Coming Of Age Analysis

Tim matured from a boy to a man by the end of the book My Brother Sam Is Dead. In the beginning, Tim adores Sam and wants to do everything he does. When Sam goes to war, Tim starts to learn how to more independent and how to do stuff without complaining. At the end, Tim has finally grown up and has a better understanding of the world.Throughout the book, Coller and Coller show us how Tim grows from the dependent boy he once was and how he turns into a independent young

Background - Historical Context: Some people believed that wars are worth the cost but is the

He lived in a “simple minded patriotic” town, even though Tim never conversed with most of them; he held them, their “prideful ignorance” and their “acquiescence” personality accountable for his decision to uphold the honour society has instilled within him. This is evident when he states “ I feared the law.I feared ridicule and censure.” (page 5). Which reveals he fears being mocked for being a patriotic disgrace, “Traitor! They yelled.” (page 15) and the need to live up to expectations so he doesn’t lose the respect of his parents, “I feared losing the respect of my parents.” (page 5). The thought of losing his honour made Tim recognized that he could no longer run away from his situation, instead he must restore the honour he tarnished. This is evident when he claims “ And what was so sad, I realized was that Canada had become a pitiful fantasy.” (page 14) and “I gripped the edge of the boat and leaned forward and thought. Now. I did try.It just wasn’t possible.” (page 15). These examples exposes the idea that Tim was unable to disappear from his current dilemma and they only way for him solve this problem; was to reestablish his image. Even if deep down he knew that this wasn’t the right choice, he could not live with the

“They carried all the emotional baggage of men who might die. Grief, terror, love, longing--these were intangibles, but the intangibles had their own mass and specific gravity, they had tangible weight. They carried shameful memories. They carried the common secret of cowardice.... Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to.”

In addition, Tim is torn between both sides. He asks why Sam has to be not nice to Father and tells him that he had it nice; he had money for books and studies that Father sent him. He asks, “Listen, Sam, why do you always have to get into a fight with Father?” (Collier and Collier, 15). According to later chapters Tim looks up to both his father and brother. The split between father and brother causes his dilemma. After being torn between sides and fighting about the sides, it is evident that war tears families apart.

Chapter one, Dying, explained the process of an individual soldier’s death and “the concept of the Good Death.” Following, the second Chapter, Killing, talks about the force of the war on the people who were involved and the how “killing was a battle’s fundamental instrument and purpose.” In Chapters three and four, Burying and Naming, the challenges of establishing names of the dead and giving them an adequate burial is debated. The question, “What should be done with the body,”

Tim had to get everything home safely and was forced to take over all of his father's duties. By this time many soldiers had come through Redding and killed many people, mostly friends. It was very hard for Tim and his mother to keep the tavern and chores up by themselves. Sam ended up being wintered in a town close to Redding and his mother begged him to come home but he insisted on staying in the military and fighting for freedom.

“When a man died, there had to be blame. Jimmy Cross understood this. You could blame the war. You could blame the idiots who made the war. You could blame Kiowa for going to it. You could blame the rain. You could blame the river. You could blame the field, the mud, the climate. You could blame the enemy. You could blame the mortar rounds. You could blame people who were too lazy to read newspaper, who were bored by the daily counts, who switched channels at the mention of politics. You could blame whole nations. You could blame God. You could blame the munitions makers or Karl Marx or a trick of

War can be a stressful time for people and families everywhere. At the current time in the book, world war II is happening. Gene and his friends learn about what is going on across the world. All the lives losses and all the tragedies. Its a difficult time to be a child. In times like that, the kids have to grow up and act serious. Gene and his friends mature quickly and want to help out in the war. Kids are maturing quickly in order to help the country.

My Brother Sam is Dead tells the story of 14 year old Tim Meeker in the time of the American Revolutionary War. It mainly speaks of social, financial, and emotional pressures of the rebel families, including his own. Not only is this a thrilling narrative, but it is also educational and leads one ask questions about international opinions, national economics, and historical events connected to the book. The son of a couple that lives in Redding, Connecticut, commonly known as a “Tory” town, Tim Meeker helps his parents operate the tavern they own and, like any younger brother, looks up to his older brother, Sam.

   "Dear Mom and Dad: The war that has taken my life, and many thousands of others before me, is immoral, unlawful, and an atrocity," (letter of anonymous soldier qtd. In Fussell 653).

First and foremost Tim was drafted into the war on June 17, 1968, according to page 39. Tim was a smart kid and he hated being drafted into the war. He had so many accomplishments so he assumed that it was a “foul up in paperwork.” On page 42 he believed “that military forces should only be used to stop a Hitler.” To Tim, this war was pointless and he

“War is evil, and it is often the lesser evil. Those who take the sword, perish by the sword, and those who don’t take the sword perish by smelly diseases.”

“The Tragedy of war is that it uses man’s best to do man’s worst” wise words from Henry Fosdick. When it comes down to the time where an individual hits rock bottom, a man either do its best or do its worst. Although, Man can do its best and do its worst at the same time. There are many reasons how man’s best can result to man’s worst. Henry Fosdick statement is both true and false.

The cry for power and the hidden war that results turns friends against each other, and makes the wise ignorant; thus, one must be careful to avoid greed, to fight for a righteous cause, so that even upon death, one dies