My Brother Sam Is Dead Essay

Reflections of War in My Brother Sam is Dead

“War is the greatest plague that can affect humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.”(Martin Luther King Jr.) this is the opinion of the authors My Brother Sam is Dead. They show a family and the town torn and teared apart by the spirit of war and revolution. We see generations of people fighting against each other who once great friends but now fierce enemies. we see principle of basic liberties and freedom but the reality of bloody brutal war. Collier ultimately argues a strong point, war is futile.

Families and towns are torn apart by war by betraying each other. In My Brother Sam is Dead the town is split in half originally

by two religions but now it is split by Tories and Rebels. “Redding was divided into two parts—Redding Center and Redding Ridge … Our Church in Redding Ridge was the Anglican Church. "Anglican" meant English Church. … Over at Redding Center there was a Presbyterian Church; naturally, if you were a Presbyterian, you built your house over there and if you were an Anglican, you built here on the Ridge … Because our church was the England Church, the people here on the Ridge seemed to be more on the Tory side and wanted to be loyal to the King.” (Collier and Collier 24-25)This small town was affected by the revolution, its community, its safety, the families supporting each other all disappeared in a small spark of war, a snap of the finger, as quick as a wink. The community ruined barely surviving by single isolated families soon to be torn apart by war. As this continues town by town, county by county, state by state and finally the whole english colony people fighting choosing sides is slowly crumpling and taking its tool on the economy. As it took a tool on the economy people began to starve. “Hunger is a pretty horrible thing. It’s like going all day with a nail in your shoe.You try to put it out of your mind but you never quite forget it.(Collier and Collier 170) While family and towns are torn apart different points of view principle of liberties and freedom versus reality of bloody brutal war
War is brutal and ideals of war can be achieved with peace not war. “Principal Sam, you may no principle sam but I know war. Have you ever seen your dear friend lying in the grass with his brains sliding out like wet oats”(Collier and Collier 21) father thinks as a british citizen he is free, and the there are principles in war but in the end is it right to kill lots of people see your friend see people die.There are other ways to give a point but in war if you lose a war what point is it for dying for your country. “ Free Sam, free to do what mock your king,to shoot your neighbor, to mess up a thousand of peoples life.”(Collier and Collier 7). War even when victory is achieved what good comes out of it, bragging rights, a small pieces of land, gold. Is an one's life less than any material value, less than an animal, less than a statement or proclamation.In Collier and collier 74 it says “ war tuns men into animals” So this is what we have achived, we are pack of wild savages thisty for blood yet more complex then any sane animal. We spend our time preparing for war that is inevitable because it is like habit, an addiction like a fly attracted to a bright light. We have never fully reached peace, and we will never if we continue like this . The principle of war may be inspirational, but the reality of war no principle will ever fathom. As we see Sam and father fight over principle and reality of war we see a clash of generations with different opinions.
War causes generations to lose equity.We see to different generations quarrel over who is right like kindergarteners fighting over a toy.The younger generations convinced they are right attempt to enlist for the patriots enticed by the thought of freedom .The older generations stay steadfast and loyal to their king.

“Tim are you on father's side or sam’s”(Collier and Collier 33) Here are two generations Sam and Father, two sides patriots and loyalists, and 1 war. The predicament in this is that the war affects not only two generations but all generations. Tim is unsure what side to choose and both sides are pressuring him to choose a side. Also both generations try to pressure different generations to betray their family. Sam wants Tim to spy on people in Redding while Mr Heron wants Tim to deliver “business letters” while Sam and the Commissioner are in town. The sides will do anything at all cost to win the war and prove they are right. This is what war causes people being so caught up in being right sometimes they forget the original reason their fighting. These wars we fight are they worth it for all generations , do they help future generations advance in knowledge, does us make us happier. wars was never good for any generation especially when they

fight.
War is futile. Three simple words that mean so much, one phrase that perfectly describe war to the authors. What has war done to help us,that is worth all the deaths, what good is it to die for your country if you lose and your death is in vain. It tears apart families without regard for the people who effects. It haves us so focused on the principle that we never realize we are dreaming about war being easy and twisting the reality.It tears generations acroos like a chasm seperating to sides. when I think of war I think of death, but when I think of peace I think of life, and life, yes life is good.