My Brother Sam is Deadby James and Christopher Collier

The Meeker family’s struggle during the Revolutionary War

17751775Redding, ConnecticutRedding, Connecticut

Cast of Characters:

Sam, Tim, “Life,” and Sam, Tim, “Life,” and Susannah MeekerSusannah Meeker

Betsy ReadBetsy Read

General PutnamGeneral Putnam

James and Christopher Collier

• Brothers who grew up in the Depression era Brothers who grew up in the Depression era and faced hard times.and faced hard times.

• James took on odd jobs to support himself James took on odd jobs to support himself and changed from magazine writing to and changed from magazine writing to young adult writingyoung adult writing

• Christopher became a history professor and Christopher became a history professor and specializes in writings about the specializes in writings about the Revolutionary WarRevolutionary War

Sam Meeker

•16 year-old who serves in Capt. Benedict Arnold’s Second Foot Guard (Patriot)

•Attends Yale college

Tim Meeker

•Three years younger

•Torn between devotion to his brother and his father

•Left to maintain the tavern

Eliphalet “Life” Meeker

•Village tavern keeper

•Opposes war and is loyal to Britain

•Sam joins the Patriots to fight the British control of the colonies.

•Life opposes his service; he is against war and supports allegiance to Britain.

•Tim struggles with the absence of Sam, the change in Redding as the war comes closer to home, the disappearance of his father, and the job of maintaining the tavern in war times.

Plot

Themes• Struggles between parents and children

• What is a hero?

• How does one deal with loss?

• Learning to trust

• Adapting to war

• Dealing with guilt

Impacts of the Revolutionary War in 1775

•Physical

•Mental

•Emotional

•Death

•War and Commerce

•Justification of laws and punishments

Ties to Present Time

The impact of war on everyday life

• The Meeker tavern struggles with insufficient supplies • Today, portions of taxes for social services are directed to

support war• Communities may be affected when citizens are called to

service.• The Meeker family faces separation, while today’s

families are faced with members serving overseas.• Soldiers then and now come back with injuries and post-

traumatic symptoms.

Ties to Present Time

Conflicts in choosing sides• Tim struggles with his desire to defend his brother in his

trial, knowing that his family’s Tory views could cause the officials to disbelieve him.

• Today, there are soldiers who have families that do not support the war cause.

• Fear of the soldiers as they arrive in Redding - how will they treat the community?

• Today, citizens may be fearful if they do not support the war when politicians call for support.

Ties to Present Time

Senselessness and violence of war• Sam and Tim’s father,“Life,” dies at the hands of the

British• Sam suffers from fighting, living without food and

supplies, and seeing his comrades killed in action• Ned is beheaded in front of Tim• Today, we see entire communities destroyed by bombings• Soldiers may not return home alive, or may return disabled• Prisoner mistreatment on both sides of the conflict• When is war justifiable?• Violence and fear of terrorism today