War Life: 'My Brother Sam Is Dead'

War Life

“Principles Sam? You may know principles, Sam, but I know war.”(Collier & Collier) There are so many disagreements but the ones between the Meeker family were very unpredictable. “My brother Sam is Dead” has many parts of the Meeker family splitting apart. It also has clashes of generations. Most of all it has principle's vs reality. War can affect the people fighting and the people that aren't. When the story begins, Sam is coming back from home with some news. He chose to join the war for freedom, but father disagrees.” In my house I will decide what constitutes treason. What have they been teaching you in college?” father said angrily (Collier & Collier). Then Sam took a big risk by talking back to his dad. Mr.Meeker that he

Even if he is fighting for freedom deep down he really doesn't want to get killed. Fighting for freedom won't always endup the way he wants it to. “By January of 1776 food was getting to be a real problem for us too” (Collier & Collier).The tavern business is running slow, and there is less food for family and friends. Tim thinks war isn't bad but really his most loved ones are gone because of it. Sam, father, his friend Jerry and Ned die from one cause, war. Everyone of them die from the British except for Sam. He dies for stealing his own cattle.” He went on jerking with flames on his chest until another soldier shot him again. Then he stopped jerking” (Collier & Collier). On the trip to Verplancks point Tim and his father run into some cowboys. Father tells Tim to go to the trees and everything will be ok. At the end the cowboys take father away and Tim is all alone. He thought they could have a fun time taking the cattle but really at the end he has to go back to the tavern by himself. He runs into cowboys but tricks them that there is something coming there way. Tim and mother think that father is going to come back and it is just going to be like always but then they figure out he died from a disease on a British prison