The trail on the true identity of Martin Guerre has drawn the interests of scholars and historians for centuries, allowing for details of the case to be preserved right up to the present. Popular interest was rekindled in the tale of Martin Guerre through the work of historian Natalie Zemon Davis’ book The Return of Martin Guerre, which interpreted the primary source literature in a new and original light. This interpretation has drawn sharp criticism from fellow historians such as Robert Finlay, who sees Davis’s work as misinterpreting and manipulating the evidence to allow for her original interpretation of the events. It is my opinion that Davis’s account of the case of Martin Guerre is unfounded and fabricated, and that Finlay’s criticism
Reading Response Two In the village of My Lia in Vietnam on March 16th 1968 roughly five hundred innocent Vietnamese villagers were executed by, an enraged United State army called Charlie Company which, after decades of being covered up and buried to keep the United States Armed forces images polished will go down in the annals of war history as the My Lia Massacre. Sgt. Ron Haeberle a photographer with Charlie company snapped pictures of burned homes littered with charred villagers and corpses strewn through the dirt paths along with other war photos, which Haeberle published to Life and Time magazines in November of 1969 catapulting the crimes committed to national as well as international spotlight.
Cynthia Ann Parker was born in Illinois between June 2, 1824 and May 31, 1825 and moved to central Texas by the age of nine with her family. Cynthia Ann Parker makes her mark on history on May 19, 1936; this would be the day she and four others including her brother would be kidnapped by Caddo, Comanche, and Kiowa. Parker was approximately ten years old when she was snatched from the only home she knew “Fort Parker” with her parents and siblings and force into Comanche life (Lone Star). “Fort Parker was built for protection against an attack, built walls around the settlement and established a base for Texas Rangers” (Cynthia). Fort Parker was meant as a safe haven for the whole family, but little did it protect against what it was built for.
Stephen Puleo wanted to tell the story of The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919, so he did. Puleo is an author, historian, university teacher, public speaker, and a communications professional. Some of his works are the “Boston Italians”, “A City So Grand”, and “Dark Tide”. While I was reading this book, I was amazed of how big and fast the Molasses was moving down the streets of Boston. You wouldn 't think of molasses moving fast.
During the course of the semester in my History 395 class we have read three historical monographs that covers a wide range of ordinary people in history. The first monograph we read was The Return of Martin Guerre by social and cultural historian Natalie Zemon Davis. The book covers a historical event about a 16th century French man named Martin Guerre who had his identity stolen by Arnaud du Tilh, and the reactions of the village and “his” family. The second monograph we read was Neighbors by political historian Jan T. Gross. The book is about a massacre in the small Jewish town of Jedwabne, Poland during World War II.
The First Stone You can’t make everyone happy. Sometimes the decision of the judges only satisfy some people. In the novel The First Stone, by Don Aker, a young teen by the name Chad “Reef” Kennedy finds himself in a tough situation and his sentencing is being in rehab and doing community service. Reef is responsible for putting Leeza a young girl, in the hospital because of his actions. Since he is in rehab, many people wished he went to jail.
In The Return of Martin Guerre, Natalie Zemon Davis uses her sources through Jean de Coras to recreate and analyze the trials of Arnaud du Tilh, Martin Guerre, and his wife, Bertrande as a microhistory to gain a perspective and a glimpse of life for the average peasant during this time period. Natalie Zemon Davis’ sources are of diverse bases. Her main source, however is from Jean de Coras. Coras was a judge in part of the case in Toulouse. He was present, and his credibility enables him.
When society thinks of the word “childhood,” they imagine it as a precious time for children to be in school and freely play, to grow and learn with the love and support from people dear to their hearts. It is also known to be a cherished period where children are to be innocent and live carefree from fear. However, in the context of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, childhood is viewed as a tough hardship that Jeannette and her siblings have overcame, and the memories they carry has greatly impacted their lives that it has molded them to who they are
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese is a powerful and moving exploration of Indigenous identity, trauma, and resilience novel of an Indigenous boy named Saul. The story is set against the backdrop of Canada's dark history of residential schools, where Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and communities and sent to schools to assimilate into European culture. The trauma of this experience is woven throughout the story, highlighting the lasting impact of colonial policies on Indigenous communities. As Saul grows up and confronts the legacy of his traumatic past, he is forced to grapple with his Indigenous identity and the impact of colonialism and cultural genocide on his community.
The Glass Castle is about four children and their mom and dad, who struggle to get by. They go from day to day with little food and barely a roof over their heads. In this book, it shows how children overcome little guidance and abusive parents while growing up. Jaennette introduces us to her father in the beginning of the book, Rex Walls. He is a father who can't provide for his family because he can't keep a job and focuses more on himself than his children or wife.
In the book Glass Castle, Jeannette and her family don’t let all of the circumstances around them stop them from dreaming any smaller. Perseverance is the persistence of taking action, especially in spite of difficulties. Perseverance is overcoming the tough things in life, and not letting them get the best of you. In fact, for the most part, the Walls’ kids all worked a little harder to reach their goals. Lori, Jeanette, and Brian save up money so Lori can pursue her life outside of Welch, and move to New York City.
The poem, “Siren Song” by Margaret Atwood, embodies the alluring ideas of Daisy Buchanan. The speaker of the poem describes the song she sings that “forces men to leap overboard in squadrons even though they see the beached skulls.” We see Daisy doing the same in The Great Gatsby. She gives Gatsby false promises about how she never loved Tom and that she will divorce Tom in favor of Gatsby. We can almost imagine Gatsby reaching out on his dock towards the green light coming from Daisy’s dock.
All throughout Catherine Chung’s novel Forgotten Country, people choose not to let their feelings be known. Sometimes people want to forget the past and they think that their memories are too painful for them to be worth remembering. However, if one is silent about their feelings, it only makes them harder to be understood. When people cannot understand each other, they grow further apart due to misunderstanding and emotional distance. Silence can even tear apart families.
In the memoir The Glass Castle, journalist Jannette Walls tells the bittersweet story of her childhood struggles and what it was like growing up in poverty. “I lived in a world that at any moment could erupt into fire. It was the sort of knowledge that kept you on your toes.” (pg.34) Walls grows up in a family trailed by broken homes, and she focuses on her untraditional childhood with her parents that were too self-centered and lazy to have steady jobs.
My king, Oedipus, it is an honor to be at your presence. I am grateful that you have asked me to provide you with advice on this matter. It seems to be a great burden on you while you tackle the plague that ravages through this city. I must say that this situation you’ve been placed in is rather foul, especially since people are pointing at you as the culprit. However, I think you are brave searching for the truth still.
