Was Mason Weems book, “A History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington” believable? Not at all. Mason Weems made the perfect role model for the people. Maybe a little too perfect. The book was greatly exaggerated. For example, everyone knows the story about how Washington chopped down a cherry tree and told the truth to his father, “I can’t tell a lie, Pa; you know I can’t tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet.” This was an invented scene, it was made for dramatic effect.
Another exaggerated portion of the book was how the way Mason Weems described Washington. According to this account, his subject was, “Washington, the hero, and the Demigod.” to kick it up a notch Weems describes Washington as, “the
Jupiter Conservator, the friend, and benefactor of men.” With this hyperbole, Weems elevated Washington to the Augustan level of the god, “Jupiter Conservator [Orbis]” (that is, “Jupiter, Conservator of the Empire,” which was later rendered, “Jupiter, Savior of the World.” Weems admired Washington to the point where I don’t think he saw any faults. To Weems Washington was just perfect, he could do no wrong, he was a saint. From the very beginning, George Washington was industrious. He believed that Washington was a great strategist at age 21. Also, believing that Washington was the model of greatness and that everyone should be like him, no matter the age or gender. The fact that Weems didn’t see any faults in Washington made me laugh. Everybody has faults, George Washington certainly wasn’t, nobody is perfect. He has slaughtered men, I definitely see this as a massive flaw. This book wasn’t a biography, but a hagiography. As a writer, you have to do your research. Did Weems ever do his research? Or did he just write everything he heard from others and take it as facts? How did anyone believe this junk? This just tells you how easily manipulated people can be. After Washington’s death in 1799 people were anxious to learn about him, and Weems was ready to supply and demand. The book became an instant best-seller. I guess when you’re desperate for information, you’ll believe anything you see or hear. Weems believed that the best way to improve the moral fiber of society was to educate children. These stories still live on! I remember when I was in elementary school and out teacher told us about the cherry tree story. Our teacher told us the story was true, of course, I got excited that I learned this information and talked to a family member about it. I was quickly corrected and was told that it was a myth. This taught me schools were giving out wrong information, so from then on I would listen and ask again about the topic at home.
...didn’t over step his authority or attempt to subvert the army for his own purposes. Instead, George Washington sets the example of the military commander who was subservient to civilian political leadership. He also showed patience and coolness in the face of adversity. On many occasions in the book, the author cites Washington’s expressions of doubt and fears of failure, yet Washington never showed fear or doubt in action in front of his troops.
A satirical point that the author talked about briefly was Weaver's choice to not read the short, original novel, but the even shorter novel summary. The satire is effective because of how the authors describes the book. By including small lines such as "the most skillful example of American naturalism under 110 pages" and "Weaver's choice to read the Cliffs Notes instead of the pocket-sized novel", the brevity and literary relevance of this book is emphasized greatly. To include how short this novel is makes Weaver look positiv...
Unfortunately, by choosing to focus on only a few events, Ellis's book fails in that it lacks somewhat of a scope. The book also focuses on some of the founding brothers in much greater detail than others. While I come away with a wealth of knowledge about both Adams and Jefferson, I have less knowledge of Ben Franklin and Aaron Burr, as Ellis's focus is significantly less on them.
Washington's dedication to the cause of the American Revolution inspired and impressed everyone. He was a great general, and astute politician, and a symbol of the cause for independence. He was a master in the art of war. Bibliography:.. Bibliography Handel, Michael I. Masters of War.
...ct most of his military blunders came in the year 1776. But he always learned from his mistakes. McCullough also examines the mistakes the British made, that may have cost them the victory in the war. 1776 is truly eye opening. It takes a more human look at men like Washington and his generals, and is full of letters and stories written by actual soldiers from both the British and American armies. One of the things that I enjoyed about this book was the way McCullough manages to also show the way the British felt towards the Americans and their opinions and thoughts about the rebels. The book ended on a high note, with Washington's historic crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night. It was the turning point of the war for the future president and his army, and it provided the first great victory for the young American county. The rest, as they say, is history.
In a person’s life, one must overcome obstacles that have the potential to either negatively or positively impact their future. Whether it is a serious obstacle, such as being involved with drugs, or a minor obstacle, such as procrastinating an important essay for the night before it is due, the choices people make can influence the way they live their lives. In Wes Moore’s inspiring non-fiction book, The Other Wes Moore, two boys with the same name start off living a few blocks away from one another, but turn out to be completely different individuals. At first, they were both troublemakers, getting in trouble with the law. However, as time progressed, the author, Wes Moore, became a Rhodes scholar and quite successful, while the other Wes Moore was sentenced to life in prison. The difference between these two men was the surrounding influences that shaped their growth as people. In a person’s growth, the most important factors are a positive role model in a positive environment because a positive role model will provide the path to success and will aid that person in achieving prosperity.
Abstract: Longfellow's portrayal of the American Adam is set apart in that he does not praise this character as a role model for others. The concept of the American Adam is seen in a different light through the depiction of Basil in the narrative poem Evangeline.
Shunnaq, Susanne Ramadan. "The Transitional Epic Hero in American Literature: Alger, Fitzgerald, and the Philosohpy of Success." The Pennsylvania State University, 2000. Web. 5 April 2014.
Irving Washington. "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. 5th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1998. 948-69.
Magill, Frank N. "F. Scott Fitzgerald." Critical Survey of Long Fiction. Vol. 3. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem, 1983. 953-67. Print.
General George Washington was a natural born leader who lacked military background. Washington was an exceptionally great navigator for a man who hardly had any education. Like anyone else, General George Washington had both his strengths and weaknesses and McCullough does an excellent job simulating
Chernow shows how Washington applied the things he learned as young man, eager to advance in the British army. His irritation with the innate bias against colonial soldiers, and his grievances against British discrimination in regard to his pay and commission, later helped fuel his fire against them. He learned from his service in the French and Indian War how the British fought and what their weaknesses were. More importantly, he built his reputation as the premier military figure in the
WARD, J. A. “The Ambiguities of Henry James”. The Sewanee Review. Vol. 83, No. 1
“You think of George Washington, this man who was larger than life, and in some ways he was. But at the same time, he’s just a person.” -Benjamin Walker
“I know.” Nevertheless, Roger Nelson persisted: “I’m not saying it cannot be done, but only that you still need more challenging pieces of discoveries to enable the brain repair from trauma to be sustainable.” Roger had pivoted back to the research.