My Brother Sam Is Dead short answers

1) Why did Mrs. Meeker want Sam to quit the war and come home?
Mrs. Meeker feels that he owes it to them. Mrs.Meeker also thinks that he still is only a boy and shouldn’t be out playing soldier, as does everyone else in the family. It’s too dangerous for him to be out there in the midst of war possibly getting shot or killed during the process. Also with father gone they need more help around the tavern and milking Old Pru and such. He needs to mature and help his mother around the house until father returns, if he does.

2) Explain Tim’s statement “I still hadn’t figured out what he was fighting for. It seemed to me that we’d been free all along.”
He means that he doesn’t get why Sam fought. To Tim it seems that they were free all along from the British, even though times were hard, the British never really deprived them of freedom, such as free to warship, going to church, leave the town if a civilian needed to run errands, they could go to court if a conflict happened between a person and someone else, and govern themselves.

3) How did Tim’s experience on the road change him?
Tim matured after their experience on the road. Since his father was captured, he reaalized that he should be helping mother with chores and the Tavern if they would survive. With father being captured and Sam out with the soldiers, he was the only one who was left to help mother and keep them from losing bussiness at the tavern and staying alive.

4) What did Tim think Captain Betts, Mr. Rodgers and Jerry Sanford should have been doing instead of just sitting at home?
Tim thought that they should have been up and getting out of the house or hiding.

5) How did deprecation affect the Meekers?
It ended up in Sam losing his life. Failing to save him by writing a letter to the General and making a case to the court wasn't enough. The General and the jury just belittled them and acted as if Sam didn't matter. With his loss, the only male left in the family was Tim. Tim no longer had a big brother and mother no longer had a second son.

6) Explain why Tim said “I didn’t feel much like being Tory anymore”
After seeing the British kill a hand full of local civilians that resided in Redding, and watching Ned get his head chopped off, he didn’t want to support the King any more, even his stomach agreed by making him purge due to the horrendous sight. Why should he support them? Such cold hearted people killing others for the sake of the King and Britain. Being soldiers though they have been in war and battles, so seeing people die by their weapons is something they are used to and don't care about those who die.

7) How did Tim react to seeing men killed by the British soldiers? What could he have done about it?
Tim was ultimately horrified by the sight, crying and sweating. His brain could not believe what he was seeing, and neither did his stomach, considering it lurched and instantly puke was covering his torso. There wasn't anything he could have done that wouldn’t result in him being shot at the worst. Tim could have gotten help, but he wouldn't get back in time to save Ned an african-american slave owned by He could have asked them to stop but the King would not want a type of soldier who will not carry out with his orders not matter what the cost.

8) Many families in the colonies remained loyal to the king in spite of bad treatment by the soldiers. Pretend that you live in Redding Connecticut in 1776 decide which side you would be and why?
If I had a family in Redding, I would most likely stay loyal as well, despite the fact that I believe the British should not control us. You have to take things into consideration though. I would carefully think through it all and make a decision based on the consequences. I would be Tory because rebelling would be very dangerous if you have a family to care for in the midst of a war. Seriously, if you have a family you don’t want to go around starting trouble. For example Sam, he needed his father’s gun to go to war. In doing such a thing, it had it’s consequences for his father and the family. Father was nearly shot and his mother was scared to death by the soldiers who came to get the gun from the family.
Sometimes being a rebel isn’t the best thing to do. I don’t like fighting and war, but I do believe that everyone should be free from the British rule, I wouldn’t go around making scenes and rebelling for the heck of it. Now you have to think about what effect it would have on your family. If you were a rebel, it might bring some trouble to your family, depending on how you act. For example, If your ill mannered and brash, I’m pretty sure that if there were Tories talking about the rebels that you may be tempted to go and prove your point that everyone should want to be free from the British. Starting trouble would only succeed in getting your family killed or other wise. Sometimes it’s best to keep your mouth shut, especially in a war with troops marching around as if they owned Redding.


9) Write a letter to the general asking for the charges to be dropped/ dismissed against Sam.
Dear General,
I apologize for wasting your time, but I must bring up a very important issue and discuss it with you. I understand that the charges on Sam are strict and will most likely follow through, but I want to ask that you have mercy on him. I understand that you need an example to show the soldiers how strict you are but he is my brother and very important to our family. He didn't steal th We need him to help us through the hard times. Please don’t follow through with the charges I beg of you. cows though. Two men attempted to steal them, and Sam tried to stop them, but they fled, leaving Sam in a very terrible position, making it look like he killed the cows. I also need to bring this up, why would he take cows from his own family? It's simply stupid and idiotic. That's like taking your own toy and calling it theft.

10) Suppose that Tim has learned that Jerry Sanford is in a British prison. Write a letter as if you were Tim to Jerry while Jerry waits in prison.
Dear Jerry Sanford,
I know you’re not alright, so I won’t ask you how you’ve been. What is it like there? Do the soldiers treat you coldly? Have you eaten? Are there any other people there? I’m sorry for asking so many questions. I don’t mean to, I’m just curious. Not that I want to know what it feels like in prison. Mother says God bless you and she hopes you get out soon. I wish there were something I could do for you without being killed. I pray that the war will end soon and you will be alright. Until then, good bye.