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
In the novel, My Brother Sam is Dead, Father says, “Is it worth war to save a few pence in taxes?” (Collier and Collier 21). This quote summarizes the main idea of that war does nothing. My Brother Sam is Dead is written by James and Christopher Collier. The authors introduce many strong characters that include Sam, Tim, Life, and Susannah Meeker and takes place during the American Revolutionary War. The authors, Collier and Collier, try to prove that war does not help by adding the theme inside of a realistic plot that involves family and death, something everyone has or has gone through in their life. By adding family and death, it makes readers connect the story to our life and makes the reader question if war is actually worth it if the
In the Westing game I believe that Sam Westing is not dead. Based on the clue that I have, I believe he faked his death. Sam Westing is trying to frame someone for his murder.
In the book my Brother Sam is Dead, by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier, I noticed a strong theme; how war divides individuals, families, communities, and countries. This book takes place during the Revolutionary War, and Tim Meeker, the narrator, has a Father who is a Loyalist and a brother, Sam, who is a Patriot. Sam goes off to fight for the Patriots, and hard times come because of the war . When Father and Tim are coming back from Verplancks’ Point, Father gets kidnapped by cow-boys. He is then killed in a British prison ship. Sam is killed because he is taken in as cattle thief, which he really wasn’t. He is then executed. The Meeker family is then torn up because of the war, with half of the family dead. I will show you
Chapter 3 in My Brother Sam is Dead illustrates how war doesn’t necessarily affects everyone, even if you can get news of a battle before nightfall and it happened at noon. In the beginning, Tim talks of how the war is not really affecting the people of Redding. Betsy Read comes by the tavern. Betsy and Tim talk in secret behind the tavern. Betsy makes Tim swear to not tell anyone if Sam were to come back to Redding. As predicted, Sam is coming back to Redding. Betsy doesn’t know when Sam is coming back. Tim doesn’t receive word of Sam’s return for about two months. Betsy gives Tim a signal that Sam is back in October.
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
The American Revolution was a war of principles fought by Loyalists and Patriots. However, Loyalists believed in neutrality, peace, and no brutality or treason. Therefore, Patriots believed in freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, and the right to break away from the British government. In the novel My Brother Sam is Dead created by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier, a family disputes over which side is right. James and Christopher Collier use the ironies of Life, Jerry, and Sam's death to induce Tim's decision of neutrality.
Can you imagine fighting and living through the beginning of the American Revolution? Authors James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier published in 1974, My Brother Sam Is Dead. This book occurred in Redding, Connecticut in 1776 during the American Revolution. My Brother Sam Is Dead is a story of a sixteen-year-old, Sam Meeker, which decided to join the army to fight against the British. While his younger brother, Tim Meeker must decide between his brother’s loyalty to become an independent nation from the British or his father’s loyalty to the British government. Several months had passed and the Rebels, which fought against the British, had kidnapped their father, Eliphalet Meeker. Two thieves broke into Sam and Tim’s barn and Sam chased the thieves, but a group of men apprehended and framed him for their crime, leaving his fate uncertain.
Two northern boys in the novels, “Soldier’s Heart,” and “The Red Badge of Courage,” suffer through the journey and hardships, loss of loved ones, and war. The contrasts in these works are few, however the variances in stories minister support in helping each book to stand out, and separate from the other. The similarities between books are uncanny, so similar, in fact that throughout the duration of the novels differentiating the novels becomes increasingly problematic for the reader. Also, the similarities concerning the two books “Soldier’s Heart” and “The Red Badge of Courage” aid the reader in understanding the mind-set of a soldier during a war. The comparisons and differences of the
The ship was cold and food was scarce. It was no condition for a little ten year old boy. He was a prisoner of the war with little hope. Snatched out of his life he was helpless and was destined to die while others lived. He asked to himself, “Why me? Why not someone else?” His death actually happened in history, but also in the novel, My Brother Sam Is Dead. It is the year 1775, the Revolutionary War is just stirring among the people and around the life of the narrator, Tim Meeker. Tim is the youngest son in a family that runs a tavern in the town of Redding. The Meeker family goes through many 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.
To be engaged in war is to be engaged in an armed conflict. Death is an all too ordinary product of war. It is an unsolicited reward for many soldiers that are fighting for their country’s own fictitious freedom. For some of these men, the battlefield is a glimpse into hell, and for others, it is a means to heaven. Many people worry about what happens during war and what will become of their loved ones while they’re fighting, but few realize what happens to those soldiers once they come home. The short stories "Soldier's Home” by Ernest Hemingway and "Speaking of Courage” by Tim O'Brien explore the thematic after effects of war and how it impacts a young person's life. Young people who
A little ten year old boy was taken as a prisoner of war. He was snatched out of his life and destined to die while 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 is 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 many 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. Through the course of the book, many sufferings arise in Redding. Life gets tougher and the Meekers experience the hard reality of war. The authors are against war because they
One way the authors argue against war is it tears families apart. “No, you’re going to get yourself killed. Well you might as well. Let’s have it all done with at once. How does the old line go? Men must fight and women must weep, but you’ll get no more tears from me. I’ve done my weeping for this war.” Mrs.Meeker is basically saying she’s over the war, and does not want anything to do with it. Tim and Mrs.Meeker are having an argument, which is showing how their family is broken. “They can murder who they like, church who they like, but I’m not going. For me the war is over.” This line from the book says it all. That quote is the thing that shows a broken family. Not going to see your son one last time before
The theme in the novel My Brother Sam is Dead, is that life and liberty is forgotten in war. This is shown when Jeremy Sanders is taken away for no reason when the tories ambushed his home. Another instance is when Tim’s Father, Life, had been treated very unfairly and nobody cared for his life or liberty, was when he was for selling his cattle. Sam’s life was forgotten when he was trying to save his family's cattle but then later he got framed for stealing his own cattle. That is why life and liberty is forgotten in war.
"In war the dead pay the debts for the living," (Collier and Collier 167). The real cost of war is so great that the thought of paying the price is rather unfathomable. In My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier we get a glimpse into the lives of not only the Meekers but the people of their town and we observe the price they paid for one of the biggest and most powerful wars of our American history, The American Revolution. In this historical fiction, Tim Meeker must choose whether he wants to be a loyal subject to the king of England or a rebellious and freedom yearning American Patriot like his role model and brother, Sam Meeker. By 13-year-old Tim Meeker and ten-year-old
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.