Writing Prompt: One SUMMARY; One PARAPHRASE; One QUOTE:
1) Using paragraphing and apt quotations, summarize Part I.
2) Paraphrase a significant passage from Part I and in a brief paragraph explain to your reader why the passage is significant to the text as a whole.
3) Find a significant quote from Part I, and in a brief, well-developed paragraph, explain to your reader why the quote is significant to the text as a whole.
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Summery:
ReplyDeleteThe beginning chapter of, “In the Garden of Beasts”, introduces the main character W. E. Dodd along with exploring his reasons and motives for accepting the ambassador position located in Berlin. Dodd is tired of his job as a Chicago professor and aggravated that the position leaves him no time to write the four volume book series that he longs to finish. He begins searching for a job that will allow him time to finish his books. Having had a good relationship with former president Woodrow Wilson and also meeting the current president FDR, Dodd’s name arose when talk of filling the ambassador position in Berlin began. Though not Roosevelt’s first choice, Dodd was asked for the position. He is hesitant, but accepts, gathering his family together for an exciting time of fellowship in Germany. This role wouldn’t allow much time for his writing either, but would satisfy Dodd with an extravagant accomplishment.
Paraphrase:
While in Washington attending a reception, Dodd meets Wilbur Carr and Jay Moffat, both of which write of being displeased with the appointment of Dodd as ambassador. The book also later states that the majority of people attending the reception perceived Dodd to be a very poor fit for the occupation he had just accepted. This is important, because it relates to the authors research question of how Hitler came to so much power. Hearing from characters in the book, who believe Dodd shouldn’t have been in Berlin, adds evidence to why things went wrong. Having the wrong representation of America in Germany played a role in Hitler’s rise to power.
Quote:
“She, (Martha), saw Hitler as a clown who looked like Charlie Chaplin.”
This is an important quote because it not only shows Martha’s unserious attitude towards Hitler, but it represents the way that no one really took Hitler seriously. No one realized, until it was too late, the destructive capability that Hitler had. If America had taken what they heard, of the violent beatings and murders in Germany, and reacted with concern and even fear, the Hitler regime may not have grown with such power. Everybody underestimated Hitler’s authority.
Summery:
ReplyDeleteThe Beginning chapter of the book, “In The garden of Beasts”, introduces the main character W. E. Dodd and his desires and why he took the ambassador position in Berlin Germany. In the Beginning of part one Erick Larson shows us that Dodd was tired of his old job as a professor at Chicago University. Also very discouraged that he won’t finish his Four Volume series called “The rise and fall of the old south”. He sets out find a job that would let him finish his four volume book he has long waited to finish. Dodd had a close relationship with the former President Woodrow Wilson and also getting to know the current president at that time Franklin Theodore Roosevelt. Dodd got behind Roosevelts campaign in 1932. Well some of Dodd good friends where close with the president and his name came up when trying to pick the position of ambassador for berlin Germany. He accepted the offer and took his family on a new part of their lives.
Paraphrase:
The book later informs us that Dodd might have been the best person for the position of ambassador and later explains to us that since we had the wrong representation in Germany during this time tells us that this might have been a cause of Hitler’s control of Germany.
Quote:
Wise would describe Roosevelt as “Immovable, incurable and even inaccessible excepting to those of his Jewish friends whom he can safely trust not to trouble him with any Jewish problems”. This is significant to me because this shows me the lack of care or even leadership by Dodd and Roosevelt. Because they knew that there was problems and the Nazis were mistreating them. This shows me right off the bat there is leadership problems.
Dustin Parsons
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
Freshman Comp
11/6/15
Summary:
In Chapter one of In the Garden of Beasts, It starts off by telling some personal stuff, such as who Martha was and how her and Dodd, who is the main character of the novel, found each other and married. it then goes on to talk about how he went to the university of Chicago to teach, but ended up not liking the job. so then he started to pursue the political career. He later gets a job as an ambassador. the following chapters are about how his name got thrown into the air to be ambassador and how he wasn't the first choice for ambassador. he later has to make a choice at ambassador. part one is just about how his life was affected after accepting the position.
Paraphrase:
In Chapter one on page nineteen, the first new paragraph, is a very key passage to the whole part one. it talks about how nobody in the world ever expected what was to come. how the power to do what he did was unimaginable. It talks about how Hitler was coming across to everybody as a peaceful person by committing himself to peace and he pledged the disarmament of other countries. nobody expected and could even imagine something as bad as what was soon to come.
Quote:
In the same paragraph as the above paraphrase there is a quote that goes "There existed at this time a widespread perception that Hitler's government could not possibly endure." This quote talks about how nobody really knew the power hitler had. It talks about that the strength of the current army and government could not do anything to affect the population that it did. Just nobody could ever imagine something going bad.
Dumar Camacho
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
Freshman Composition
6 November 2015
Summary, Paraphrase, and Quote in Part 1
In part 1 of the book “In the Garden of the Beasts”, W.E. Dodd is introduced as the main character and who the book is going to be revolved around. He started being a professor in Chicago that later goes on to accepting a spot as an ambassador in Berlin, Germany which was an opportunity was opened by having a good relationship with the former president Woodrow Wilson. He accepted this job for various reasons such as that he was annoyed or sad that he was not able to finish his writings as he wanted to do so. He wanted to finish his Four Volume series, “The rise and fall of the Old South.” He thought this new job would let him get back to his writings he much wanted to get done. His life was going to change completely as he was going to start completely new in another country.
W.E. Dodd was going to Berlin, Germany with a dream and hope to finish something he had started while also accepting a position as an ambassador. When Dodd became ambassador, not everyone thought he was right for the job and thought he could not handle the position. During this time is when Hitler was coming to power but came through as a very peaceful and kind man. We will soon see the connection and how Hitler’s reign also affected everyone in Germany including Dodd.
“Depending on one's point of view, Germany was experiencing a great revival or a savage darkening." This quote explains how people expected something good from Hitler but he could either bring a great revival or things could just go really bad. From the history that we know, we know how Hitler ends up becoming a dictator and not being the person people thought he was at all. As we will see later on in the book, Germany was on a downfall during these years.
Megan Pliauplis
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
Freshman Composition
6 November 2015
Summary:
Part 1 of Larson's "In the Garden of Beasts" is all about introducing the main characters. The character most talked about is Dodd. He is chosen as an ambassador for Germany, but realizes that he is not the right man for the job. He was chosen because the president of the United States was fond of him and trusted in him. He was originally a professor, but liked writing history better than teaching history. Dodd eventually starts looking for a job that would help him be able to keep writing which leads to how he was chosen as an ambassador.
Paraphrase:
On the first page of Chapter 5, Larson talks about how Martha was very upset of the life that she was leaving behind. Martha gave little thought about how different Hitler's world is compared to the world that she is used to. This goes to show that nobody really took the time to think about what Hitler is really capable of.
Quote:
On the top of page 41, Larson writes more about Martha thinking about Hitler. "Like many others in America at this time and elsewhere in the world, she could not imagine him lasting very long or being taken seriously." This quote is relevant to the text as a whole because it shows that nobody in America and other places of the world was expecting what was to come. Everybody underestimated Hitler which is why he eventually became so powerful. Nobody cared to pay attention.
Roger Tinsley
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
ENGL 1003
6 November 2015
Summary, Paraphrase, and Quote Part 1
Summary: The beginning of part 1 starts with some background info on how on how William E. Dodd got to the University of Chicago and how the "telephone call that forever changed the lives of the Dodd family" happened. It then says that Dodd did go to University of Leipzig in Germany to get his doctorate. He publically supported Woodrow Wilson and saw "Franklin Roosevelt as Wilson's equal." In chapter 2 it begins by saying that "no one wanted the job." Then how Roosevelt reached out to James M. Cox who had been a "candidate for president with Roosevelt as his running mate." But he said no after a letter from Roosevelt. Later it says that "Commerce Secretary Roper remembered his friend and told the president how about William E. Dodd." When the call happened it took Roosevelt gave him two hours to think about. He knew his life would never be the same again.
Paraphrase: To start off the book some background info is given about the William E. Dodd and his family and his work. Then came the dreaded phone call that changed their lives forever in which Roosevelt gave Dodd two hours to think it over. Then it talks about how Dodd's daughter got married and wrote her husband a letter about the decision and how she was immature.
Quote: The last sentence on page 20 before the second to last paragraph it said "Roosevelt gave him two hours." this to me shows how serious Roosevelt was taking this task. I would have gave Dodd at least a day or two but two hours is not enough time and thats why i think if he would gave him more time it would have been better.
Dina Fajardo
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
ENGL 1003
06 November
Summary:
Part one in, "In the Garden of Beasts", it starts off by introducing the characters. We know who Dodd is and his whole life story, that gives reasons to why he decided to be the ambassador in Berlin. Some of the other characters we are introduced to are his wife and kids, knowing more about his daughter and how much he loves her. We then learned more about how Dodd got the position as ambassador, and how no one put much thought about who they are sending as an ambassador. Dodd knew this, yet he took the position hoping he would make something of himself and finish he four volume series. The rest of part one is about Dodd's final days in the U.S and his first night in Berlin.
Paraphrase:
Germany's army was limited, they were no where near as strong as the military forces of their neighbors. The Nazi party were being violent but after a while, Hitler announced to be peaceful, which the world believed and sighed with relief. No one gave much thought to kind of person Hitler was, or how powerful he would become in the following years.
Quote:
"By this point he had begun to dread leaving Chicago and his old life... The family experienced what Martha described later as "a disproportionate amount of sadness and foreboding." Dodd was realizing that leaving was probably not a good choice, for he should not have the position as ambassador. The rest of the family, especially Martha, were sadden about the move.
Andrew Griffin
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
Freshman Comp. 1003
11/6/15
Part one is explaining the reasons that Dodd got the job as the Ambassador to Germany, soon to be Nazi Germany. He was longtime friends with Roosevelt due to his relationship with President Woodrow Willison during World War I. He had extensive knowledge of German culture and language, because of this, Roosevelt made him the American Ambassador to Germany. The first thing that he was going to have to work out in his new position, the German debt to America.
“He attended meeting with many bank executives on the issue of German debt – a subject in which Dodd had very little interest – “
This quote shows just how little Dodd Cared for his new Job, he did not want to be there, and he did not care for the amount of time it consumed. He was after all a writer, he worked on his own time, when and where he wanted, he was not used to being at the Governments beck and call. He did not feel like he was satisfied with his job and probably was not doing it as a Job and looked at it as a favor to an old friend.
I could only do two out of the required three due to the loss of power last night.
DeleteNate Holladay
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
English 1003
6 November 2015
In the Garden of Beasts- Part One
Summary: The book opens with a brief explanation of what research question Erik Larson will answer: How could the rise to power, and later, attempt at world domination, of Nazism have been hindered or stopped? We are introduced to the Dodd’s, which will embark on a journey to Berlin, Germany to support the father, William as the new ambassador to Germany. The previous ambassador, George Messersmith, resigned because he feared he was unable to persuade “the world of the true magnitude of Hitler’s threat.” (10) We are given brief background information on Dodd and his early life. He grew up the son of a poor, subsistent farming man, working extremely hard for his wages. Dodd later said that he felt he would never be capable of living the lavish lifestyle of an ambassador because of the way he was raised. Dodd was a professor in North Carolina and Chicago, then he got the call to be the ambassador to Germany. Upon their arrival to Germany, Dodd and his family were greeted by reporters whose aim was to distort the meaning of his appointment. Eventually, the Dodd’s get settled in, and enjoy their first night in Berlin,
Paraphrase: page 43, bottom paragraph: “Meanwhile, Dodd fielded questions from a group of reporters that included a writer for a Jewish newspaper, The Hamburger Israelitishes Familienblatt, which subsequently published an article implying that Dodd’s primary mission was to stop Nazi persecution of Jews- exactly the type of distortion Dodd had hoped to avoid.”
Dodd was asked a series of questions from local reporters, one of which wrote for a Jewish newspaper that told the public that Dodd was here to be the Jews’ savior. This passage is relevant to the entire book because Germany had a mysterious sense of hiding things from the rest of the world. It sounded horrible in the Eastern world, but in Berlin it was calm and peaceful to an American. From a Jew’s perspective, life was rough in Germany. However, Jews outside the country had a decent life.
Quote: “Sssh! Young lady, you mustn’t say so much and ask so many questions. This isn’t America and you can’t say all the things you think.” (48) This is a quote from Martha Dodd, William’s daughter. The protocol officer that is escorting her to the hotel she’ll stay in is informing her of the recent spike in Communistic values in Germany. This is significant because it will only get worse as Hitler continues his rise to power throughout the book.