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My Brother Sam Is Dead Analysis

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My Brother Sam Is Dead A little ten year old boy is snatched out of his life as he was taken as a prisoner of war. He is destined to die when others lived. His death actually happened in history, but also in the novel, My Brother Sam Is Dead. It is the year 1775, the Revolutionary War just stirring among the people. The narrator is Tim Meeker, the youngest son in a family that runs their tavern in the town of Redding. The Meeker family goes through lots of sufferings at the cost of war. His older brother Sam is a Yale student who goes to war to fight the British against his father’s wishes. As the war goes on life gets tougher and the Meekers experience the hard reality of war. Tim is split between the sides of war, but realizes neither side is right. As Tim goes through story the authors show the reader of the difficulties of war. In My Brother Sam Is Dead although both sides are shown, authors Collier and Collier argue that war is futile. One way the authors argue against war is through the minor theme of war tears families apart. In the beginning of the novel as the conflict of Sam going to war is introduced, the reader learns that Father and Sam differ in opinions of war. In one of the first few pages Father and Sam are already in an argument as Sam mentions the event of Paul Revere’s ride. Sam argues, “Sir it’s worth dying to be free.” (Collier and Collier, 7). Mr. Meeker is yelling by this point in the argument, “Free? Free to do what, Sam? Free to mock your

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