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“Having a hard life doesn’t justify murder. Insanity might explain it.” Pg. 215
Reflection: I completely agree with this idea, and I can relate this to Hitler. Just because Hitler had an awful childhood, or

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“Having a hard life doesn’t justify murder. Insanity might explain it.” Pg. 215

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“Having a hard life doesn’t justify murder. Insanity might explain it.” Pg.

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“Having a hard life doesn’t justify murder. Insanity might explain it.” Pg. 215
Reflection: I completely agree with this idea, and I can relate this to Hitler.

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“Having a hard life doesn’t justify murder. Insanity might explain it.” Pg. 215
Reflection: I completely agree with this idea, and I can relate this to Hitler. Just because Hitler had an awful childhood, or awful time in

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“Having a hard life doesn’t justify murder. Insanity might explain it.” Pg. 215
Reflection: I completely agree with this idea, and I can relate this to Hitler. Just because Hitler had an awful childhood, or awful time in WWI, doesn’t justify his actions in killing the Jews.

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“Having a hard life doesn’t justify murder. Insanity might explain it.” Pg. 215
Reflection: I completely agree with this idea, and I can relate this to Hitler. Just because Hitler had an awful childhood, or awful time in WWI, doesn’t justify his actions in killing the Jews. Someone’s upbringing can not be used to justify wrong doings. At that point it is your responsibility to do better and grow from hard times.

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“Having a hard life doesn’t justify murder. Insanity might explain it.” Pg. 215
Reflection: I completely agree with this idea, and I can relate this to Hitler. Just because Hitler had an awful childhood, or awful time in WWI, doesn’t justify his actions in killing the Jews. Someone’s upbringing can not be used to justify wrong doings.

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“Having a hard life doesn’t justify murder.

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“Having a hard life doesn’t justify murder. Insanity might explain it.” Pg. 215
Reflection: I completely agree with this idea, and I can relate this to Hitler. Just because Hitler had an awful childhood, or awful time in WWI, doesn’t justify his actions in killing the Jews. Someone’s upbringing can not be used to justify wrong doings. At that point it is your responsibility to do better and grow from hard times.

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“There is one thing that assassinated Americans have in common. Fate seems to grant each man one last good day ... before he bleeds.” Pg 211
Rhetoric: Vowell is trying to tell us that fate can benefit is in the moment, but then knock us down when we least expect it. Sometimes fate is good and you have nothing to worry about, but sometimes you have everything to worry about. Karma and Fate can sometimes be the most dreadful things.

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“Except for the people who were there that one day they Discovered the polio vaccine, being a part of history is rarely a good idea. History is one war after another with a bunch of murders in between.” Pg.208
Interpretation: my interpretation of this line is that history is fun to learn about and study, but not to be a part of. And I would 100% agree with this statement because I love learning about history, but it’s mostly just war. The Cold War, the Vietnam war, WW 1, WW 2, etc. There are some positives with history, for example the Poloio Vaccince like she mentioned, but besides that it’s mostly just war if you think about it.

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“If bad institutions and bad men can be got rid of only by killing, them the killing must be done.” Pg.198
Interpretation: By adding this line, Vowell is trying to explain to us other people’s thinking. This comment, if you think about it justifies all of the Assassins’ actions towards all of our presidents. I’m not condoning their actions, but this is truly what some people believe and it is what the assassins believe. Even though the presidents were doing good by some people, doesn’t mean that other people saw it as good. If you didn’t agree with their views or felt personally attacked, then you could potentially see them as a bad man. And if you believe the statement up above, then the killing of the bad man is justified.

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“He handed back the lamb informing the nurse, ‘I like spooky stuff’.”  Pg.190
Basic: I wonder how Owen’s mom feels about Vowell being able to influence Owen’s personality so greatly. As a mom, I’m not sure I would appreciate that, but on the other hand, be personally I love ‘spooky stuff’ aswell. My favorite holiday is Halloween, but I also love other things as well. I believe that as Owen gets older he will expand his interests but as of right now it is mostly only what Vowell has exposed him to. I love reading about the relationship she has with Owen though because it makes me happy and warms my heart.

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“Guiteau then went on to compare himself to Napoleon, Jesus, the apostle Paul and Martin Luther.” Pg. 173
Basic: what on earth makes it okay for an awful person to some how rationalize that they’re comparable to good people? Guiteau is in no way shape or form like Jesus or Martin Luther. Those were good people with good intentions, Guiteau was the complete opposite. I just don’t understand how people can be so backwards sometimes, thinking that their actions are justified when they’re not.

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“There is a new development in Garfield Pilgrimage- other pilgrims.” Pg. 166
Basic: I wonder if Vowell felt strange because she wasn’t the only one that was interested in the plaque. I don’t think she is use to having others interested by the same things she is so I think it caught her off guard. But why would she feel strange that other people are interested instead of excited?

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“To me, every plaque, no matter what words are inscribed on it, says the same magic informative thing: Something happened!” Pg. 159
Rave: I can relate to this because when I go to mueseums, I litterally read every piece of information I can you soak up all of the knowledge. I agree with Vowell that every plaque there is something informative, and I appreciate the fact that she wrote this because it makes me feel like i’m Not the only one out there that appreciates history or knowledge as much as i do.

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“Conkling’s statue ... wears no such name tag. “Roscoe Conkling” is all that’s chiseled at his feet, as of to taunt, “Don’t you know who I am?” He ran this town, this state, the whole country sometimes, and now, standing catty-corner from a Dunkin’ Doughnuts, the only attention he is paid is from the dogs and drunks peeing at his granite shoes.” Pg. 152
Rhetoric: These lines are showing how Conkling, such a great man then, has now been forgotten. Vowell is showing the decay of Conkling’s figure throughout the times. Vowell describes how his statue is no longer paid any attention except for the “dogs and drunks”. By saying this, it shows how his statue is no longer paid attention to, and how his figure and rememberance has decayed within our society.

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“Only president Grover Cleveland... did not serve. (He paid a polish immigrant $150 to replace him in the draft).” Pg. 154
Basic: I wonder what makes people not want to serve. Is it the fear of death? The fear of not coming home to your family? Personally, I would rather serve in the military than to pay 150 for a replacement. One, because I have thought about already serving, and two, I’m cheap.

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“The wrath of god burns against them, their damnation does not slumber, the pit is prepared, the fire is made and ready... the flames do now rage and glow.” Pg. 149
Evaluation: This is a sermon written by Edwards in 1741 we read in class. This sermon is describing us as sinners. This is a good line to bring into the book because all of us are sinners, but the Assassins have sinned more than we have; considering they’ve committed murder. This line is basically saying that their suffering for their actions is insured. The ‘fire is made ready’, so as soon as you commit sin, you are able to be thrown into the fire.

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“... the whole idea being maintaining group stability, group harmony.” Pg. 146
Reflection: I can relate this whole idea of ‘group counseling’ or ‘group help’ to a book I read in 8th grade. I don’t remember the name of the book, but I do remember that it was about a boy who misbehaved and was sent to an ‘Indian group conseling’ to help him behave and become a better person.

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“Garfield’s assassination meant he would miss out on so much...” Pg. 133
Basic: Why does death come so sudden? You could litterally die anywhere, anytime, even if your life is incomplete. I struggle sometimes with the idea of death for this very reason. Why does it end for some when it seems like it really wasn’t suppose to?

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“... an Archie forever whiplashed between the Veronixa of conkling and the Betty of Blaine.” Pg. 132
Rave: I absolutely love this reference to the Archie comic books. And for those who have read them or are familer with the comics and the characters have a bit of advantage of understanding of Garfield being ‘trapped’ between the republicans and democrats.

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“A black woman with white hair walks past, staring at me. Smiling she yells, Emancipation Proclamation!” ... Calling out over her shoulder, “Freed the slaves, amen!” Pg. 119
Evaluation: These couple sentences add a sense of warmth and friendliness to her writing. The fact that this woman felt so proud of licoln and her freedom made me smile. I believe it was a good idea to add this into the book because it gives us more of a realization that all of this stuff actually happened and it is still relevant tosau

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“I really feel sorry for John Wilkes.” Pg. 96
Basic: How can you feel sorry for him though? It’s hard for me to find a piece of me that would give him any pitty, but then again he is a human, just like the rest of us; except for the fact he killed one of our presidents.

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“Subtext: You’ll be happy to know he really suffered.” Pg. 96
Reflection: I can relate to this because there have been people that have hurt me before that I wish they suffered just as much as I had when I was hurt. But the problem is, that mindset is not always justifiable. In the case of Lincoln and Booth maybe, but it depends on moral beliefs.

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“I haven’t decided if he deserved to eat bread made out of sticks or live in a rancid puddle. Probably because I haven’t made up my mind whether anyone deserves such treatment...”
Basic: My question is, how exactly can we decide wether people deserve treatment like this? Where can we draw the line? Do we decide based on morals or facts? What drives our decisions on how to treat others?

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“Can you imagine a frail man eating a poor diet having to carry a hundred—and-twenty-eight-pound projectile?” Pg. 72
Rhetoric: Vowell uses this line to further explain how these Assassins end up carry the weight of their crimes no matter what. Whether they carry it mentally, emotionally, or physically. And this is not just representing the assassins, but all of the other criminals wandering about.

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“... famous on board ... I am famous on board... I am famous for wedding myself...” Pg 66-67
Rhetoric: On the last paragraph of page 66 and into 67, Vowell repeats the phrase “I am famous” for each line while she tries to describe her awful time on this boat. By repeating this line and describing her being famous for her sea sickness, she is drawing a connection to all of the assassins in the book. These assassins are famous for no good, like Vowell is “famous” on the boat for also no good (throwing up).

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“...Mud plays dumb, claiming that he didn’t recongize Booth because Booth was wearing a fake beard at the time-lame.” Pg 61
Rave: I enjoy this line because it shows a bit of Vowell’s personality. She is so intrigued by everything about history, and all the small details and she always gets so excited except for the fact that Booth was wearing a fake beard. Her comment of it being lame makes it seem like she might be a bit bored of the story, it’s like she was expecting something more interesting. Which is funny because it seems that she finds everything in history interestimg

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“I remember the first time I saw him. It was in an art gallery at an exhibition of crime photos.” Pg 40
Evaluation: This line is important to the text because it gives the audience more insight to how close she feels with history and her studies. Reading the first sentence gives you a sense of warmth and farmilerity and makes you feel as if you also remember the first time you meant Booth.

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“Blood, blood, my thoughts seemed drench in it ... it was on everything. The bed had been covered with blood—“ Pg 31
Rhetoric: Vowell decides to use the line from Fanny’s diary because it gives the reader an image of how awful the assassination of Secretary of State Seward was. This imagery captivates the reader and really allows them to experience what Fanny also experienced.

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“... I leave the memorial knowing that the fact that Lincoln got to serve his whole first term is kind of a miracle.” Pg 28
Basic: A question I have about this quote is what are her religious views? It seems that she is not active in the church, considering in the preface she claimed the Lincoln Memorial to be the closest place she had to s church, but this line preludes to maybe a bit of a sipirtual or higher being belief. A miracle is something caused by something divine, so what does Vowell belief?

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“He’s a writer. And in his sarcasm and his writing, he is who he is.” Pg 26
Rave: I believe this is a great example of good writing because she is explifing herself through Lincoln. She is sarcastic and loves to write, and in This way according to her (much like Lincoln) she is able to be who she truly is. For example, throw back to the Preface when she felt like she didn’t have much to bring to the table while she was sitting down with a couple of people at the B&B, she felt that she was too different and didn’t have anything much of interest or worth to bring to the conversation. But writing is her safe haven, she is able to write about what she truly cares about, and those who also care will take the time to read and digest her work. And this is why I believe she as refers to the Lincoln memorial as being her church because for most, church is a safe haven. But her her, it’s Lincoln because she can relate.

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“Shuffling past the Lincoln statue, I pause under the white marble feet, swaying back and forth a little so it looks like his knees move.” Pg 26
Interpretation: Vowell seems to be using this line to further signify her purpose of this book, the purpose being to bring these political figures alive and keep them alive. I say this because by her “swaying to make his knees look like they move” is symbolic of her bringing Lincoln back in motion, metaphorically, she is breathing life back into him as well as these other Presidents and the Presidental Assassins.

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“Presidents and presidential assassins are like Las Vegas and Salt Lake City that way. Even though one city is all about sin and the other is all about salvation, they are identical...” Pg 7
Reflection: I thought this was a profound comparison because I had never thought about how similar our presidents and their assassins are so alike. As soon as I read thhese lines, I immediately thought of the reputation of Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. They’re so different from eachother  in evil and good but yet they’re both cities built off of the same beliefs.

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"I am a black hole of breakfast, a silent void of gloom sucking the sunshine out of their neighborly New England day." Pg 2
Evaluation: This quote is a prime example of great writing. It's a witty comment and begins to show how she might be a little bit socially awkward.

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"One night last summer, all the killers in my head assembled on stage in Massachusetts to sing show tunes." Pg 1
Evaluation: I believe this is a great way to begin the book because it shows that she is straight forward and shows that she will be blunt throughout the book.