How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
I couldn't take my eyes off him; he looked so brave. He was wearing a scarlet coat with silver buttons and a white vest and black leggings halfway up to his knees. Oh, I envied him. (1.7)
Tim thinks his brother Sam looks sharp in his new soldier get-up. In fact, Tim sure does pay a lot of attention to what his brother is wearing. Do you think these clothes are what make Sam look brave? Or is he actually brave on the inside? Or is it both?
Quote #2
"Captain Arnold says it's all right to be scared; the true brave man is always scared. At least that's what the sergeant said he said." (1.103)
Sam is probably scared about fighting in a war. Good thing his Captain thinks being scared is a part of being brave. What do you think about this statement? You could argue that being scared is the opposite of being brave, right? So why do you think being a brave person might also mean being a bit of a scaredy-cat?
Quote #3
"I think you're a coward," I said. I didn't really think that—anybody who joined the army to fight couldn't be a coward, but I was still angry at him.
"No, I'm not," he said.
To tell the truth, it was me who was being the coward. Now that I'd got calmed down a little, I was afraid of what I might find when I went home. (4.62-64)
What does it mean to be a coward? Does it mean being scared? Or is it something more? For Tim, being a coward means being too afraid to take action. Well, he may be scared right now, but keep an eye out for how Tim proves himself to be a seriously brave guy by the end of the book.
Quote #4
He seemed so brave and grown-up, and I wished that I could be brave and grown-up like him, too. (5.7)
This quote makes us think of the first time Tim sees Sam in his uniform. He uses the word "brave" to describe his brother there, too. What do you think makes Sam brave? And how does Tim try to be brave like his big bro?
Quote #5
Why should he have all the glory? Why shouldn't I have some, too? I wanted him to respect me and be proud of me and not think of me as just his little brother anymore. I couldn't score telling points in debates the way he did, but I could be just as brave as he was and do daring things, too. (5.54)
For Tim, sometimes being brave is about being "daring." What do you think of this definition? Is bravery about doing "daring things" like Tim says? And what types of "daring things" does Tim do to make himself brave anyway?
Quote #6
I could see him gesturing—pointing up the road and then out to me as he explained something to the men. I wondered if he was scared. He seemed so calm and cool with the cow-boys, but I wondered if down underneath he was really scared. I knew I was scared. (7.61)
Sometimes being brave means pretending you're not scared. Tim realizes that even though his father doesn't look scared, he might still be afraid inside. And you know what? It sounds like he admires his papa for keeping it cool.
Quote #7
But if the cow-boys saw me running, they could easily catch me in the open fields, and ride me down if they wanted. I didn't know if I was brave enough to take the chance. The cow-boys were still looking down at Father. I turned and began to run across the field. (7.64)
Tim may not know how brave he is, but his actions sure do say a lot. He takes a chance and starts running for help, even though he knows he could get caught by the cowboys. Now that's some serious bravery.
Quote #8
I was scared, that was the truth. It felt so lonely to be by myself with Father gone and maybe dead and nobody but myself to do—to do whatever had to be done. I was too scared even to cry; I just felt frozen and unable to move or think of what I should do next. But finally I told myself that I had to stop being scared, I had to stop just standing there in the middle of the road. To get myself shaken awake I jumped up and down a few times and clapped my hands. That unfroze me a little and I began to think. (9.19-20).
Tim kicks himself from fear into action. Take a look at what he does to get rid of his nervousness. Some hopping around and clapping his hands does the trick. Now that's what we call courage.
Quote #9
I was thinking about the wine when I saw the cow-boys. They were sitting on horseback in the middle of the road about twenty yards ahead of me—three black figures stock still in the night. The sight of those unmoving figures shocked me, and I almost ran. But I didn't. Instead I slapped the oxen on their rumps as if I hadn't any worries about who was standing in the middle of the road. (9.28)
It's a good thing Sam knows how to keep his cool like his dad. These cowboys are seriously scary. Tim knows they've probably taken his dad and now he has to face them alone. We don't blame him for wanting to run, but we definitely give him credit for sticking it out.
Quote #10
Colonel Read shook his head sadly. "I know, Tim," he said. "I know. War is never fair. Who chooses which men get killed and which ones don't?" He touched my shoulder. "You have to accept it now. Be brave, and help your mother to bear up. She needs somebody now."
But I didn't feel brave nor like bearing up. All I felt was angry and bitter and ready to kill somebody. (14.3-4)
Tim is really upset that Sam is going to be killed. So much so, in fact, that he talks to General Putnam and tries to rescue Sam in the middle of the night. Poor Tim has wanted to be brave his whole life, and now that he finally is, all he feels is anger.