Teach This Response # 3 - Biographical text

The Notorious Benedict Arnold

Summary of the Story

          This is the biography of Benedict Arnold VI, and its secondary title lets the reader know what’s to come: a true story of adventure, heroism and treachery. The story begins with a public execution, and then arcs back in time to Arnold’s birth on January 14, 1741. Following his life in short, concise chapters, The Notorious Benedict Arnold has a reader run the gamut of emotions about him: sorrow at the loss of several of his siblings (including an older brother who had also been named Benedict); alarmed at the descriptions of his childhood antics (he is referred to as both a “daredevil” and “a bright boy, so full of pranks and plays” (Sheinkin 7)); anger at his father (by most accounts, Arnold IV was a drunkard who squandered the family’s modest fortune); and, numbness and disbelief at his betrayal. From his days at school to his apothecary apprenticeship to his accomplishments as a colonel (and later, as a major general) in the Continental Army, Arnold’s biography reads like a straight-up tale of adventure, especially as you study the chapters which detail his brilliant military career. He was severely wounded at least twice and almost lost his leg as a result. He won the admiration of General Washington, who wrote, “The merit of this gentleman is certainly great. I heartily wish that fortune may distinguish him as one of her favorites” (Sheinkin 102).

Arnold was his own worst enemy, in many ways. His bluntness rankled members of the Continental Congress, who grew increasingly concerned that American military leaders were gaining in celebrity (Sheinkin 147). When Washington submitted a list of names to Congress for promotion (Arnold, among others), Congress chose to ignore Washington’s suggestions. Washington, both a general and a statesman, knew the quagmire he’d step into if he argued the point. Arnold, however, took it as a personal insult (Sheinkin 148). He is quoted as having said that he knew “. . . some villain has been busy with my fame, and busily slandering me” (Sheinkin 149). It would not be the last time Arnold would rail against what he saw as disrespectful attacks on his character and good name.

His idea of wooing was as bombastic as his battlefield skirmishes. After his first wife dies at the age of thirty, Arnold is left with three small boys to raise. In one instance, he meets a young woman at a party, talks with her all evening, and then has a trunk filled with expensive gowns delivered to her shortly thereafter (Sheinkin 146). The lady rejects his advances. At the same time, his business is suffering as a result of his absence, as well as the war. You begin to feel sympathetic toward Arnold – trial after tribulation, Arnold is kicked backward. (I can only say what I felt: even though I knew the end of the story, I still held out hope that he’d see the error of his ways.)

Enter British occupational forces and Major John Andre, another interesting and charismatic personality. Andre’s military career took him to much of the New World between New York and Quebec. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming General Henry Clinton’s closest aide and chief of intelligence (Sheinkin 223-4). It was while he was in Philadelphia, however, that Arnold’s story and his begin to intersect. Andre meets Margaret “Peggy” Shippen, the same Peggy Shippen who would later become Benedict Arnold’s second wife. As I read Andre’s description, I couldn’t help but compare him to Arnold - they both share a vanity of nature. One senior officer even referred to Andre as “a cringing, insidious sycophant” (Sheinkin 224). Andre, aware of his fellow officers’ resentment, decided to use his intelligence position to “. . . pull off something big” (Sheinkin 224). Andre should have read the story of Icarus.

Set against the historical framework of the American Revolution, The Notorious Benedict Arnold quickly reaches its crescendo – and you realize who is at the end of the gallows rope in Chapter One.

Why Teach This Text

           There are many reasons to recommend this text to educators and students alike. First, the book recounts the life of a man whose very name has become synonymous with the word “traitor,” and yet that is only part of the story. His military exploits have sadly been totally overshadowed by his one treasonous act. Had Arnold been able to overcome his temperament, his name would have been whispered in reverence, alongside other heroic figures of his day. More than once his actions on the battlefield saved the nation in its infancy. A genius at strategy, his fleet of fifteen small ships engaged the larger and far superior British fleet at the Battle of Valcour Island. His tactics kept the War of Independence alive (140). He is a fascinating character and, as Sheinkin writes, multifaceted: intelligent, hard-working, and ferociously determined (13). Yet, he was a reckless show-off who respected authority when it suited him, and whose explosive temper could be sparked with the merest of slights. Those traits, as Sheinkin says, made “. . . an explosive mix” (13). Arnold was a man at war with himself; what a shame the Revolutionary War wasn’t enough for him.

          His biography reminds us that he was a real person, a human being, with all the flaws and foibles that come with that. This is one reason we study history – to flesh out the person and to realize that he or she is not just a footnote, a line on a tombstone or a paragraph on a road marker. They’re no longer two-dimensional. You marvel at Arnold’s bravery; you condemn his inexcusable choices. You mourn the loss of his wife; you wince at his avarice. One thing you do not do is forget him.

          In addition, his biography is well-written and well-researched. I believe that this book will make students want to learn more about the Revolutionary War in particular, and hopefully, about history in general.

          It is also worth mentioning that Sheinkin’s work does double duty: it tells a story, but it makes the reader think. I found myself asking just how complicit was Peggy Shippen in her husband’s plot to hand over West Point, as well as the capture of General Washington. She is described as interested in politics, business and the law (her father was a prominent judge); she read his books. Peggy Shippen, as Sheinkin writes about her, does not seem the type to be a passive participant in her or even Benedict’s life (195).

          Other themes that may be examined: greed (Arnold was not the only person who suffered financial loss during this time, yet he succumbed – why?); pride – something that he and Andre shared, and both to their detriment; and, betrayal – Benedict Arnold committed treason, but he also betrayed those closest to him (most especially General Washington). In Saratoga National Historic Park, there rests a monument to Benedict Arnold's leg. It sits on the spot where Arnold fell wounded during the Battle of Freeman's Farm. As the story goes, Arnold leads a raid on Richmond, wearing his new British uniform. Several American soldiers were taken prisoner in the raid.

Arnold asked one of the prisoners what he thought the Americans would do if he, Arnold, were ever captured. “If I must answer your question, you must excuse my telling you the plain truth,” said the prisoner. “If my countrymen should catch you, I believe they would first cut off that lame leg, which was wounded in the cause of freedom and virtue, and bury it with the honors of war; and afterwards hang the remainder of your body.”  (Sheinkin 301)

The book, albeit an easy read, bears several of the features which Bucher and Hinton consider worthy of a good biography: it is an authentic biography, told in an objective manner that is both even-handed and relevant (259-60). It was the 2012 winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults and the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for nonfiction. It is, in a word, gripping. It definitely deserves a place in your curriculum.

Activities/Assignments/Prompts

1. Have students write a eulogy for Benedict Arnold, as though President George Washington had been asked to speak at Arnold’s funeral
2. “Pride goeth before a fall.” Discuss why (or why it isn’t) applicable to Benedict Arnold’s life choices
3. Which of the other people in the book would you like to meet, and why?  (e.g., Henry Knox, Peggy Shippen, Alexander Hamilton)
4. Find a book (keep in mind, that it should be a common or easily-obtainable book) and create your own secret code
5. If Arnold’s treasonous acts happened today, it would be a huge news story. Say you’re a reporter – come up with about ten questions that would you ask of General Washington
6. In the same vein, given the scenario in # 5, who would you most like to interview? Come up with ten questions for that dialogue
7. Again, given # 5, this time you’re the photographer – what photos or other media would you use to tell this story. Put together ten to twelve items in a portfolio, along with captions
8. Create a timeline of important events in Benedict Arnold’s life that you think molded him and provide a short summary (a sentence or two) as to why you chose those events
9. Conduct an internet search for Benedict Arnold; locate five images that you think best represent the physical description of him. Cite your sources
10. With the help of any mapping app or tool, plot the battles in which Benedict Arnold was a participant. Write a paragraph to summarize each battle and his role in it

Works Cited

Bucher, Katherine, and KaaVonia Hinton. Young Adult Literature: Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson, 2014. Print.

Sheinkin, Steve. The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2010. Print.