How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
When I woke up somebody was shouting. I sat up in bed. It was Father. I couldn't hear the words, but I could hear the sound—his heavy, hard voice going on and on. Then there was Sam's voice and he was shouting, too, and then Father again. (1.140)
Tim's family is in for a rough ride. One of the first interactions we see between Sam and his dad is this gigantic fight about Sam joining the Continental Army. All this shouting doesn't bode well for Sam's relationship with his Pops.
Quote #2
Then Betsy Read said, "Timmy are you on your father's side or Sam's?"
I wished she hadn't asked me that question. I didn't want to answer it; in fact, I didn't know how to answer it. "I don't understand what it's all about," I said.
"It's simple," Sam said. "Either we're going to be free or we're not."
Betsy touched his arm. "It isn't that simple, Sam. There's more to it." (2.40-43)
Tim really doesn't want to have to choose between his dad and his bro, and we can't blame him. This choice is extra tough for Tim because his family is now mixed up in politics. Keep an eye out for how Tim grapples with this choice throughout the novel.
Quote #3
I still hadn't made up my mind which side I was on in the war, and I didn't care whether Sam was a Patriot or a Tory or what. All I could think about was snuggling up to him and listening to him talk about scoring telling points. (3.21)
War doesn't matter to Tim when his brother is concerned. In fact, he'll happily chuck this whole war business out the window if it means he can have his big bro back, safe and sound. We can't lie, that's some seriously sweet stuff.
Quote #4
He started to step toward me. "Stand back, Sam, or I'll shoot you in the stomach." Suddenly I began to cry, not just little tears but big sobs all mixed up with trying to get my breath. I felt ashamed of crying in front of Sam, and embarrassed, but it was all so terrible I couldn't stop. (4.32)
Um, did Tim just pull a gun on his brother? Yep, this war is definitely making for some strained familial relationships. What do you think of this interaction? Why does Tim threaten his brother? And what do you make of Tim's tears?
Quote #5
I remember being little and watching Sam milk Old Pru and admiring him and thinking how clever he was. And then it got to be my turn to learn how to milk Old Pru, and I found out that there wasn't any glory to it; it was just hard work and made your hands ache. So I guess that being a soldier probably didn't have much glory to it, either, that it was mostly just a lot of hard work. But still, I envied Sam, and I wished I were old enough to do something glorious, too. (5.7)
Tim just loves his older brother. Check out how much he admires Sam. It doesn't matter if Sam is milking a cow or serving as a soldier, Tim wants to be just like his big bro.
Quote #6
Mother and Father had a fight over the letters. When the first one came Mother decided to answer it. Father said no, she shouldn't encourage Sam in his recalcitrance. Mother argued with him, but he wouldn't give in: let Sam feel our disapproval until he comes his senses. (7.5)
Sam's decision to join the war has his parents all riled up. And did you notice that the Meeker family disagreements are getting bigger all the time? Now Mama Meeker is fighting, too. We don't like where this is headed.
Quote #7
We didn't say anything for a while. "If you go to be a soldier, which side would you fight on?" "The loyalist, I guess." But in my head I wasn't sure about that. Suppose one day we were fighting and I suddenly saw that it was Sam I was aiming my gun at? (8.27-28)
Tim still doesn't know whether he should be on his dad's side or his brother's. And we can definitely understand his predicament. Pointing a gun at a sibling just isn't cool. But here's the crazy thing: Tim already has aimed his gun at Sam before. Remember back in Chapter 4 when Tim was trying to bring the Brown Bess back to their dad? He threatened his brother with a gun back then. This experience makes the idea of Tim "aiming my gun at" Sam all too real.
Quote #8
And then Sam was coming up the aisle toward me. He looked older and raggedy too, and he hadn't shaved, either. He got to the door. For a moment we stared at each other. And then he put his arms around me and hugged me, and I hugged him back. "Timmy," he said. I couldn't say anything. It felt so good to hug him I began to cry. Then he began to cry, too, and we stood there in the church door hugging each other and crying all over ourselves. (11.63)
And the award for sweetest scene of brotherly love goes to… Tim and Sam! These brothers have their disagreements, there's no doubt about it. But when it comes down to it, they sure do love each other.
Quote #9
"Don't think I was happy about leaving. I felt terrible. I remember running down that road in the rain being mad and cursing him for what he did. But all the while I was cursing I kept remembering things like our trips over to Verplancks Point, and him taking me down to New Haven to get admitted to Yale, and buying me new clothes there, and everything else, and finally I stopped cursing and I just felt terrible and wished we hadn't fought. But it was too late." (11.90)
Sam hates the way he and his dad fought. Take a look at all the memories Sam has with his Pops. It sounds like they had a good relationship before the war got in the way. What do you think of Sam's statement that "it was too late"? Do you agree with him? Or was there a way for him to patch things up with his dad?