Summary Of My Brother Sam Is Dead

The Reality of War

War will divide and kill members of a family, as a result of their difference in opinions. In My Brother Sam Is Dead, by James and Christopher Collier, Tim is a victim of this devastating fate. Tim’s father, Life, is loyal to the king because he is scared of losing his family and business. Sam opposes Life because he is a stubborn Patriot, yearning for freedom from the king and his taxes; Sam also yearns for the freedom to speak his opinion, choose his religion, and assemble when he wishes. Tim is in between their fighting confounded on which side to choose, which leads to his final decision. Tim’s ultimate decision is neutrality, due to the ironically tragic deaths of loved ones such as his best friend Jerry, his father

He died of Cholera after catching the sickness from another prisoner, then his body was dropped into the ocean with weights so his mother could not bury him. Jerry was innocently captured after Redding was attacked by British soldiers: “‘They let most of us go. They only kept three.’ ‘Is Jerry Sanford all right, sir?’ He shook his head. ‘They kept him. Don’t ask me why they kept a boy’” (148). By taking a child, the soldiers show fear and power to the Patriots. The irony is that the British would take a young boy instead of the adults that could fight in the war. Tim realizes that the Lobsterbacks will do whatever it takes to win the war, even if it comes to killing children instead of adults that will affect the result of the war. This showed Tim how war carelessly throws away lives just to show dominance, leading him to neutrality. Jerry was Tim’s best friend they would go fishing and hang out together when Tim heard Jerry had died he was devastated. Imagine your best friend, that you always hang out with, just one day disappears, that is what Tim is feeling after Jerry’s death. It was especially devastating that he was killed for such a horrible reason keeping him away from the Loyalist