Alexandra

Hi! I'm Alexandra. "My Brother Sam is Dead" is a great book so far. I have a feeling of sorrow in this book. I feel sorry for Sam and the relationship he has between him and his father. People aren't tugging my heartstrings in the book so far. Maybe when I am farther into the book. I would have to agree with Sam because Sam is a patriot and he is fighting for freedom but his father wants to keep the rules the same. Even though Sam could get hurt in battle, he is still fighting with his pride and his bravery. Those are my feelings and opinions on the book of what I have read. Hopefully you are enjoying the book. Can't want to talk to you again!

Mr. Meeker's comment is not just an arguement against fighting England. It is a comment of war in general by
explaining that you can never fix the problem you are facing by fighting in battles or war. You settle it without
the violence and in that way nobody will get hurt. Physically or emotionally. Mr. Meeker does not want his son out fighting
due to his selfish personality but he does not want his son fighting because he thinks its wrong and his son could face
the hardships and the wounds. Mr. Meeker thinks war is never right and it is never the answer. Yet Sam is trying to convince his father
that sometimes you need to fight. For freedom or for anything in general. That is how Mr. Meeker's comment is not just about the war
in England. It is about war in general.

[in reply to Nicole from Bayhead] Good point. I don't think Tim should choose a side. Maybe staying neutrel will help.
I am going to start reading chapter 3 to see what happens. I don't think any parent would let their child go to war but with Sam,
I guess he would be unstoppable. Unless Mr. Meeker finds a way to become more positive and have a nicer attitude towards
Tim. Well I guess we will have to see.
-Alex

Chapter 3:
If I were in Tim's place, I would decide to tell father about Sam coming back to Redding. I would tell father because
he would want to know because Mr. Meeker does care about Sam. He cares about all Sam does and how he handles his life. So even though
Tim did promise Betsy to not tell, it would be the right thing to tell. That is my reasoning if I were in Tim's place.

Betsy's role so far in this story is to play almost as a spy. She helps Sam out with his hiding out and his secrets. She also
is a help to Tim aswell by telling him everything about Sam. Where he is and how he is doing. My opinion on her is that she is a very open
woman. She has a nice personality but deep down, she wants freedom and she wants to be a rebel. Thats my opinion on her.

Chapter 4:
My emotions on this chapter are really shown due to the action and the conflict that takes place. Honestly I think Sam is being a bit selfish.
Yet when Tim tries to explain to Sam why he needs the gun, Sam refuses to give it up all because hes scared he would get hung by being caught without a weapon.
Tim wanted to save his father, because his father was threatened if he didn't give up the brown bess.
Tim knew where it was. It was with Sam. Even though his father could be killed, Sam still wants the gun. This chapter is a little intense too. A lot of action takes place and some fights come up between Sam and his brother.
Hard decisions had to be made by Tim and he had to deal with his brother and all he is going through. So some conflict occurs between them two. That how I feel in this chapter.
Very excited to see what happens in chapter 5!

What was going through my mind and heart when the officers were 'interacting' with Mr.Meeker was that Mr.Meeker was an innocent person
and I felt sorry for him. His son had taken the gun and Mr.Meeker was telling the truth. It was a very intense scene but I did have some sorrow
being felt. I would of done the same if I were Tim. The gun was needed and his father didn't have it so Tim had to go get it. It would of been the right thing to do.
I felt as if Sam was being stubborn and very rude. His father needed the gun yet he still took it back in a selfish way. It was not right.

What I think Father's words would of been if Sam had come back would of been "Thank you." because father was begging for his son to stay and maybe if Sam were considerate,
he would of stayed for his father's sake. So it would of been polite to atleast say "thank you".

Tim calls Sam a coward because Sam wouldnt admit that family was more important then friends and that family should come first.
Sam wanted to have the look of a tough soldier but he really couldnt fight. He had a brave attitude but he couldnt prove that he could fight.
I do think Sam is a coward because of the way his behavior is. He hasn't proven the real him and if he really is tough. So when he does later in the book,
I will call him a brave soldier.

Chapter 5:
The thing that happened that made Tim's feeling's change is that he started to realize the war seemed unreal. He always thought that it was something
to choose a side from. Now he thinks that war has nothing to do with him and is going on in a completely different country. Since he rarely see's his brother its like
his brother is in a completely different place. Thats what made his feelings change

This is true in the poem and by Tim by Tim finding out how war really does interrfear with other people's lives.
Even though they aren't involved, someone they know can be and they can shed blood from fighting and now this affects the person
on the inside. That is how it is true.

My opinion of Mr. Heron in the chapter is that he is very michevious. His actions make him polite man yet his plans for others
make people suspicious. There is probably a reason why Mr. Meeker wont let Tim do the duty that Mr. Heron asked. So Mr. Heron has a very
intresting personality and a very "different" guy.

My opinion on Tim's actions in this chapter is that he went against his father and his father was tring to protect him.
Tim should of listened and not lied to his dad. Maybe things would of been a lot safer and not as guilty feeling.

I do not trust Mr. Heron. He may have a polite attitude but his behavior is just out of control. He uses people
for the war and to help him. Also with his michevious ways, he would be lying. About most of the things he tells Tim.
So he might not be the most trusted character in the book so far.

My reaction between Betsy and Tim is that Betsy is really trying to help Tim along with Mr.Meeker. She is a strong person
and what she believes in is her deep belief. Her actions are tense but she is just trying to help her side of the war. Maybe some people
in the book have yet to see that.

The war is affecting Tim's family by tearing them apart. Sam is fighting in the war and it is causing more tension between father and another character.
Now some people are looking at Mr. Meeker in a different way because of his thoughts on his son and the war. So it really does affect this family in diverse ways.

The war in the Middle-East is affecting my family economically. The war has a huge impact on my family and it really pushes us.
None of my family members are happy about the war yet we can't stop it. It really is drawing an emotional affect to us and hopefully
this war can eventually end. Just so my family wont be in such economic stress.

My emotional reaction to this chapter is kind of heartbreaking. Tim witnesses his father be beaten down
are making him under pressure and unsure of whats going on. So it is very heartbreaking to see what Tim has to go through
during this war going on.
by some cow-boys. Even though he does get back up, it still has a sad visual to it. The fights between Tim's parents

What Tim really thinks about the war is that it is not really happening. His thoughts make him believe that the war
is not going on or its just going on in a far away place without involvement of him. So his thoughts on the war is that
it doesn't affect him physically. Once somebody mentions it, it emotionally affects him and makes him think really hard about it.

Tim hasn't really come up with a solid answer about the side he is on. When people ask him, he just says "Loyalist". Yet he is
still unsure. He ofcourse wants to support his brother Sam but he doesn't want to disobey his father who is a loyalist. His situation
is a though one to crack. So maybe later in the book he will finally make up his mind.

My emotional reaction to this chapter is a happy feeling. Now Tim and his father get more time together. Even though
they have some disagreements, it still makes them closer. Tim starts to talk a bit more to his father and his father
keeps an honest answer when he talks to his son. Though their hardships with the weather may have affected them,
they still help eachother and pull through. So thats my emotional feeling.

What I think happened to Mr.Meeker is that he rode off to find someone to help his son. So Mr. Meeker just
left his son to go find someone to help with anything. Mr. Meeker should be safe and I don't think the "cow-boys"
could of captured him.

The impact Tim would have is anger. He left his son and Tim was confused and lonely. So once Mr. Meeker came back,
Tim would be furious for not telling him where he was or what happened. This emotion might lead up to some later conflict
in the story.

My emotional reaction to this chapter is a bit of suspense. Nobody really knows what happened to Mr. Meeker, and the
cow-boys that came to Tim made me confused of what they would do and why they just left. So I am anxious to see what happens
in chapter 10 because maybe the secrets will be revealed.

Tim's statement means that he is not sure what his brother really is fighting for. He feels as if the war stopped
and has never intruded his life. Tim just has the feeling of being free because this war hasn't affected him. He feels
there is no purpose to this war and everyone should just live normally and live free with no rules. That is what
Tim's statement means.

What Tim means by "something big" is the war. Sam likes fighting and he thinks its the biggest duty he could
ever accomplish. Tim knew this because he knows his brother and since Sam is a part of something he wants, he will refuse
to leave. The war is a big deal and Sam is glad he is a part of it. That is what Tim means by "something big".

My emotional reaction to this chapter is relieved and shocked. Shocked that Mr.Meeker is probably dead and
relieved that Sam is still alive. Mrs. Meeker now is more protective of Tim and Sam is caring for
him mother and brother. That is my emotional reaction.

The statement means the people who were fighting in war, fought so hard and went through all the harships, that when they die it
pays off. It pays off because now they don't have to worry about anything and they just know they lived with pride. They are in a better place
so its all worth it. That is what that statement means. My emotional reaction is suspense. I want to know what happens
to Tim and Sam. Also I feel sorry for the Meeker family. Sam is getting beat up, and Tim and his mother have to try and manage the
tavern by themselves in that hard time with no food. Also Mr.Meeker is gone so they are even more at stake. That is my emotional reaction.

The words "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" have inspired Sam by motivating him to fight for freedom and for natural rights
and to fight for the patriots. Liberty is a right all people have and Sam knew that. So those words might help him fight
for what he deserves or he gets death. That is how the statement said by Patrick Henry probably inspired Sam.
My emotional reaction is sad and angry. Sad about how nobody ay the encampment believes Sam and angry at the General.
That is my emotional reaction.

Patrick Henry Limerick:
Patrick Henry was against taxation.
His words “We needed representation”
So one night he took a deep breath
And hollered “Give me liberty or Give me death!”
Then he motivated the whole nation!

The irony of Sam's exucation was that all the time he was fighting, he thought it would of been done by the British. Yet it was done by
the Patriots. Also Sam kept saying that is he does anything wrong, he would of been hung and he was shot. That was the irony. This irony is similar
to Mr.Meeker's death by Mr.Meeker being captured, not seen for a while, then died from the British. So both Sam, and his father were
killed during the war.

My emotional reaction to this chapter was that I was sad. It was sad to listen to Tim talk about his brother and how much
he strived to save him. This chapter showed the bravery of Tim and the courage of his mother. It really symbolized
that even though they physically couldn't fight, they fought emotionally through the battle. That as my emotional
reaction from this chapter.

Epilogue.
My reaction to that statement is to believe Tim after saying that. After what he went through and how the war neve affected him,
the war has traumatized him to believe that. I agree with what he was saying and if I were in his position I would think that aswell.
I do not think the United States would become a nation because without war, the British would think that we have no bravery to stand up for rights
and we do. We did eventually show it and we finally became a free nation. Without war, we wouldn't be where we are today.

My opinion of the novel was that it was very intresting. Just reading the history books makes us believe what really happened the simple way.
By reading the book it makes it easier to see what happened. All the food troubles and how the soldiers were trated.
That was my opinion on "My Brother Sam Is Dead".