is because they are too attached to a saying or idea. In the stories Dead Poets Society and A Separate Peace, both authors have portrayed the theme of freedom of individuals of choosing choices through characterization of Mr. Keating and Phineas. Through expressing freedom in the character’s thoughts and actions, they were able to complete their goals in life and lead themselves to enjoy life before it’s too late.