Franklin D. Roosevelt: Man Of Destiny

Franklin D. Roosevelt: Man of Destiny tells of the life and political career of one of the most influential and significant figures in American history. Though most known for his time as president of the United States, FDR’s achievements and accomplishments span far wider than only this. The novel begins with the birth and childhood of Franklin, and details his life as he grew up studying law. It explains how he got into politics, the different positions he held, and his path of power toward the presidency. The book also details the tragedy of Roosevelt getting stricken with Polio and losing the majority of the feeling in his legs. Despite this setback, FDR won the presidential election in 1932 and instituted a plethora of life-changing regulations

Franklin was born into a wealthy family where things came very easily for him. Being his mother’s only child, she tended to spoil him and always give him what he wanted. When Franklin turned eighteen and was taken to Groton, a private school for the wealthy, his mother did not want to see him go. At first, he had a hard time adjusting to life outside of his mother’s protection, but he quickly joined clubs and became more social. During his time at Groton, he followed the news of his distant cousin, President Theodore Roosevelt, as he battled the Spanish at war, though that ended quickly. After graduating from Groton, Franklin started college at Harvard, where most young men of his wealthy position go. The reader discovers how he joined the school newspaper and fell in love with Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, whom was his distant cousin. After marrying Eleanor, which his mother disapproved of, and going through law school, Franklin was approached to run for state senator in 1910. As senator, he was known for strongly opposing the corruption in the Tammany Hall political organization. Though he was elected as state senator, he was offered a job as the assistant secretary of the navy by the new president, Woodrow Wilson. This position that was offered to Roosevelt was the same one that catapulted Teddy to become president, so he gladly accepted. While

Roosevelt: Man of Destiny, it appears that Rebecca Larsen waw unbiased and simply recorded the facts. However, after further looking into the way the novel is written, it can be deduced that it is written with a bias in favor of the titular figure. The author references situations that would turn people against FDR or cause someone to dislike him, but still writes of him in a positive way. An example of this would be early in the novel when it is revealed that Franklin had fallen in love with Lucy Mercer, his wife’s secretary. The author suggests he did not leave Eleanor because it would “destroy his political career”. However, despite his selfish reasoning and personality, FDR is still supported throughout the novel. Also, as the novel comes to a close, Larsen brings up arguments that support Roosevelt, and counter-arguments that are against him. She writes that some remember him as the man who “put the nation back on its feet again” after the Great Depression, while others criticize the growth of government spending that occured when he was president due to all his agencies. However, the author’s conclusion supports FDR when she wrote, “Almost everyone would acknowledge his spirited and forceful leadership during World War II…” and closing statement of, “...he had put his own personal stamp and signature on the nation and the world, and neither would ever be the same”. These things show the author’s bias in favor of Franklin D Roosevelt, while