How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
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?