The J.D.F. Times The Erraticism, Devotion, and Insanity of Man “Quiet is no certain pledge of permanence and safety. Trees may flourish and flowers may bloom upon the quiet mountain side, while silently the trickling rain-drops are filling the deep cavern behind its rocky barriers, which, by and by, in a single moment, shall hurl to wild ruin its treacherous peace.” (33)- James A. Garfield. Having the ability to write about interesting but not major historical figures can be a pretty hard challenge for even the most gifted authors. To exemplify this, it would take a talented writer to draw a reader into a book and to keep the readers attention still drawn toward a book; especially in the event that it is a Narrative nonfiction, “a genre of nonfiction in which factual matter is presented in a narrative style using literary techniques. …show more content…
Narrative nonfiction” depicts and describes a main characters journey and the struggles that the character must face. Providing insights about our 20th “commander in chief,” “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President” is an elegant, emotional, and engaging book and with many insightful views of the late-19th century including scientific developments and political advances and events in America. How General Garfield went through schooling to congress and then into his presidency. Education provided escape from his hardscrabble existence. Garfield worked as a janitor to pay for his classes at a preparatory School and eventually made his way to Williams College in Massachusetts, where he graduated with honors. After he studied at local schools, Garfield enrolled in an Ohio preparatory school called the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute. Garfield attending this school from 1851 to the start of 1854. He worked as a janitor in exchange for schooling due to him being unable to pay for tuition. By his second year at the school, the school promoted him from janitor to assistant professor of the school where he taught mathematics, literature, and ancient languages. During 1854, Garfield enrolled into Williams College in Massachusetts as a junior. As American President states, “He thrived intellectually at Williams. He relished the opportunity to hear Ralph Waldo Emerson and the challenge of confronting the strong personality of Williams’s President, Mark Hopkins. He fancied himself a reformer, identifying with the antislavery beliefs of the new Republican Party.” Garfield graduated in the top ten percent of his class with in 1856.
He later returned to the Eclectic Institute now as a teacher. At the age of 26, he became the Eclectic Institute President. An Ohio State Senator suddenly died in 1859 and Garfield admirers pushed him to take the newly opened place in the upcoming election. He did so and won by a large margin. Garfield later campaigned for Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 Presidential election. At the time the Southern states seceded, Garfield was one of the supporters that kept the Union together and preyed that the conflict would soon end slavery. He stressed, “I am inclined to believe the sin of slavery is one of which it may be said that without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” In between teaching at Eclectic, politicking, and setting up housekeeping with his newly wedded wife, Garfield studied law on his own. He did not enroll into law school because it was not required. In 1861, Garfield passed the Ohio bar exam. As the country launched into the Civil War, Garfield enlisted himself into the Union Army. Garfield chearfully recruited men into the 42nd Ohio
Infantry. In the best tradition of the great writers of narrative nonfiction, author Candice Millard deftly blends the stories of Garfield, Bell, assassin Charles Guiteau, and makes readers feel as if they were witnesses to the key events. Candice Millard used intense and intriguing words that captivated the readers attention. Millard did a great job at keeping the readers attention throughout the story. She used captivating language and placed plot twists and very important key event throughout the story. She never let the reader down. There is always mystery throughout the story. In adition to the stories of Garfield and Bell and assassin Charles Guiteau that makes readers feel as if they were witnesses to the key events, the book really takes a dive into the medical side of the treatment and the medical advances before, at the time of, and after the shooting. If Garfield had been left where he was shot, he might have survived. The bullet missed his spine and didn’t hit any vital organs. Instead, his care was given over to doctors, who many believed tortured him to death over the next 11 weeks. Two of them repeatedly probed his wound with their unsterilized fingers and instruments before having him carried back to the White House on a hay-and-horsehair mattress. At the White House, president Garfield’s care was taken over by a doctor named Doctor Willard Bliss. Dr. Doctor Bliss insisted on stuffing Garfield with heavy meals and alcohol, which brought on vomiting. He and his assistants went on probing the wound several times a day, causing infections that burrowed enormous tunnels of pus throughout the president’s body. The medical “care” Garfield had received is one of the most glamorous, and shocking. Joseph Lister had been ostensive for years about how his theories about the prevention of infection which could save lives and limbs; American doctors disregarded his advice, not willing to “go to all the trouble” of sterilizing their instilments and washing their hands before and after each procedure. All of the pus, blood, and what they referred to as the “good old surgical stink” of the operating room. “General Garfield died from malpractice,” claimed Guiteau in defense during the phenomenon of a trial. This claim was true but was not enough for Guiteau to save him from the scaffold. President Garfield died on Sept. 19, 1881. After being shot twice, one of the bullets striking him in the back, breaking two of his ribs, at the Baltimore and Potomac train station by a deranged individual named Charles J. Guiteau. Guiteau believed “he was responsible for Garfield’s election and believed he deserved to be named consul general to France”. Denied the position, Guiteau decided God wanted him to kill the president and stalked Garfield for weeks before the shooting. Based on details from the autopsy, author Candice Millard concludes that it “became immediately, and painfully apparent that, far from preventing or even delaying the president’s death, the doctors very likely caused it.” This tale, so finely constructed, and the summary of physician error made for a spine-tingling story on politics and murder and medicine. Her writing and the run down of the events in history keeps the reader on the edge of their seat intrigued to hear more.
This story was not only riveting, but also one that kept me on my heels for almost the entire time that I was reading it. Stephen B. Oates, a prize-winning author of thirteen books and more then seventy articles, is currently a professor of history at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Some of his best novels have been 'With Malice Toward None: The Life of Abraham Lincoln,'; 'Let the Trumpet Sound: The Life of Martin Luther King. Jr.,'; and 'Rip Ford's Texas.'; His writing is riveting as well as courageous. His willingness to get to such length to capture the mind of the reader and hold them in suspense has earned him several awards throughout his lustrous career. Some of the awards that Oates has received are the Christopher Award and the Barondess/Lincoln Award of the New York Civil War Round Table. His work has gained worldwide notoriety and is currently translated in four different languages: French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.
"I believe it is difficult for those who publish their own memoirs to escape the imputation of vanity. . . People generally think those memoirs only worthy to be read or remembered which abound in great striking events, those, in short, which in a high degree excite either admiration or pity; all others they consign to contempt or oblivion. It is therefore, I confess, not a little hazardous in a private and obscure individual, and a stranger too, thus to solicit the indulgent attention of the public, especially when I own I offer here the history of neither a saint, a hero, nor a tyrant. I believe there are few events in my life which have not happened to many; it is true the incidents of it are numerous, and, did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were great; but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I regard myself as a particular favorite of heaven, and acknowledge the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life. If, then, the following narrative does not appear sufficiently interesting to engage general attention, let my motive be some excuse for its publication."
A “war” Democrat opposed to secession, in 1864 Johnson was tapped by Republican President Abraham Lincoln as his running mate to balance the Union ticket. He became president following Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865, just days after the Civil War ended. As president, Johnson’s desire to scale back Lincoln’s Reconstruction legislation following the Civil War angered the Radical Republican majority that sought to punish the former rebels of the Confederacy.
James Garfield was born on November 19, 1831, in Orange, Ohio, in a log cabin. His father died only two years after his birth, so his mother raised him along with his older siblings while still managing the family farm. During his teen years, he towed barges up the Ohio Canal in order to support his impoverished family. He was nicknamed “The Canal Boy”. He later attended the former Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, which is now currently Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, from 1851 to 1853. He then proved himself to be a skilled public speaker and an excellent student at Williams College. He attended Williams College for two years before graduating in 1856.
David Howarth's writing style is unique. He allows the story to develop on its own. The story flows and the events do not seem forced. The story reads like a historical novel and is easy to follow. Howarth presents his information fully and does not leave anything for the reader to question. The reader does not become confused or lost because of the way that the author reveals his information in the book.
Jack London was one of America’s greatest authors. His works were of tales from the unexplored savage lands of the Klondike to the cannibal infested Philippine Island chain of the vast Pacific, and even the far reaches of space and time. Jack London himself was a pioneer of the unexplored savage frontier. London wrote about this unknown frontier with a cunning sense of adventure and enthrallment. “He keeps the reader on tenterenters books by withholding facts in a way that makes him participate in the action'; (Charles Child Walcutt 16). He taunts the reader with unfulfilled information that subliminally encourages the reader to continue reading their selection. “The tortuously baroque style, it’s telling often proves an annoyance';(Gorman Beauchamp 297-303). London’s writing attributes are so deep in description and narration, the reader sometimes perceives the story-taking place with them included in the action. His ability to exclude just the very miniscule amount of information transforms his books into a semi-formal mystery. Mr. London’s tales deal with nature, the men and women who either neglected the fact that they are mere mortals, or they humbled themselves as being only a solitary one being on the earth. His stories satisfied the civilized American readers yearn for knowledge of what awaited them over the horizon, with either promise of prosperity or demise with a manifestation of dismay.
When a writer starts his work, most often than not, they think of ways they can catch their reader’s attention, but more importantly, how to awake emotions within them. They want to stand out from the rest and to do so, they must swim against the social trend that marks a specific society. That will make them significant; the way they write, how they make a reader feel, the specific way they write, and the devotion they have for their work. Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgard Allan Poe influenced significantly the American literary canon with their styles, themes, and forms, making them three important writers in America.
In 1880, Ohio Congressman James A. Garfield won the election despite a very slim lead in popular votes, however, won easily in electoral votes. He was in office less than four months when President Garfield was fatally shot by a disappointed office seeker. His Vice President, Chester A. Arthur, succeeded him.
“In my estimation a good book first must contain little or no trace of the author unless the author himself is a character. That is, when I read the book I should not feel that someone is telling me the story but t...
"It is one of the blessings of this world that few people see visions and dream dreams" (Hurston). An author, especially during the Harlem Renaissance which immediately followed World War One, is someone who took their dream, acted upon it, and made it into something tangible on paper. An author takes their thoughts and creates something beautifully unique each and every time. Being an author takes a lot of strength in order to find your place in the overpopulated industry of up and coming authors-to-be. In any industry, not just writing, it takes a while to find one's special voice and style. A well respected author of the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston wrote
...d to the amount of men who fought and lost their lives, there are very few stories told. In conclusion Gilbert was able to effectively share some of the stories of the soldiers, but because he lacked an argument the strength of his writing was greatly weakened.
I think perhaps, by putting the audience in these men’s shoes you cause them develop a bias. The reader will possibly have and emotional tie to the characters and because of this not see straight facts of history. The book is highly recommended to readers interested in pre-modern history, the book is a good look into the eastern world especially if one lacks research experience with that part of the world and its
“A Tale Intended to be After the Fact…” is how Stephan Crane introduced his harrowing story, “The Open Boat,” but this statement also shows that history influences American Literature. Throughout history, there has been a connection among literary works from different periods. The connection is that History, current events, and social events have influenced American Literature. Authors, their literary works, and the specific writing styles; are affected and influenced by the world around them. Authors have long used experiences they have lived through and/or taken out of history to help shape and express in their works. Writing styles are also affected by the current trends and opinions of the period they represent. By reading American Literature, we have seen the inhumane treatment of slaves, we have seen the destruction caused by wars, and we have seen the devastation of eras such as The Great Depression.
The Civil war is one of the most iconic turning points of history the aftermath made waves throughout the literary society, influencing Emily Dickinson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Ernest Hemingway. These three authors made a large impact in the literary society, each in their own way. Whether it be pushing boundaries, or going the extra distance, these authors along with many others, influenced many writing styles for it to be the way it is today. Not only is today’s writing more advanced. It is no longer just writing, it is emotion, and compassion. It is showing people the secret identity that most keep hidden. Writing is a way that many escape and become the person they dream to be, and these writers do an excellent job at showing this.
History is no more confined to a monolithic collection of facts and their hegemonic interpretations but has found a prominent space in narratives. The recent surge in using narrative in contemporary history has given historical fiction a space in historiography. With Hayden White’s definition of history as a “verbal structure in the form of a narrative prose discourse” literature is perceived to be closer to historiography, in the present age (ix). History has regained acceptance and popularity in the guise of fiction, as signified by the rising status of historical fiction in the post colonial literary world.