Loyalists And Patriots In My Brother Sam Is Dead

The American Revolution was a war based off principles, and fought by both Loyalists and Patriots. The Loyalists believed that without the kings rule they would lose their fortune, be in chaos, and mob rule; however some were just against the brutality of war. Now the Patriots were complete opposites, patriots believed in principles, freedom;to be free from taxes, the king, the tranny they faced under the rule of the king, to be able to speak when and where you want, and to practice the religion they believe in; but who was actually right the Patriots or the Loyalists. In the novel, My Brother Sam is Dead a family struggles with the decision of being Loyalists or Patriots. War is negative because of the injustice of Life, Jerry, and Sam’s death, all of which convince Tim to become neutral. First Life’s death causes Tim’s neutrality. For instance, Tim discovers that his father is taken by the cowboys on their way

The reason Sam was executed, stealing his own cattle, was unjustified and unfair. Tim explains, “They were so close the gun muzzles were almost touching Sam’s clothes…. He wasn’t dead yet.He lay there shaking and thrashing about, his knees jerking up and down. They had shot him from so close that his clothes were on fire. He went on jerking with flames on his chest until another soldier shot him again. Then he stopped jerking.”(208). Tim would expect Sam to die by the British, a heroism, brave, courage filled death on the battlefield, but the irony is that in reality he dies a dishonorable death by his own side just like his father. Tim was very upset since Sam, who was innocent, was accused of stealing his own cattle; the generals did not believe Tim’s many proclaims of the truth, war just isn’t fair. Tim now has his final decision of staying neutral for war and has come to these conclusions of war, war isn’t always glorious, it is in fact brutal, senseless, and tears and demolishes