How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Tim, did Sam say anything to you about going to the war?"
I didn't want to lie to Father, but I didn't want to give Sam away, either. "Well, he said he was, but I thought he was probably just boasting." (2.9-10)
Tim hates having to choose whether to lie to his dad or protect his brother. Let's be honest: that's a tough decision. What do you think about Tim's response to his dad? Does he lie here? Or is he telling the truth? Or is it something in between?
Quote #2
I stood there confused and mixed up inside. I didn't say anything.
"Are you going to tell?" Sam said again.
"Sam, please don't take it." I knew I was about to cry. "Please, Sam."
"I have to have it, Tim."
"Timmy," Betsy said. You don't want Sam to get killed, do you?"
"Please, Sam."
"Are you going to tell?" Sam said.
Then I couldn't hold back anymore and I began to cry. "No, I won't tell," I whispered. (2.78-85)
Sam has stolen their dad's gun, which is a serious problem. Now Tim has to lie to his dad if he asks where the gun is. And check out how upset he gets—why does this get to him so much? What's up with the tears?
Quote #3
The officer looked at Father, considering. Finally he said, "I don't believe you." He raised the sword. I gasped and the officer whipped the flat side of the blade across Father's face." (4.16)
The Rebels want Mr. Meeker's gun, and they just won't believe him that Sam has it. Doesn't it stink when you're telling the truth but no one will believe you? Well Mr. M ends up with a sword injury because of the whole thing. Watch out—looks like any suspicion of lying could mean paying a high price in colonial America.
Quote #4
"What do you mean you're not supposed to be here?"
"I'm supposed to be in Danbury buying cattle. They sent me down from Cambridge with Captain Champion, the commissary officer because I'm from around here."
"Did you run away?"
"I didn't desert, I just came home for a couple of days. Captain Champion had to go over to Waterbury for something so I decided to slip home for a day or so."
[…]
"Won't you get in trouble?"
"They won't catch me," Sam said. "[…] If they come around looking for you, one of your friends says you sprained your ankle and you're coming along behind." (4.42-45, 48-49)
Sam wanted to visit Redding (and Betsy in particular), so he took a little mini-vacation from the army. He figures it'll be okay because his fellow soldiers will lie for him. Sam doesn't think this is a big deal, but it has us thinking about the end of the book when some of the soldiers tell lies and end up getting Sam killed. Maybe lying is a bigger deal than Sam realizes.
Quote #5
"Aha," he said. "Your father changed his mind, did he?"
"Yes, sir," I said. "He said it would be all right so long as he didn't know anything about it. If I just went and didn't tell him anything, he said he wouldn't object."
Mr. Heron put his hand on my arm and gave me a little squeeze. "That's a lie, isn't it, Timothy?"
I got hot and blushed. "I guess so, sir." (6.6-9)
Liars beware: Mr. Heron is a human lie detector. He knows immediately that Tim is being deceitful. How do you think Mr. Heron can tell?
Quote #6
So that night I asked Father if I could go fishing again. And he said yes. I felt sort of bad about it; it was lying and lying was a sin, and so was going against your father. And even if it hadn't been a sin I would have felt badly about it, because Father trusted me and I was being dishonorable. (6.21)
When Tim lies to his dad, it makes him feel guilty. Of course, that guilt isn't enough to make Tim stop all this lying business. He knows what he's doing is wrong, but he's going to do it anyway.
Quote #7
"I'm going fishing," I said.
"Fishing? On the Fairfield Road?"
"There are shad in the millstream."
"Well you're going in the wrong direction," she said.
"Oh. Well I know that, I was up there already, but there weren't any shad so I'm going someplace else now." I was blushing from telling so many lies. Lying is a sin. (6.36-40)
Don't try to pull a fast one on Betsy. She can tell that Tim is lying, and she's going to catch him soon enough. Check out the way all these lies make Tim blush. What do you think about this? Is he ashamed? Embarrassed? Worried?
Quote #8
"He figured you'd be here an hour ago. That's why I was so worried. He told me not to worry, but I couldn't help it. He said that when the shooting started to fall flat and I'd be all right." I paused. "I thought there'd be more of you, though. Father said there'd be at least a half dozen men in the escort. He said just fall flat when the shooting started."
"There was silence and then one of the others said, "I don't like this. It sounds like an ambush." (9.36-37)
When Tim meets some cowboys on the road, he's prepared with a clever story. And get this: the cowboys get scared off. How 'bout them apples? Tim's father never told him to expect an escort, so Tim's story is entirely made-up. Good thing he's able to think up this lie since it probably saved his life.
Quote #9
"Why should they believe me? I'm his mother, I'd certainly lie to save him." (13.40)
When Mrs. Meeker tries to convince General Putnam that Sam is innocent, he just won't believe her. Mama Meeker thinks it's because any mom would lie to save her kid, but Mrs. M isn't lying. She's actually telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Mrs. Meeker is in quite the pickle.
Quote #10
"Here's the problem. Those soldiers Sam caught with the cattle are scared to death Putnam will simply decide to hang them all as an example. They're prepared to tell any kind of lie about Sam to get themselves off." (13.45)
Poor Sam. If those soldiers would just tell the truth, then everyone would know he's innocent. What do you think about the soldiers' lies? Do they have a right to lie to save their lives? Or should they fess up since their lie means someone else will get killed?