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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Summary:
ReplyDelete• In Erik Larson’s “In The Garden of Beasts,” Part I (the first 5 chapters), “Into the Wood,” Larson begins by introducing the character of William E. Dodd. Dodd was a hard working professor in Chicago, but at age 64 has not yet come close to what he sees as his potential in life. He wanted to be a politician, but so far the closest he has come was writing a biography of President Wilson after his death. However, Dodd had personal connections to Roosevelt. This became vital because FDR ended up offering Dodd the extremely unwanted job of US Ambassador to Germany. Larson expressed that “No one wanted the job” (16). This was because the country was beginning to go through a “…revolutionary change under the leadership of its newly appointed chancellor, Adolf Hitler” (16). Dodd used this situation to spend more time with his children Martha and Bill. The Dodds left for Hamburg on July 5th, 1933. The family mourned at first because of change, but all adjusted. When Dodd arrived he met with very important people. They stayed in a very grandiose hotel, and had a very good first impression of not only Germany, but its new leader.
Paraphrase:
• The Dodds visited the Siegesallee, which is the Avenue of Victory. It has 96 statues and busts of previous Prussian rulers such as: Frederick the Great, other Fredericks, Albert the Bear, Henry the Child, and Otho the Lazy. William Dodd showed his great knowledge of these that he had acquired 30 years earlier when he had visited. This is when Martha explains that her apprehension for the trip had gone down and everyone was happy. Also, she expressed her fathers love for Germany. Martha explains, “’I felt the press had badly maligned the country and I wanted to proclaim the warmth and friendliness of the people, the soft summer night with its fragrance of trees and flowers, the serenity of the streets.” This text is important because it shows irony in the fact that as Ambassador Dodd and his family first arrive, even they, along with most Americans at the time, believe the press has ‘hyped’ up what is going on in Germany. This is clearly not the case.
Quote:
• “’I felt the press had badly maligned the country and I wanted to proclaim the warmth and friendliness of the people…” (50).
o This quote is significant because it explains how the whole Dodd family enjoys Germany. They wrongfully assume at first that there are good people, and even go as far as assuming that the press has made Hitler and his treating of the Jews to be not as bad. To me it is foreshadowing for a treacherous reality of the future.
Summary:
ReplyDeleteIn part one of Erik Larson's "In the Garden of Beasts" Larson begins to tell us about the life of William Dodd. Dodd was a professor at the university of Chicago and owned a farm in Virginia where he spent most of his time. Dodd was married to Martha Johns, and later had two children with her. World War II arose and Hitler took control of Germany, and Larson fears that "Germany was experiencing a great revival, or a savage darkening"(16). President at the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt was in need of an ambassador in Germany, but due to the war no one wanted the job. Dodd was frustrated that his career at the university had really never taken off, so he took the job. Dodd's family moved to Berlin, Germany where Dodd now served as America's ambassador alongside with Roosevelt.
Paraphrase:
In the beginning of Chapter 5, Larson tells us that " Martha continued to cry off and on for the better part of her next two days". The horrors of Hitler's Nazi Germany created intense anxiety as she fears the oncoming days under Hitler's rule. Martha turned over a new page and began to see the light of day, being content with her life. This passage is significant to the text because it shows us how their lives have changed. William Dodd, Martha's husband, desired change because he was not content with his progress in life. Dodd tells us throughout part one that he wants change, so he accepted Roosevelt's offer as ambassador in Germany. I think that the scene of Martha's sorrow relates to the feeling Dodd had about his life, until he changed his life. Life in Martha's case would be the viewpoint on living in Germany.
Quote:
"Gradually her sorrow eased. The seas were calm, the days bright. She and Roosevelt's son chummed around and danced and drank champagne."(40).
This quote is significant because it shows the overturn in Martha's opinion towards Germany. The whole Dodd family, actually became content with their way of living. I think that this is showing us that there will be a positive future for the Dodd family in Germany.
Summary:
ReplyDeleteIn “In the Garden of the Beasts,” Part 1, Larson introduces the character William Dodd. In the first part of the book, Larson talks about how he is a professor at the University of Chicago and is looking for something better to do with his career. Dodd wanted to get into politics but was not very successful in getting into the profession. During the time Dodd wanted to find something better in his life, FDR was looking for an U.S. ambassador to go to Germany. Larson makes it clear that, “No one wanted the job” (16). Dodd and FDR had personal connection so Dodd took the job hoping for something better to come out of it. The Dodd family then moved to Germany to work along side FDR and at first it was a hard transition but they eventually got use to it.
Paraphrase:
In Chapter 5 of “In the Garden of Beasts”, Larson states “The Dodds reached Germany on Thursday, July 13, 1933”. William Dodd and his family finally arrive in Germany after a long trip at sea. When they arrived William Dodd figures out that people are already making false accusations and saying that his primary mission is to stop Nazi prosecution of the Jews. Dodd explains how this was one of the things he was hoping to avoid while in Germany. This text is important because it shows how people are already thinking Dodd is in Germany for completely wrong reasons which could cause problems later on.
Quote:
Depending on one’s point of view, Germany was experiencing a great revival or a savage darkening” (16).
This quote is significant because it shows how people looked at what was happening in Germany two different ways. The Dodd family went to Germany with this opinion that the press had given them but when they finally got there and met people they started to realize how exaggerated everything they had been led to believe was. I believe this is very significant because we were very bias in what we wanted Americans to think.
Summary:
ReplyDeleteIn the first part of "In the Garden of Beasts," Erik Larson introduces the main character, William Dodd, to me, the reader. He was a professor at University of Chicago but was upset that his career didn't progress like he wished it would. The President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was looking for someone to fill the U.S Ambassador to Germany position. Even though the Dodd's were rooted in Chicago, William Dodd decides to accept the job and move his family to Berlin, Germany. The family is in Germany now, minus the son, and are very impressed with the city and also the hotel where they are staying until they can find a house to lease.
Paraphrase:
The family arrives at the hotel where they will be staying for a while. Martha loves the extravagance of the place. On the other hand, William Dodd was not impressed because he preferred "modest quarters in a modest hotel" (48). Germany wanted to present the nicest accommodations to the Dodd family so they could mask the cruelty of the Nazi regime that was happening behind the scenes in Berlin.
Quotation:
Erik Larson asks a research question in the beginning of his book, "In the Garden of Beasts". Throughout the book, he answers this question. Larson highlights one answer when he says, "Let Hitler have his way". This simple sentence expresses the fear that people have because of Hitler. He is a very powerful man and he should get his way because he might harm more civilians if he does not get his way.
Summary:
ReplyDeleteIn the first part of "In the Garden of Beasts," Erik Larson introduces the main character, William Dodd, to me, the reader. He was a professor at University of Chicago but was upset that his career didn't progress like he wished it would. The President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was looking for someone to fill the U.S Ambassador to Germany position. Even though the Dodd's were rooted in Chicago, William Dodd decides to accept the job and move his family to Berlin, Germany. The family is in Germany now, minus the son, and are very impressed with the city and also the hotel where they are staying until they can find a house to lease.
Paraphrase:
The family arrives at the hotel where they will be staying for a while. Martha loves the extravagance of the place. On the other hand, William Dodd was not impressed because he preferred "modest quarters in a modest hotel" (48). Germany wanted to present the nicest accommodations to the Dodd family so they could mask the cruelty of the Nazi regime that was happening behind the scenes in Berlin.
Quotation:
Erik Larson asks a research question in the beginning of his book, "In the Garden of Beasts". Throughout the book, he answers this question. Larson highlights one answer when he says, "Let Hitler have his way". This simple sentence expresses the fear that people have because of Hitler. He is a very powerful man and he should get his way because he might harm more civilians if he does not get his way.
Summary:
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, “In The Garden Of Beasts”, Erik Larson introduces a man named William Dodd. Dodd is a simple man with a job he doesn’t enjoy at a university. It states how smart he is throughout the beginning of the story. A spot for the U.S. Ambassador is needed in Germany. Franklin Roosevelt talks to Dodd and he accepts the new job. Larson also speaks about Dodd’s daughter, Martha who he enjoys a lot. She has been married a few times and even had an affair in one of her marriages. (22,23). Dodd and a portion of his family sail to Germany to begin their new lives.
Paraphrase:
They did agree that any publicity would boost immigration in America from the Jewish. They believe that this happening would lead to disaster. Rabbi Wise believed that if a debate over immigration came to the floor of the House it would end with America in a struggle. They then had a poll and were shown that two-thirds surveyed wanted refugees kept out of the country.
This shows that they did not want immigration in America happening. They wanted the refugees kept out of America.
Quote:
“He wrote of the widespread violence that had occurred in the several months that immediately followed Hitler’s appointment and of the increasing control the government exerted over all aspects of German society.” (33).
Here you see foreshadowing of what is coming about from and with the Holocaust. Hitler is doing such wrong but is still having support from the Germans and his control is continuing to increase throughout it all instead of decrease.
Summary:
ReplyDeleteErik Larson opens part one of “In the Garden of Beasts” by introducing the sixty-four years old, chairperson of the history department at the University of Chicago-William E. Dodd-and how a telephone call “forever changed the lives of the Dodd family”. The Dodd family was originally from North Carolina and moved to Chicago in 1909. Larson explains Dodd’s interest in politics and his close relations with Franklin D. Roosevelt. This led to President Roosevelt to approach Dodd with an offer to become a US ambassador and travel to Hitler’s Germany because none of the ambassadors wanted to travel to Germany as the country was about to face a“…revolutionary change under the leadership of its newly appointed chancellor, Adolf Hitler” (16). Dodd, however, accepted the position and on July 5, 1933, the Dodd family including the daughter, Martha and son-Bill left for Hamburg. At first, Germany was beautiful for the Dodds, people were good to them, and they could not find any past stereotypes to be true.
Paraphrase:
Now, Dodd was highly suspicious of a problematic situation developing against him. This was the first time he regretted his decision of accepting the position. As time passed, the Dodd family faced the truth. The mask of ‘beautiful Germany’ started deteriorating (39).
This paragraph is significant in part, one as by the end of chapter four, the Dodd family was sure that their stay in Germany was not going to be pleasant.
Quotation:
Erik Larson makes excessive use of foreshadowing to hint the reader about Hitler’s intentions, and even the world’s intentions, which were dependent on his. Larson says that “as the conversation turned to Germany's persecution of Jews, Colonel House urged Dodd to do all he could ‘to ameliorate Jewish sufferings’ but added a caveat: ‘the Jews should not be allowed to dominate economic and intellectual life in Berlin as they have done for a long time’” (38). The above-mentioned quote reveals that powerful nations like United States did not really try to stop the Germany's persecution of Jews simply because they did not want any new wars.
Summary:
ReplyDeleteIn Erik Larson’s “In the Garden of Beasts”, Larson begins his story by introducing the character by the name of William E. Dodd. Dodd is described as a, “Pleasing, interesting person with fine sense of humor and simple modesty”. Dodd married a woman named Martha and later had 2 children with her. Dodd is the chairman of the history department at the University of Chicago and lives on the outskirts of town. Dodd works unhappily at the university because his real desire is to write. FDR, the president at the time, gives Dodd a call asking him to be the US Ambassador to Germany. Nobody else wanted the job but Dodd decided to take FDR up on the offer because it could be a way for his family to get close again. Europe was on the brink of war and as the US Ambassador to Germany, he would be attempting to diffuse tensions. Larson writes about Dodd, “He believed that through reason and example he ought to be able to exercise a moderating influence over Hitler and his government…”. In a foreign land Dodd will attempt to sway Hitler and his Nazi regime.
Paraphrase:
The nazi’s were even going as far as arresting priests and other church officials. One man described the nazi midlevel leaders expressing feelings of “hysteria” in which Jews and other groups of people were being rounded up. They were throwing so many people in prisons that the quote arose, “That the only safety lies in getting everybody in jail”. The nation was quietly preparing for war while all the time spreading propaganda that encouraged conflict among nations. When Hitler talked about peace a few years earlier it was only to distract the rest of the world from the fact that Germany was preparing for war. Messersmith describes, “They most want to… make Germany the most capable instrument of war that there has ever existed”.
Quote:
Page 46: “I hope he and the President of the United States will not be too disappointed in their efforts”.
This quote is spoken by a German woman named Bella Fromm, a “columnist for a highly respected newspaper”. The reason this quotes is significant is because it gives us insight into what the opinion is of Dodd coming to Berlin to attempt his task. If we can assume Fromm’s opinion is that of the rest of the country, then Dodd is going to have a very difficult time trying to alter the course of events already happening.
Summary:
ReplyDeleteWithin “In the Garden of Beasts”, Erik Larson introduces a man by the name of William E. Dodd. Dodd had been the chairman of the history department at the University of Chicago from 1909 until 1933, when he found that his life had not met his expectations. In hopes of finishing his book on the old South, Dodd looked for what he considered a decent paying job with little work. Luckily, due to his prior connections with political figures, President Roosevelt offered him a position as ambassador in Berlin, Germany. Although he was a last resort as Larson writes, “no one wanted the job” (16). This as Larson later states could be chalked up to the fact that “the country had undergone a brutal spasm of state-condoned violence” (16). After sending many letters to his family his daughter Martha accepts and the two set off for Germany.
Paraphrase:
Due to a heavy debt, the head of the German bank was to visit Secretary Hull on the matter. However, due to Hjalmer Schact’s “legendary arrogance”, President Roosevelt ordered secretary Hull to make Schact wait. As recorded by Dodd, Hull “pretend[ed] to be deeply engaged in looking for certain papers, leaving Schacht standing and unobserved for three minutes” (27). Behavior like this seemed to be America’s entire strategy to the German “great revival or savage darkening”; to ignore them and not give them the joy of being on our radar was what Roosevelt deemed the most effective way to deal with it.
Quote:
“The purpose of this routing, Roosevelt told Dodd, ‘was to take the arrogance out of the German’s bearing’” (27)
The significance in this quote is the relatability with this single circumstance and the way American politicians tried to deal with Hitler’s Germany. It’s as if they though Hitler was a child reaching out for attention, and if Roosevelt did not acknowledge him then he would lose the need to act up.
Summary:
ReplyDeleteIn part one of Erik Larson's novel "In The Garden Of Beasts" he introduces us to a man by the name of William Dodd. Dodd was a professor in Chicago, he wanted to be a politician. He had personal connections to Roosevelt and he was not happy with his job at the University.FDR offered William the one job "no one wanted ..."(16)at this time , U.S. ambassador to Germany. He takes the job, him and his family pack up and move to Germany. They are impressed with it at first , but Dodd is , more importantly,very impressed with Hitler.
Paraphrase :
Once the family arrives to the hotel Martha, William's daughter, is very happy with the hotel. But Dodd was feeling the opposite , he preferred "modest quarters in a modest hotel"(48). This proved that Germany wanted the best for the U.S. family so it masked the cruelty of the Nazi Regime that was taking place behind the scenes in Berlin.
Quote:
"Upon Hitler's ascent, the country had undergone a brutal spasm of state-condoned violence." (16)
This quote is significant because it is a way Larson foreshadows the future of Germany. While Hitler and his people are trying to mask the evilness, it can still be seen. Hitler is obviously no good for the country or the world if the only thing coming from his country is just violence. Which takes us back to the question that Larson asks "Why, then, did no one change it? Why did it take so long to recognize the real danger posed by Hitler and his regime?"(xvi).
Summary:
ReplyDeleteIn part one of Erik Larson's "In The Garden Of the Beasts" he characterizes William Dodd a professor in the state of Chicago at the University of Chicago in the early 1900's. Dodd is in search of better paying job but comes to an impass as to what he is look at doing. President F.D.R. offered Dodd the job of being the Ambassador to Germany during the time of the great wars. During his time in Germany Dodd sends a series of letters back to his family directly telling them how he is doing and what is going on in that part of the world.
Paraphrase: William Dodd comes to a conclusion as to what the state of Germany is gradually succumbing to. He comes to the realization as to how secure his family is and what threats are present. During this portion of the book it is important for the reader to know what is really going on in Hitlers Germany and how it could possibly effect this family for the worst.
Quote: "'Hard men" Dodd called them: "... traders and aristocratic masters of their dependents!" This quote is important as to how Dodd characterizes people of importance and men in general at that era in time. It also shows the characteristics of men in a house hold or a public setting in his example he uses men from the Civil war.
Summary:
ReplyDeleteIn chapter one of Erik Larson’s novel, “In the Garden of Beasts” he begins by introducing the main character, William E. Dodd. Mr. Dodd was a professor at the University of Chicago, but was looking for something better to do with his career. At this time President Roosevelt was searching for a new ambassador to Berlin, Germany. He eventually asks Dodd about this job, because he learns that he can speak German, and he accepts the offer taking his wife and daughter along with him. As they arrive in German they become impressed with the city, food, people, and their hotel.
Paraphrase:
President Roosevelt was in a bind. He had to decide on what is right and wrong when it comes to the immigration of Jews into America. He received many different opinions from people. Some said he should allow Jew to immigrate and some believe it was not a smart move. President Roosevelt then decides that allowing immigration at this time, after the Great Depression, would only make it worse on America’s economy, and create conflict with German officers.
This is significant because he is trying to keep peace with Germany to avoid a war.
Quote:
“Cards from well-wishers continued to arrive, accompanied by still more flowers. She and her mother sat in awe of the luxury around them…” (49).
This is significant to the text as a whole, because Germany seems like such a nice place compared to what the media is saying about it. This also opens up the argument of how did the nice German citizens not see the Holocaust coming and why did they not try to stop it.