Fighting for Family

Author's Note: This is a Compare and Contrast essay on two young boys who had to grow up too early to keep their families alive. 

Michael from the book, Jump Ship to Freedom, reminds me much of Samuel Martin from the movie The Patriot. Michael was the same age as Samuel during the Revolutionary War, and they were both left behind by their father’s to watch over the rest of their families. They were both in charge when their father’s left to fight. Both of them had to grow up very fast and had to learn to handle a gun at an early age.

When Michael’s father left, he was told to take care of his mother and Sam was to take care of his younger siblings. The two of them were told very similar things by their father’s. Michael and Sam both got very used to being in charge and got quite good at it. Even though they gained a lot of maturity quickly, it wasn’t always like that. They both couldn’t wait to see their father again.

One of the few differences about them two is that when Michael’s father left to fight, he never came back. It pained Michael to think he was dead, but it only made him want freedom even more. Michael was given his father’s soldier’s notes after he had passed, and Michael heard they were worth a lot. He worked so hard, his hands began to callus. Michael new his mother and him will soon be free as soon as he gets the money to.

Sam and his younger siblings also had to work hard while his father was in war. Young Sam had to make a living for months. All of the food and safety came from the help of Sam. Their Aunt Charlotte also gave all she could and let them all scrunch into her little house so they could have a place to sleep. Sam spent many nights sitting on the front porch to be sure no one was there that would be harm them.

These two characters also remind me of Prim Everdeen. Prim is a twelve year old girl who’s older sister, Katniss,  was called into The Hunger Games. Katniss has always pretty much been Prim’s mother and father since their father passed away. Their mother became very depressed and started to not care about taking care of her family because of her loss. Because of their mother’s absence, Katniss was like a parent to Prim. When she had to leave, Prim wasn’t sure if she’d ever see her again.

Much like Prim, Michael and Sam both knew it would be a struggle to survive the next few months, but their father’s put them up to the job. Whether they would come back from war or not, they would obey and that’s what they did. In the end of their journeys they both got to feel freedom and what it was like feel safe. They both saved their families from death and that brought both of them great honor.