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"One man who makes cameo appearances in all three stories was not so lucky"

Basic:
I wonder why Vowell consistently brings RObert T. Lincoln into the story. Although it is very obvious that she has a fascination with him, as well as his son, she never actually touches on why she does. She does touch on the idea that he has connections to some of the assassinations, but is that all?

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"I looked away from my computer and over at a frame on my wall..." pg. 12

Evaluation:
This entire paragraph seems very unnecessary. She takes a very childish approach to the writing. It is also just a random story about her life. I truly am not overly surprised, for she has been very random throughout the beginning of this novel already. It fits in with the style of writing, but is not very sophisticated.

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"'Yeah, that's the one. Assassinations are your Kevin Bacon.'" pg. 13

Reflection:
This moment is very relatable. My friends and I are constantly joking about each other and our weird hobbies. The way her friend comments on her assassination fetish is simply comical. It shows that all people, including her friends, know about this fascination. She is open about it, all while her friends make fun of her.

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"Booth's plan was to kill the nation's top three leaders so the federal government would dissolve into chaos." pg. 30

Rant/Rave:
This annoys me. I feel like she is very opinionated, but also very unrealistic. She has her own made up scenarios about all of the topics she speaks of. It is basically like a conspiracy theory, which I am not a fan of. Hopefully she uses more facts throughout this later on.

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"As when a lordly cedar, green with boughs, Goes down with a great shout upon the hills..." pg. 39

Rhetoric:
This is a use of emotion. By incorporating this poem, Vowell uses literature to pull emotion out of her audience. This also further develops her argument. She constantly compares Lincoln to a God-Like figure, and this poem suppors that.

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"'They don't make any mention that he was a bad guy..." pg.42

Basic:
I am not questioning the writing here, rather the actual fact itself. Why is this so? Why are people usually remembered for their goodness, rather than their worst. Other than, when they do something horrible such as assassinate a president. When people become famous, they are remembered for their most monumental actions, instead of who they are.

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"'Around here, for someone like that, there's usually a plaque." pg. 44

Interpretation:
This has a deeper meaning. I feel as though this means that people are commonly celebrated for their actions. The quote claims that. No matter what the award is, people will publicly praise anyone they feel deserving. They also do it in their area in order to prove that their own people are doing successful things.

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"Every time I take a five-dollar bill out of my wallet, I looked at the engraving of Lincoln's head..." pg.51

Reflection:
This is relatable. When people keep something that has meaning to them, the meaning often resurfaces when they revisit it. For example, I have a picture of me and my ex boyfriend in my wallet from prom. This sounds so stupid, which it is, but whenever I take it out to see what it is, all of the memories come flooding back. I feel that this is similar to the occurrence that Vowell writes about here.

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"When Mudd was arrested for aiding and abetting the assassin, the doctor claimed he didn't recognize the actor..." pg.59

Rave/Rant:
This is so fake. I know people today that act like this. They want to be so involved in everything, including the bad. But, as soon as things get exposed, they run and pretend it didn't happen. I hate people like this. Why can't people just own up to their actions instead of blaming everyone else?

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

Interpretation:
This relates to one of my previous posts. Even Vowell is able to forgive Mudd. This is all due to the plaque. I earlier questioned why people get rewarded when they do horrible things, however this gives reason. His actions were monumental, and the plaque is not up as praise, rather awareness.

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"After leaving Dr. Mudd's house … currently displayed in the museum..." pg. 81

Basic:
What is her view on Mudd? Does she like him? Has she truly forgiven him? Her thoughts on Mudd are very unclear, for she speaks of him in very different ways each time he is spoken upon. I simply cannot tell what her stance is in regards to the doctor.

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"We come to a small, peaceful clearing." pg. 86

Evaluation:
This is another example of good writing. Imagery has so far proven to be one of her strongest writing strategies. She is able to paint a very vivid picture of what she is experiencing. I feel as though this is something she truly wants to happen. She wants to take her audience with her on her journey as much as possible, and this is a very effective way to do so.

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"I ask how the museum came into possession of its Booth specimen." pg. 94

Reflection:
This moment is very relatable. I have been in many situations where I notice something that catches my eye. These situations often provoke questions, which is exactly what happened here. I enjoy how she is very into her journey, and I relate to her interest. Just in ways not regarding the assassination of presidents.

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"Perhaps this is the approach Dr.Mudd's grandson Richard should have taken." pg.102

Rhetoric:
This is almost a rhetorical question. Although a question is not directly asked, it is clear that one is being implied. This causes the audience to join the author in thought regarding the topic she brings to light, which is one of Vowell's main goals. She wants her audience to be involved just as she is.

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"Inside the brick perimeter is a vast grassy courtyard dotted with palms." pg.69

Evaluation:
The writing in this paragraph is very good. The imagery is very good as well. Her words create a very good image of the area she is visiting. This is a good break from her often thought driven writing. All of her descriptions have been very good.

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"Any old forgettable rich guy might warrant a marble tomb, ab obelisk, or elaborate sculptures after death..." pg.109

Interpretation:
This thoroughly shows some of her thoughts. She is stating that while all of these things are cool to have, they are not unique. She seeks pleasure in things that are unique and have significant meaning. These desires are proven in this paragraph.

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"That phrase "whether ever, I may return" is pretty poignant considering he would return, but in a long black casket decked with silver stars and fringe." pg.115

Rant/Rave:
I like this statement. At the start of this novel, I was not a fan of her writing. I do now, appreciate it. I enjoy her sarcasm and bluntness, which is shown in this quote. Her joking manner makes the topic much more readable, for politics would not be of much interest to me if it were displayed in a factual or serious tone. This prevents the typical history book like feel.

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"Americans knew more details about Garfield's breath and blood than they did about their own lungs..." pg.124

Basic:
Is she implying that some people cared more about the president than themselves? This would not surprise me, for many people often idolize them. This was, however, a gross way to state this. I cannot tell if she means this, or that people are just usually very knowledgeable about their political leaders. Either way, I am not one of those people.

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"Every man that loved slavery better than liberty was a Democrat..." pg.129

Basic:
What is her political viewpoint? I know we have discussed it before but I do not remember. For some reason, I have never been able to keep my parties straight. Honestly, I still don't really know the difference. Is she herself a Democrat? Or is she some other party?

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"Sumner was my friend; though I have never been blind to his follies yet I believed in him as an honest and faithful man." pg.133

Interpretation:
This quote is very relatable. I believe that in other words, Sarah used this quote to display something deeper. This quote means to me that Garfield believed his friend, all while knowing that he did not always do right. Even with this is mind, Garfield had faith in his friend. This is a reason to support Garfield, which may be why it was included in the novel.

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"One winter night in my kitchen, as I poured peppermint tea into my friend Lisa's cup..." pg.137

Rant/Rave:
This is a rant. Throughout this novel, Sarah has been known to put useless information into her writing. This is an example of this. While stating something that could have been a simple statement, she tends to throw in useless information. While this does affect the tone, I feel as though it can sometimes distract from her true purpose or the factual statement itself. I am unsure of her motive.

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"One real advantage of visiting historic sites... is the endearing glow of hometown pride." pg.140

Reflection:
Hometown pride is a big deal around Karns. Especially to me. Although I am not originally from here, I love Tennessee. I take a lot of pride in where I live, as well as the school I go to. The community we live in is so caring and genuine and it has given me memories that will follow me for the rest of my life. Whether good or bad, this hometown pride will forever be a piece of my heart.

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"Despite its harshness, Mutual Criticism cleared the air, disinfecting the tension..." pg.145

Rhetoric:
This is an oxymoron. Mutual Criticism? Usually criticism is against one person or a group of people, so having it be mutual seems kind of contradicting. Mutually critiquing seems more like arguing or simply communicating.

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"Its not the bullet that kills you, its the hole." pg.160

Interpretation:
This has a deeper meaning. I believe this means that the bullet itself does not kill you, rather the injury does. The weapon never has the power to kill you, only what happens with and to you can. Just as many other things. Nothing has the power to hurt you until it truly affects you, which is not always in your control. In terms of a bullet, it is not. Which, from some angles, can seem very confusing.

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"...gradually the conviction settled on me that the President's removal was a political necessity..." pg.169

Basic:
I do not understand how people can think this way. Just as Booth, Guiteau believed he was doing right by his actions. It is known today that his actions were not correct and did not have the results he hoped for. But, at the time, was it different? Did people truly agree with him? Could assassination truly seem like a good idea when in the moment?

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"Then, after the prosecutor brought up the minor matter of the commandment "Thou shall not kill…" pg.173

Rhetoric:
Comparing the assassinations to the Bible is yet another example of Sarah making these assassinations into a higher power. The similarity of the Ten Commandments and the rules of the court support her fetish, which is most likely her reason for including this encounter.

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"Before reciting his weird poem, Guiteau said to his death witnesses... I am going to the Lordy!" pg.178

Interpretation:
Guiteau was attempting to send a message. He was still faithful, which may relate back to the idea that he believed his actions were justified. He most likely believed that God wanted him to do what he did, which explains this poem. He is so confident in going to the Lord, which is odd for someone that has committed murder.

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"The McKinley museum displays the silk bag where Ida kept her yarn and knitting needles, complete with a photograph of her dead husband affixed inside." pg.192

Basic:
I find this interesting. These museums often display lots of items from the relatives of the dead Presidents. Are they actually interested in these pieces or do they display them simply to show more about the President? Do the relatives matter? Or is it just more information?

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"The architecture of the Pan-American Exposition was built to be torn down..." pg.194

Evaluation:
This writing was very sophisticated. It was a nice break from her often sarcastic tone. It also impresses me the way she is able to talk about the structures and engineering behind all of the museums and statues she visits. I know she is a well known and good writer, so I probably should not be surprised that she is also very intelligent.

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"...one of the exhibits embodied this revisionist history zeitgeist." pg.202

Basic:
What does this mean? The word 'zeitgeist' is foreign to me. In addition, the entire phrase is extremely confusing. What is a revisionist? What does zeitgeist mean? I have never heard this word before. And, in context, it makes the entire phrase and paragraph confusing and unsure.

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"I happened to be conducting an internet search for "imperialism and McKinley" when I stumbled onto an editorial..." pg.208

Reflection:
I often do this. I will be searching for something, just to find something else. Most of the time it is unintentional. These findings are typically more interesting than what I was originally looking for. Sometimes, it can even give me more information on what I was looking for that I didn't even know could be helpful.

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"...it must have hurt him to the quick to be so cruelly misjudged by the very people to whom he had come for inspiration" pg.218

Interpretation:
This statement has deeper meaning and I slightly confusing at first glance. I believe it is implying a relationship between two people that includes unkind treatment. Very often, people are hurt by those that used to love them. Those that they look up to are the ones that ruin their minds, and those that are supposed to give people passion are the ones that take it away.

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"The President is critically ill, his condition is grave, oxygen is being given, absolutely no hope." pg.227

Rhetoric:
This is an appeal to emotion. It promotes a sense of urgency. Seeing the monogram that was received at the time of death puts the reader in the same situation that the actual reader was in at the time. This is another way Sarah takes the audience on the journey with her, for it allows us to experience emotions while reading about her adventures and findings.

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"The sorry-you-got-shafted shaft..." pg.233

Evaluation:
This quote is an example of the form of writing that keeps my interest. If she were to have approached this topic with a serious tone and included no humor, I would not be able to read it. I personally hate history, making her sarcasm a way for me to read about it without hating the novel. All in all, I like Sarah. I do not, however, like the overall topic of the book that she is discussing.

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"When he described what is was like to be invited to Lincoln's White House..." pg.247

Rant/Rave:
Sarah annoys me sometimes. She is so obsessed with the Presidents. As someone that hates history, this is extremely hard to understand. How can someone love history this much? What about it could possibly be so interesting to her? I know she has been explaining her reasoning throughout the novel, but I still don't get it. Her reasons and interests bore me.

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"Here I've been under the impression that every time I come here to the Lincoln Memorial I am cheating death."

Basic:
This is another example of something that does not make sense to me in regards to her reasoning. How can she be so interested in these Presidents that she feels like her presence brings them back to life? Does she know how crazy she is? Does she truly believe these things to be true, or does she know she is simply imagining it all?