My Brother Sam Study Guide

This collection of chapter questions for My Brother Sam Is Dead focuses on the literary aspects of the novel, primarily with regard to the changes and conflicts faced by the protagonist, Timothy Meeker.

It also follows how Tim perceives the older brother he admires and so much and the state at war which has taken his blood brother away and changed his life so dramatically. Page numbers and answers are synchronized with the paperback version of the novel.

Capacity One to Five

Chapter I

Where is Sam coming from when he arrives at dwelling house? (p. 3) Sam has been abroad at school at Yale.
Who is Captain Benedict Arnold? (p. 4) Benedict Arnold is Captain of Sam's company.
What is Sam's existent reason for going home? (p. 17) He needs to borrow Brownish Bess, father's gun.
Why are Sam and Father arguing? (p. twenty-21) Because Sam wants the gun, Father says no, and he is agape his son will exist killed in the war.

Chapter Two

What alibi does Tim give his father and then he can visit Sam at Tom Warrup's place? (p. 31) Tim says he is going to help Jerry behave a large log from the wood lot.
How does Sam inquire Tim to aid at the tavern while he is gone? (p. 35) Sam wants Tim to keep an ear out for talk almost British army plans as well every bit learn who is loyal to which side.

Chapter Three

What does Tim look from the war the summer of 1775 and what actually happens? (p. 38) He thinks state of war would make life dissimilar, but instead it is just normal.
Why is it illegal to have a re-create of Rivingston'southward Gazette from Verplanks? (p. 39) This was a Tory newspaper.
Why does Betsy Read linger at the tavern when she'd finish by to shop? (p. 41) She wants to listen for talk of the state of war or news of Sam.

Chapter 4

What do the Continental soldiers desire from Tim'south dad? (p. 50) They want his gun, but Mr. Meeker doesn't take information technology anymore.
What does Tim do to effort and assistance his parents while they are manhandled by the soldiers? (p. 52) He runs out of the tavern in search of Sam at Tom Warrup's shack.
Why doesn't Sam shout for Tim to stop running while he is chasing him back to the Tavern? (p. 54) He doesn't desire to alert anyone to his presence.
When Tim turns to face Sam, why is he crying? (p. 56) Tim is overwhelmed with emotion: he is afraid of what might happen to his parents at the tavern, he'd been looking frontwards to visiting his brother but at present must fight him off to protect his family, and he is torn by his loyalties.
Why tin't Sam assistance Tim and his parents again the Continental soldiers at the tavern? (p. 58) If he'due south found out, he could be hung as a deserter.
Why does Sam run abroad? (p. threescore) Every bit Tim and Sam approach, Father comes out of the back door with stale claret on his face from the scuffle. Sam runs because he had stolen the Brown Bess from Father. If he stayed, Father would take the gun away from Sam.

Chapter Five

Why were guns so important to the people of Redding? (p. 62) Guns were valuable because they helped proceed the wolves from eating the livestock and they provided general protection.
Why does Tim envy Sam? (p. 64) Tim thinks Sam is brave and grown up for taking role in a war, which in Tim'due south mind is a glorious undertaking. He admires Sam's agility with the gun much like he one time admired the way Sam milked a moo-cow. He envies his big brother, but he clearly loves him, too.
What is the real reason for Mr. Heron's visit? How did Father respond? How did Tim respond? (p. 68-seventy) He wants Tim to go to Fairfield to deliver some business concern letters for him. Father is against Tim going because he has already unwillingly contributed Sam to the state of war. Tim, all the same, is aroused at his begetter considering he wants an opportunity to do something courageous and earn some form of glory for his contributions.

Chapter Half dozen

How does Tim devise a way to evangelize a notation to Fairfield for Mr. Heron? (p. 76) He tells his male parent he is going shad fishing again.
Why does Betsy want to intercept the letter Tim needs to deliver? (p. 82) Betsy thinks Mr. Heron has asked Tim to evangelize a spy report which may have something to do with Sam's well-existence.
What does the letter say? (p. 84) If the message is received then the messenger is reliable.

Chapter Seven

Which items are in curt supply as the war continues through the summer of 1776? (p. 86) Food is in brusque supply, every bit is pulverization and shot for guns, textile, and leather.
Why does Father insist that Female parent not respond to Sam's letters? (p. 87) He doesn't want Mother to encourage Sam's rebellious nature.
Why does Father travel to Verplanks Betoken every yr? (p. 89) Father sells livestock like pigs and cattle so he can afford to purchase items they need to run the tavern.

Who are the six men who arroyo Male parent and Tim on the road to Verplanks Point? (p. 93) Known as cow-boys, they claim to be Patriots, merely in truth they are thieves.
How do Tim and his Male parent escape from the cow-boys? (p. 98) The cow-boys are chased away past a grouping of Loyalist horsemen.

Chapter Eight

What is life like where the Platts live amidst the Rebels and Loyalists? (p. 101) Loyalists and Rebels alive in open up warfare with each other. People have been tarred and feathered, houses are burned, and livestock are slaughtered.
What dilemma does Father face up on the way home from Verplanks Bespeak? (p. 108) He wants to avert the route where they met the cow-boys on the way up, but at that place'southward a snowstorm coming and the detour would delay them another half day.

Chapter Nine

Why does Father ride alee of Tim and the oxen on the way home? (p. 114) Father rides ahead equally a scout, so if cow-boys arroyo, he'll accept fourth dimension to ride back to Tim and observe them a hiding place before the moo-cow-boys can harass them on the route.
Why does Tim become nervous on the mode dwelling house from Verplanks Bespeak? (p. 116) He begins to realize information technology's been a while since Father has checked dorsum with him.
What has happened to Father? (p. 119) Tim traces Grey's hoof prints in the snow back to where the hemlocks line the road. In the snow, Tim can conspicuously see the markings of many hoof prints which continue to atomic number 82 into the hemlock grove and abroad from that spot on the road. Tim concludes that the moo-cow-boys waited to ambush Father and then took him away somewhere.
How does Tim outsmart the cow-boys who stop him on his way domicile? (p. 123) He acts every bit if he were expecting a large escort and he says his father had warned him to lie flat when the gunfire started.

Chapter Ten

What is the biggest modify in Tim's life? (p. 132) The biggest change in Tim's life is his attitude nearly piece of work at the tavern. He no longer complains about chores or stalls to do what needs to exist washed. Instead, he willingly accepts the responsibilities of running the tavern with his mother.
In the spring of 1777, what changes about the war? (p. 136) British troops march into Redding and fix a camp.
What happens to the Rebel messenger who comes riding into town? (p. 141) As he turns his horse to race away from Redding, he is fired upon and shot by the British soldiers.
What does Tim witness as he races down the road to fetch a md? (p. 144) Tim watches as the British troops burn upon Captain Starr's house, smash down the door, and behead Ned, Samuel Smith's retainer.
What does Tim conclude equally he continues on his fashion to find Dr. Hobart? (p. 145) After witnessing the manner the British hauled away Jerry Sanford, shot at the Insubordinate messenger in the route, and then attacked Captain Starr'southward house, Tim thinks he doesn't feel much like existence a Tory anymore.

Chapter 11

Who approaches Redding after the British have left? (p. 151) Continental army troops march into Redding.
What does Tim discover most Sam by the terminate of the chapter? How does this modify Tim's mental attitude toward his brother? (p. 162-163) Tim thinks Sam is not truly duty-leap to stay in the army, simply that he wants to stay in the ground forces because he thinks what he'south doing is of import. Tim'due south attitude changes considering he feels he understands something better than Sam, which makes Tim feel more than similar his brother's equal instead of his younger brother.

Chapter Twelve

What exercise Tim and Female parent detect out in June 1777? (p. 164) Father is dead. He'd died from cholera on a prison ship and his body is cached somewhere on Long Island.
How has Betsy Read'due south mental attitude nigh the state of war changed from the showtime of the novel? (p. 167) In the beginning, Betsy supported the Rebel cause and hoped for them to win. Past the end of the novel, she only hopes for the state of war to be over soon.

What does Tim hope to practice with the viii cows they have left? What does Sam advise him to do with the cattle? (p. 170) T_im wants to sell the cows to a British commissary in White Plains considering the British can pay with real money, unlike the Continental Ground forces. Sam advises Tim to butcher the cows and hide the meat before the cattle are stolen._
How is Sam able to become into boondocks every week or x days? (p. 177) Since he knew his manner effectually Redding, Colonel Parsons uses Sam as a messenger.
Why is Full general Putnam so strict? (p. 178) He wants the Continental Army to make a good impression with the populace, so if it means hanging anyone who steals, he'll do so to brand an instance of them.

Chapter Thirteen

How does Colonel Parsons reply when Tim tells him about the allegation against Sam? (p. 185) Colonel Parsons doesn't seem to care much if Sam is innocent or guilty. Either way, Tim learns it will be upwardly to General Putnam to decide Sam'due south fate.
What dilemma does Sam face co-ordinate to the accusation? (p. 188) The 2 men who turned Sam in claim he stole the cattle. Sam was supposed to be on duty at the Bett's house, so if he wasn't at his station he could be considered a deserter.
When Tim finally gets in to see Full general Putnam, how does the General reply to Tim's plea? (p. 196) The full general says he'll consider Sam'southward instance and penalization.

Chapter 14

What is General Putnam's final decision about Sam's case? (p. 199) He refuses the plea for clemency.
What is Tim's plan for helping Sam before his execution? (p. 205) Tim's plan is to throw the bayonet into the enclosure where Sam is being held so he tin fight his mode out and escape.
When Tim turns back to look into the stockade, what does he discover? (p. 206) Tim discovers there is no 1 left in the stockade. The prisoners have already been moved.

These chapter questions for My Blood brother Sam Is Expressionless will help you to review for exams or simply review a chapter after reading. Quiz yourself with these chapter questions will help y'all remember data or brainstorm a discussion or essay on pivotal bug from the novel.

Article Resources

Collier, James Lincoln and Christopher Collier. My Brother Sam Is Dead. Scholastic: New York, 1974.

Image Sources

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Revolutionary_War_collage.jpg