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"It's thrilling, even though I did want to reach into the page and pat her head, breaking it to her that, Oh my dear, idealists are the cruelest monsters of them all." (pg. 219)

Basic
What is an idealist? Why are they seen as cruel? Why was this added into the novel. Goldman was added in as research as to what Czolgosz wanted to be, but I do not understand why Vowell included this part about idealists into her novel. Idealists have nothing to do with the plot. It is like she just dropped that into that one paragraph then moved on. According to Google, an idealist is a "person who is guided more by ideals than by practical considerations." Now that I know what that means, it makes more sense that it was added into the book. Saying how Czologsz could be considered an idealist and that makes him dangerous. It seems that Vowell could have included this to state her opinions on Czologsz and what type of person he is. How he was guided by his ideals more than logic. It contrasts his ideal's quote to his attitude.

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"Now, a person with sharper social skills than I might have noticed that as these folks ate their freshly baked blueberry muffins and admired the bed-and-breakfast's teapot collection, they probably didn't want to think about presidential gunshot wounds" (pg. 3)

Interpretation
In this portion of the text, Vowell is detailing her story of the Assassins play to the bed-and-breakfast goers.  She soon realizes that no one is really interested in what she is saying. This excerpt shows how odd it may seem to others to be so interested in something as gory as presidential assassinations.   Also how not everyone has the same fascination as she might have.  She accomplishes the goal of this excerpt by describing the atmosphere she is surrounded by and how her topic of conversation does not particularly fit in. She exhibits how she is not really adapt for the bed-and-breakfast scenes and how this contrasts to her interests at the moment.

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"I continue. 'But the main thing that surprised me was how romantic Assassins was.'" (pg. 4)

Rant
I feel it is inappropriate to call a relationship involving an assassin as 'romantic'. Assassins are not good people who can be casually brought up in conversation. It is foreign to use positive diction in reference to a murderer. Talking about how romantic a man was instead of the violent actions he has taken does not seem right to me. It feels disrespectful to the person he killed to talk about his or her personal life so calmly.

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"'I believe in America,' chants the first verse of one of my sacred texts, The Godfather. Not that I am blind to the Psych 101 implications of trading in the martyred Jesus Christ (crucified on Good Friday) for the martyred Abraham Lincoln (shot on Good Friday)." (pg. 11)

Rhetoric
The main rhetorical device used in this excerpt is the use of allusions. First the reference to the classic movie The Godfather serves as an ode to the strong American fundamentals Vowell possesses. How deeply Vowell feels about the United States. Then she compares the biblical allusion of Jesus getting crucified on Good Friday to Lincoln being shot on Good Friday. Vowell says she is not blind to the comparison and she possesses some biblical beliefs.

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"Then, at the end of this sneaky list of the way things were, he simply says, 'And the war came.' Kills me every time. Four little words to signify four long years. To call this an understatement is an understatement...The man who came up with that teensy but vast sentence, and the war came..." (pg. 26)

Evaluation
The excerpt chosen above exemplifies good writing. The much longer paragraph where she details the importance of some of her favorite lines helps understand what these mean to her. When Vowell discusses the part about 'and the war came', she uses excellent, fun diction to relay this. She talks very casually, using common terms to make it more appealing and fun. This adds a good understanding of what this famous quote is truly about and how significant it is. The quote she speaks of so in-depth does make a new perspective to be shown on an otherwise ordinary quote.

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"Bennett looks at me, rolls his eyes, and silently trudges out of the courtyard." (pg. 33)

Reflection
I relate to the moment when her surprise does not go as planned. Vowell thought Bennett had the same interests as her, but he was actually just being a good friend. I know what it is like to think someone may have the same level of excitement as me but they do not. Just like in the situation above, it was also disappointing for him to have his surprise be so underwhelming. It has happened to me before, when a surprise I was looking forward to receiving was not what I were expecting. In the end, I had to accept it and move forward.

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"...there was a picture of Powell, a very tall, very handsome man. Who's that? I wondered. He smoldered, decked out in a jaunty, crumpled, double-breasted trench coat, staring at the camera dead-on." (pg. 41)

Basic
Why did she include how attractive Powell is? Why is there so much in the novel about how good looking him and some other assassins are? I wonder this because it just seems odd and misplaced with the subject of the novel. I don't understand why Vowell would include this piece of information. I assume it could be to prove how murderers look just as good as everyone else and possibly how their good looks made people misjudge them. It could also be to show how confident he is in his nicely-pressed outfit and confident eye contact with the camera.

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" 'oh, that guy...yes, he lived here'.....she jots down Henry and Clara, as if her boss is supposed to call them back." (pg. 45)

Reflection
I can relate to the receptionist in this section of the text. She has no idea if this "guy" had lived there before, she finds out more information, and she is suddenly interested. Sometimes that happens to me when I have no knowledge on a topic. I will learn some basic facts and become overwhelmed with it. In fact, I even became more interested in the Henry and Clara story as I read about Vowell describing the events. It is a common occurrence for me to become interested in something minor like that, especially if it may be history related.

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"And if the random senator still seems on the fringe....it's worth noting that three years after that, the Missouri senator, John Ashcroft,became Attorney General of the United States..." (pg. 58)

Basic
I do not understand Vowell's whole rant starting with the Oklahoma bomber. It seems like she mentions this big topic on the influence of radicals, then just dismisses it. After this sentence Vowell switches topics. I can understand that it may be that these bad people still have major influence but I do not understand how this relates to her previous topic. It seems like these pages are out of place in the text. It could also be to relate the distant past to the more present future. This could show how times have not really changed, and at the roots, we are still the same as in the past.

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"...let's suppose that against all odds, a gun-toting bushwhacking guerrilla warrior could be overpowered by me, former art history major." (pg. 64)

Rhetoric
The use of hyperboles and loaded diction are very present in the above excerpt. The loaded language about her great-great-grandfather and her contrast each other. The sentence paints her as a more calm, serene person while her grandfather is a crazy man. This contraction makes it appear as though she wants everyone to think it is not a fair fight and her grandfather is far too skilled to go up against her. It paints her as the weaker, more pacifist person while making her grandfather appear like a monster. It adds imagery to the excerpt, making it easier to see this image in the reader's mind.

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"And yet, right now, for the simple blessed fact that it is not a  boat, Fort Jefferson looks as bright and fluffy as a hexagonal lemon meringue pie." (pg. 68)

Rhetoric
This key sentence gives in insight into how Vowell is feeling using loaded language and a simile. This sentence compares a prison to a dessert, something not often done. Vowell was seasick so it does seem logical that anything that looks like land could excite her. The previous sentences how that prison seemed to be hell. Vowell, for her own selfishness, sees this as a haven from her seasickness. She expresses her love for seeing it as to dessert, something well beloved. It gives the audience a feel of what she was feeling as she saw fort Jefferson. She had a different reaction than others who stayed there and saw it darkly.

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"I am standing there reading the plaque and admiring Mudd-forgiving him." (pg. 75)

Reflection
I relate to this excerpt because I,too,found myself feeling sorry and forgiving Mudd. For me, it is hard for me to sympathize with any racist, but for the moment I forgot. The plaque made him seem like such a nice man and almost a hero. I really felt that he did do a great service. Similar to how Vowell felt about forgiving him, I felt sympathy. After, when it is mentioned again how much of a racist he is, I suddenly lost all sympathy, like Vowell. So for the moment I forgot what a truly awful person he was, I felt great sadness almost exactly the same as Vowell's.

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"Then, alluding to current national controversies....a current events light bulb goes off in my head..." (pg. 80)

Interpretation
The above quote is a transitional point to tie in (then) today's event with the pasts. Vowell uses these lines to open up a comparison between Fort Jefferson to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Comparing these two topics allows a deeper look into how maybe things have not changed as much as they may appear since the 1800s. Both places are mentioned as having suicide epidemics, torture cambers, and children present. Comparing the event the audience is familiar with to one they may not know much about gives a better understanding of what the past was like

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"Booth's sidekick David Herold surrendered to the soldiers, so he would live to hang. " (pg.86)

Evaluation
I believe this one sentence to be an example of excellent writing. It is factual and witty at the same time. The sentence begins giving details about Booth's sidekick  but then transitions into a paradox. The "live to hang" part of this sentence is unexpected and very clever. It claims his surrender was useless because he continued on his days until the U. S. killed him. This sentence exemplifies good writing, especially in the final witty part of "live to hang".

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"But I'm here to look at this thing floating in a glass jar labeled 'Piece of John Wilkes Booth, Assassin of President Lincoln. " (pg. 92)

Basic
I do not understand why she went to see this piece of Booth. I know she is studying the assassins, but what can this piece provide her with? She seems to make this trip just to talk with this woman. I do not know what a piece of a dead body has to do with understand assassins, as it is a piece off a corps. I suppose it could have been just to be near this piece of body as a stop on her journey. She also might have done this to maybe ask people questions about him and the piece, as I mentioned above. So the answer to my question of why she went to this museum could be answered by saying she could have wanted more information on the famous assassin.

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"It is remarkable that Edwin earned back the public's affection after his brother had committed such a crime." (pg. 102)

Rant
My rave on this excerpt comes from the American people giving Edwin their forgiveness. The way that they were able to separate the brothers and not condone the whole family to hatred, is remarkable. Edwin was also on the other end of the spectrum compared to John Wilkes, Edwin was an Lincoln supporter. This does clarify the deep dissimilarity between them. Sometimes it can be hard to separate families that spawned some bad people, but it is good that Americans can see past that and not place any blame on an innocent man.

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"...unaware that he would be the man to fulfill this prophecy, that he would be the man who made the government 'all one thing or all the other'..." (pg. 104)

Interpretation
This excerpt from the text gives detail into Lincoln's unknowing legacy. Vowell begins by discussing the speech made under Washington's portrait, then transitions to his prophecy of the country held in slavery. Vowell believes this statement is the one that got him killed. His desire to fulfill his prophecy and give this speech made many enemies. Vowell gives specific examples of speeches that have either a life changing legacy or an ironic touch to them. She provides evidence into how each of the excerpts she mentions has an affect on Lincoln's life. All this text gives insight into how philosophical Lincoln's whole life really was and how that may not have been noticed until now. How these speeches ended a man's life and that is not very widely discussed.

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"What the staff generally tend to do is say that Mary's mental health is a complicated issue. Should Robert have done what he did or shouldn't he have?" (pg. 114)

Rant
Based on the evidence given in the text, it seems logical that Mary was locked up. But, it should not have been publicized. She did seem to have some problems and would need to be hospitalized but the whole world did not need to be informed on this matter. From Mary's standpoint, it does seem appropriate to be mad at Robert for what he did to her. Mary did go through a lot in her lifetime, so it is entirely possible she did have some mental health problems. Since my knowledge on the subject is limited I can say that based off of what little I have read, Mary should have been hospitalized for her mental problems.

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"It is a story of this self-made man's collision course with two of the most self-serving, self-centered, self-absorbed egomaniacs of the late nineteenth century..." (pg. 125)

Evaluation
This portion of the text exemplifies good writing. The repetition of the word "self-" in this sentence gives background that this sentence has a theme of selfishness and arrogance. The juxtaposition between self-made, being used to describe Garfield, and self-serving, etc., being used to describe his assassin and his nemesis, provide the hero and villain of this story. Using Garfield as the self-made, noble man makes him out to be the hero of this. Garfield faces his foes, the self-absorbed ones, and loses. This makes Conkling and Guiteau out to be the misguided antagonists in the story for hurting the self-made man.

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"...Conkling would retaliate against Hayes for firing Chester Arthur by delivering a spiteful speech at the next New York Republican convention, pooh-poohing self-proclaimed reformers..." (pg. 128)

Rhetoric
The loaded diction in this sentence brings the spiteful nature of Conkling to light. By using negative language to describe Conkling, Hayes has the opportunity to shine in a brighter light. Conkling becomes seen as this explosive, arrogant man who is seen as "spiteful". He was a man who hated the "self-proclaimed reformers", so he obviously did not approve of the reform movements of the time. Since Conkling was a part of Garfield's downfall, Vowell wants to introduce the notion of him being a conceited man

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"The Oneida Community was an upstate tourist attraction right from the start.." (pg. 139)

Basic
This is less about the quote and more about the entire section but why was this section of describing the community so long? Why was there so much detail on their traditions and beliefs? I do not understand because such a big portion of the book was occupied by the description of this community. It only has to do with one assassin for five years, so why such a big emphasis? I believe it could have possibly been because Vowell wanted the readers to have background on the assassin and how this area developed him. This community may have contributed to his assassination. It could have also been simply Vowell thought this subject was interesting. She could have gone to research Guiteau but ended with her finding the whole situation fascinating, so she included it in the novel.

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"Consider the following set of problems and the ingenious way in which they were solved...So here is what they did. Post-menopausal women deflowered young boys....Young girls, annoyingly prone to falling in love , were ushered into womanhood by an older man..." (pg. 143)

Interpretation
In this paragraph of the text, Vowell describes the process which the Oneida community avoids contraception. She states that they do not want children, so they have to have a solution. Vowell beautifully describes the process used to avoid this. She does so by using short, simple sentences in order for the understanding on the subject to be better. She achieves the purpose of describing the conflict to the situation at hand. Vowell gives in insight into what the Oneida community is like and how they do things to better provide an understanding as to how Guiteau, Garfield's assassin, lived.

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"Mutual Criticism required a member of the group to stand up in front of everybody and listen to the enumeration of his or her faults." (pg. 145)

Rant
The concept of mutual criticism seems a bit harsh. At times it is okay to ask about what faults a person has so they can improve them-self, but not daily. I feel as though this would turn everyone against everyone and would not bring them together. The community claimed it helped ease tensions but wouldn't more tension commence if everyone knew everyone knew their faults? It seems rude to publicly mock everyone every night. Maybe once or twice a month but every night seems over the top. This ritual may have proved effective for them but it does not seem like something a common person would be willing to do, due to its bold nature.

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"Oh? That's it? No corrections? No 'what the heck are they teaching you in school?' Not even an encouraging 'Good Guess, but actually...'?" (pg. 164)

Reflection
I relate to this part because of my big interest in history. I do get frustrated when I am at a historical sight and people do not seem to care. I believe these places to be very interesting. I realize now that not everybody has the same passion as me and are not interested, no matter how hard I try to make them. Some things do just not interest some people, like the little boy and his family from Vowell's own situation. The world is not the same to everyone, and everyone has different interests; Vowell and I just happen to share the same interest for history.

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"I have a strange sensation I can't put my finger on. Suddenly it registers. I think I might be crowded. This is a new development in Garfield pilgrimage- other pilgrimages." (pg. 166)

Evaluation
This is good writing. This exemplifies Vowell's first feeling of not being alone on this trip. The build-up of her realization makes it suspenseful as to what she is feeling. She learned something she did not think she would. She discovered on one journey that other people have their own journeys going on. Vowell uses the repetition of the word pilgrimage to bring awareness to how there are multiple pilgrimage occurring. Vowell describes an odd feeling in her body to bring a unique discovery she has found to life relating to her pilgrimage.

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"Guiteau's trial was a sensation-a laugh riot well attended by the ladies of Washington, who packed picnic baskets to catch his act." (pg. 173)

Rhetoric
The extended metaphor in this sentence captures what his trial was like to the American people. Calling his trial "a laugh riot" downplays the should-be seriousness or a murder trial. It makes it seem like a comedy show and proves how this trial was not taken seriously at all. The metaphor continues when it is stated, "...who packed picnic baskets to catch his act." This phrase adds onto the metaphor of comparing Guiteau's murder trial to a comedy show. By stating people would watch his act, there is convincing evidence that people did not find him serious and thought the trial was rather fun.

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"The unforeseen pleasant surprise... is that I seem to have luck into a lot of present-day kindness, making the acquaintance of an embarrassment of knowledgeable nice people..." (pg. 183)

Reflection
It is wonderful to run into genuinely nice and knowledgeable people. I have made acquaintances of some nice and interesting people before, similar to Vowell on her pilgrimage. These types of interactions can brighten up a day. On an occasion such as Vowell's, it is always needed for someone to make someone else happy. It is needed to meet new people to gain new knowledge and learn about a new person. The circumstance of meeting these nice people very much helps bring awareness to the world around us.

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"It stands at the bottom of Capitol Hill facing the Mall. The sculpture intends to present a late-nineteenth-century vision of dignified classicism." (pg. 178)

Basic
Why is Garfield's statue so big? If he is not a significant president, why does he have such a big statue in such a significant place? Garfield does not seem to be a very significant president, so I do not understand why his memorial is so huge. I suppose it could be like it states to present "dignified classicism" but that could have been anyone, so why him? It maybe could have been this because of his extraordinary life as a scholar, soldier, and president. It could have also been simply because he was assassinated and the U. S. government pitied him and thought he needed a memorial.

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"in the 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush...'I believe God wants me to run for president'..." (pg. 203)

Rhetoric
This quote alludes to God's affect on the presidential office. Bush and McKinley were religious men who used that to justify their actions. This is especially present when Vowell mentions how Filipinos were converted to Christians already. This proves that all through the history of America, God has been a reason for doing many things. These presidents use the excuse of religion for their mainly bad actions. The allusion of God between the past and present presidents explain how God is still apart of the presidential actions.

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"...a colossal Gothic tower...the downtown skyscrapers, a gray-blue blotch of haze that might be Lake Erie." (pg. 189)

Evaluation
I judge this to be good writing. The descriptive words used to describe James Garfield's tomb are so beautiful. The audience can real feel and see how beautiful the tomb looks and the scenery around it. From her view of the burial, she looks out and tells the audience exactly what she sees. Vowell has a reputation of just writing whatever pops in her head, but this is a part when what she says is stunning. This part really does define the purpose of establishing what Garfield's tomb really looked like.

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"...Smith ordered his troops to retaliate by shooting to kill every Filipino capable of bearing arms. When asked to pin down a minimum age for the murderees, Smith decided on ten." (pg. 205)

Rant
This section of the text is truly disgusting and appalling to me. How anyone can shot a ten year old and live with it. Most of the time, people were just racist so they would shot to kill everyone. These U. S. soldiers would just end these peoples lives because they did not like a person's skin color or when they came from. The soldiers would kill a ten year old and would move on with their life. There should not be a circumstance when someone can kill a ten year old and move on with their life. Smith appears to be an awful man who should not have been a general of the U. S. military.

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"Czolgosz was a sad pathetic figure...he was the one psycho killer in Assassins who never gets a laugh. He is as drab and morose as Charles Guiteau is snappy." (pg. 214)

Reflection
I relate to this section because I, too, sometimes feel "pathetic" and "drab". I definitely fell as though if I had a biography those would be two words used to describe me. Of course, I never assassinated someone so that is where Czolgosz and I differ. I do seem to be happy and laugh a lot, but I do feel drab and sad on the inside. After everything people go through in life, sometimes it is not always easy for people to smile and laugh. Especially someone who murders a president, they do not probably have a lot of happiness in their life.

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"Truth was, Czolgosz hadn't held a job in years...Czolgosz suffered some sort of mysterious breakdown, quit working, and started to study socialism and then anarchism..." (pg. 215)

Interpretation
In this section of the text, Vowell intends to educate the audience on how Czolgosz got into his deadly mindset. It transitions the section that says he killed McKinley for not treating the workers right to an explanation about how he became an anarchist. Vowell explains how that came to be chronologically. From when he first lost his job to when he started studying anarchism. This excerpt gives the simple meaning of how Czolgosz came to do what and why he did what he did. Vowell first mentions how Czolgosz killed McKinley for the workers, then how he hadn't had a job in years, but then he started studying socialism to tie all the contradictions together.

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"Now I don't care what it looks like. They could have carved it out of chewed bubble gum and I would think of it fondly." (pg. 248)

Interpretation
In this portion of the text, Vowell transforms from being an architectural snob to someone who knows it's not all about the outside. She evaluates the outside of these buildings, then she flashes back to her conversation with her grandfather. This remembrance of the conversation they had brings her back to what the purpose of this memorial is truly about. This also gives the reader a wake up call about what people had to go to and what it means to other people, not just how aesthetically pleasing it is to the eye. Vowell alludes back to World War II and what the men fighting had to go through in order for her to see the importance of this monument, despite it's outward appearance.

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"Because the whole time I stand around reading his speeches, searching his eyes, I feel like I'm bringing Abraham Lincoln back to life." (pg. 251)

Evaluation
This quote from the text exemplifies the good writing Vowell produces. She discusses reading his speeches at the memorial and keeping the presidential Lincoln alive. Then she talks about "searching his eyes" like it is actually the eyes of Lincoln and not his marble statue. She brings him back to life again by saying she is really searching his eyes, seeing him as a person. In the final part of this quote she directly states that she does feel she is truly bringing Lincoln back to life. Vowell uses all parts of the sentence to achieve her purpose of detailing how she can bring Lincoln back to the living just by visiting his memorial.

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"They shot him too." (pg. 255)

Rant
The rant I have chosen has to do with the very final words of the novel and why I have such an issue with them. I usually love abrupt endings when appropriate, but this one seemed out of place. I understand why Vowell thought this would be a good ending. A sentence that would make people think more in depth. It would make the audience think about all the people who have been assassinated. On the other hand, I feel as though there could have been a deeper discussion for the conclusion. She could have mentioned what her pilgrimage taught her or how her life has been forever altered by this experience. She could have also tied it back into history, hers or Americas. It just seems as though this novel stops and does not have a proper ending that a novel like this should posses.