My Brother Sam Is Dead Suspense Examples

War causes separation between family and friends. This is because not everyone has the same opinion/beliefs about war. The Meeker family suffers from this problem as Sam, the eldest son, joins the American Revolutionary Army, despite the fact that the rest of the family are loyal supporters of the English King. In My Brother Sam is Dead, James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier use the craft moves of dialogue, inner thinking, and revealing actions to raise the suspense of certain parts of the book.

One way that the authors raise suspense in the book is through dialogue. Examples of this in the text are, “ ‘Watch your tongue or I’ll slice it out’ “ (Collier & Collier, 50) and “Finally he said, ‘I don’t believe you’ “ (Collier & Collier, 51). As these examples are read by the reader, they feel a shift of mood in the moment; one of suspense and heightened tension. The heightened tension and suspense can give the reader a rush of excitement. This rush of excitement is what makes them come back for more, to find out what happens next.

Another craft move that Collier & Collier uses to raise suspense is inner thinking. A few examples of this are, “I was scared” (Collier & Collier, 51) and “Oh, it scared me to hear father

The dialogue, revealing actions, and inner thinking used by the authors of My Brother Sam is Dead help raise suspense in certain moments of the book, making it more appealing to the reader. Suspense itself plays a big role in our everyday lives because without it, we would have boring, ordinary lives, with nothing to excite us. Readers of the book are given plenty of suspense by the authors, which makes them want to read more. They are always left with at least one question: “What will happen next?” Even though suspense makes the story more exciting/enjoyable to read, the plot itself is ultimately one of war, sadness, and