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Jack Petro
Victoria Hamby
English 1101
September 10, 2014
UW! "iteracy #arrati$e
%or some rea&ing an& 'riting are nat(ral pleas(res, others a$oi& one or the other &epen&ing on
their pre)erences or skills an& many try to a$oi& both 'hene$er possible* egar&ing this in)amo(s &(o +
can,t say + ha$e a strong opinion one 'ay or another* ea&ing an& 'riting, in an& o) themsel$es, are not
a pleas(re or pain to me nor am + partic(larly challenge& by one or the other* +nstea& + ha$e a more
(tilitarian $ie' to'ar&s rea&ing an& 'riting* + see them as $ehicles an&, m(ch like my 200- gray
Hy(n&ai Sonata, they are not partic(larly attracti$e or partic(larly (gly, not high en& or )ancy b(t not
an ol& r(st b(cket hea$ing its last carbon breaths* + ne$er )ell in lo$e 'ith aesthetics o) prettily 'or&e&
poetry or paragraphs an& 'asn,t charme& by c(te stories or characters b(t rather + appreciate& the
'ritten 'or& beca(se it &oes as my car &oes* +t take me places*
.) co(rse as a chil& they took me to some magical chil& place or on little chil& a&$ent(res b(t +
ne$er )(lly appreciate& the magic an& 'on&er o) the 'ritten 'or& (ntil abo(t the age o) eight* /y
)ather, a man + may pro(&ly call ner&ly to the greatest possible e0tent o) the technically ma&e (p 'or&,
a man 'ho inspire& my o'n (n'a$ering an& (n1(enchable ner&lyness, gi)te& (nto me a series o)
history books )rom Usborne P(blishing* !hese books o) co(rse 'ere comprise& o) easy sentences in
short paragraphs nat(rally 'ith a great many pict(res to ease the 'aning o) a chil&,s attention* E$en so
'hen + a&mire the ol& books, no' con)ine& to the shel) o) the library instea& o) the )loor o) my
chil&hoo& room, + appreciate them )or 2(st the same reason + appreciate& them many years ago, the
'ealth o) in)ormation* !hose books transporte& me to 3le0an&er,s 4reece, !ok(ga'a,s Japan, 5aesar,s
ome, +$an,s /(sco$ite realm, an& the time o) the continents (n&er the 6hans* !hro(gh books my
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chil& eyes co(l& see, in all their array o) color an& martial precision, the 7+++ "egio 4emina crossing
the (bicon an& past the rippling o) its 'ater my chil& ears co(l& hear the 'or&s, as i) (ttere& )rom
5aesar,s o'n lips, 83lea iacta est9* .$er time books gre' in comple0ity an& pict(res 'ere replace&
'ith eye b(rning, small print paragraphs* When books co(l&n,t be instantly ac1(ire&, rea&ing thro(gh
Wikipe&ia articles became my playgro(n& an& tho(gh + 'as intereste& in in)ormation o) all kin&s,
history, chie) abo$e all others, 'as my )a$orite toy*
+ &on,t kno' 'hy history str(ck s(ch an enormo(s appeal to me* +t al'ays seeme& to inspire
c(riosity in some pro)o(n& 'ay, as i) it 'ere some 'eir& thing yo( sa' o(t o) the corner o) yo(r eye on
a &ark night that &eman&e& yo( in$estigate it or stare an& 'on&er at it thro(gh the night air (ntil yo(
&etermine& e0actly 'hat it 'as* +t inspire& the same kin& o) interest that a mystery no$el &oes, or that a
p(::le that is partially complete& b(t 2(st not 1(ite eno(gh )or yo( to tell 'hat it is a pict(re o)* +n
e$ery book + rea& abo(t any gi$en history topic, + )in& a great &elight in 2(st kno'ing something that +
&i& not kno' be)ore* E$ent(ally, as (n&erstan&ing &e$elops thro(gh rea&ing, + co(l& begin to see a
long chain o) e$ents that )it together like pieces on a p(::le 'ith each &eca&e an& generation a small
piece o) a greater pict(re* 3n easy an& )amiliar e0ample o) this is a typical st(&y o) US history*
;eginning 'ith a re$ol(tion an& )irst Presi&ent a book 'o(l& go on, &escribing the &oings o) $ario(s
generations in &eca&e a)ter &eca&e (ntil present time* 3t its concl(sion yo( can see the present state o)
a nation an& yo(r spot in time in conte0t to the cent(ries that passe& to bring the 'orl& to its present
point an& it all makes a little more sense, as i) a piece o) an enormo(s p(::le has clicke& into place*
What a &elight that )eeling is an& 'hat b(t rea&ing can allo' that (n&erstan&ing to )orm* !o me, books
are like magical tool that allo's (s to see h(n&re&s or tho(san&s o) years into the past, 2(st as crystal
balls an& tea lea$es are imagine& to be necessary )or the &i$ination o) the )(t(re*
While + mostly con)ine& my rea&ing to in)ormation te0ts abo(t history there 'as one historical
)iction series that has a special place o) &istinction on my shel), 5S %orester,s Horatio Hornblo'er
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series* 3bo(t a )ictional ;ritish na$al o))icer o) the same name, 'ho 'on great reno'n an& )ort(ne
&(ring the #apoleonic 'ars, Hornblo'er al'ays allo'e& me to in&(lge in something that is normally
not permitte& in rea&ing history* ,4oo&, historical 'riting &oesn,t really ha$e heroes* /en o) &istinction
certainly, b(t 8great man history9 is really more o) a myth than it is historically correct* "(ckily )iction,
e$en historical )iction, &oesn,t ha$e that problem an& Hornblo'er 'as a $ery 'orthy hero )or a yo(ng
boy* #o silly s(perpo'ers, no ga&get more a&$ance& than a se0tant, not a hero in the /ar$el comic
book sense o) the 'or& at all* ather, his great ability 'as a certain type o) geni(s, a geni(s that 'as
the res(lt o) st(&y as m(ch as talent* +n all Hornblo'er &i& he &i& it 'ith an obsessi$e &ri$e, seeing,
sometimes to personal &etriment, his sole p(rpose to be the p(rs(it o) s(ccess in all (n&ertakings* He is
a hero o) enormo(s e0ertion, something that has al'ays str(ck accor& 'ith me as + sometimes 'orry
that + ten& to'ar&s i&leness* +t has le& me to a Hornblo'er stan&ar& in 'hat + consi&er the 1(alities +
o(ght to ha$e= per)ection to the greatest e0tent har& 'ork can allo'* + ha$e seen this as a g(i&ing
principle thro(gh li)e an& hol& to it especially strongly no' that + )in& mysel) in the (n)amiliar
s(rro(n&ing o) college*
+ happily carrie& on in my lo$e o) history )or years, &e$o(ring history to satiate a h(nger that
gre' in e$ery bite* School passe& 'ith me al'ays 'aiting to a&sorb 'hate$er cr(mb o) in)ormation
co(l& be gotten in history class, 'hich 'as as ins())icient in satis)ying me as a &rop o) 'ater s1(ee:e&
)rom a &ropper is at combating a great bla:e* >ears marche& on an& + passe& thro(gh p(blic e&(cation,
snacking on the ti&bits o) history the State o) #orth 5arolina &eci&e& a chil& sho(l& kno'* Whene$er
the opport(nity to pro$e my lo$e an& &e$otion to history came in a pro2ect, assigne& by an some
athletic coach?ma&e?teacher to pass the time be)ore break an& &one by chil&ren 'ith rel(ctance an&
bore&om, + stri$e& to create master pieces* !he essays an& research papers + 'rote 'here h(ge, almost
al'ays e0cee&ing the pre)erre& length o) the teachers, po'er point presentations 'ere lect(res that +
'o(l& ha$e most happily gi$en the teacher a &ay o)) to present in their entirety an& + can be most
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certain other ki&s rolle& their eyes at my b(rning enth(siasm* + passe& thro(gh li)e eager to pass on any
)(nny little note 'orthy e$ent, any historic anec&ote to all 'ho 'o(l& len& their ear to listen* + )o(n&, to
my &isappointment, that many people )o(n& any mention o) history to be boring at best an& irritating at
the 'orst* /y mother 'as one o) the later an& e$en my )ather co(l& not )eel my obsession as strongly
as + co(l&* + passe& years, alone in my interest in a s(b2ect )e' co(l& seem to bare an& no one co(l&
share in the intensity o) my enth(siasm*
When + entere& my senior year o) high school + got to ha$e )ree choice in electi$es* #at(rally +
stacke& (p e$ery history co(rse my school ha& to o))er an& my 'hole )irst semester o) school )ille&
'ith nothing b(t history classes* .ne o) those classes 'as calle& 3merican 5i$il War an& it 'as p(re
hea$en )or me* + am nat(rally intereste& in all history, the 3merican 5i$il War incl(&e&, b(t it 'asn,t
the s(b2ect in partic(lar that please& me, it 'as the teacher* #e$er be)ore ha& + met s(ch an enth(se&
history teacher* !his portly ol& man stoo& in )ront o) the class e$ery &ay an& ta(ght history 'ith an
enth(siasm + ha$e only seem matche& by a black ;aptist preacher* He 'as like me, possessing a tr(e
lo$e )or the st(&y o) history* + ha& hear& by report that he 'as a 'alking encyclope&ia, sharing
in)ormation 'ith all 'ho 'o(l& listen, e$en be)ore + ha& met him b(t he &i& m(ch more than that* He
'as a tr(e hobbyist, coming to school &resse& in his reenactment attire, bringing in recreations or
s(r$i$ing arti)acts he ha& collecte& o$er many years* He took no iss(e 'ith imitating the )amo(s rebel
yell in class, (s(ally )rightening neighboring classrooms an& o)ten 'o(l& pass aro(n& har&tack,
(ni)orm b(ttons, telescopes an& the like* He e$en ha& a special &ay e$ery semester 'here he ha& gotten
allo'ance to bring in potentially )(nctional bayonets, perio& ri)les an& s'or&s, e$en a small cannon he
ha& borro'e& )rom his reenactment gro(p once* !he rea&ing list )or that class 'as )ar more than most
high school st(&ents care& to act(ally bother 'ith b(t + )o(n& mysel) o$er2oye&* 3mong the books an&
essays 'e rea& he nat(rally incl(&e& the books he ha& 'ritten, o) 'hich he 'as immensely pro(&*
When it came to the )inal pro2ect, 'hich 'e ha& all 'inter break to &o, + so(ght to )ire back
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'ith e1(al enth(siasm to that 'hich he ha& sho'n* E$eryone in the class chose a s(b2ect an& + )o(n&
mysel) glee)(lly 'riting an o$ersi:e& essay on the 1@A2 Penins(la 5ampaign 'ith an accompanying
$i&eo, a )(ll <0 min(tes long after + ha& to c(t o(t abo(t a 1(arter o) its content to trim it &o'n* /y
research 'as tr(ly e0ha(sti$e, an& the res(lt 'as 'orth it* !he $i&eos content 'as great, the graphics
'ere great, the maps an& the animations + &i& on them 'ere great an& e$en tho(gh the $i&eo 'as <
times the ma0im(m length the $i&eo 'as s(ppose& to be an& + &i&n,t care, + presente& it* 5ontrary to
knocking o)) points the teacher 'as thrille&* He sent the $i&eo to the 5i$il War !r(st, a historic
preser$ation society* + 'as aske& to 'rite t'o more articles )or them an& gla&ly + &i&* +t 'as thrilling,
someone ha& taken s(ch interest in 'hat seeme& to ha$e been a s(b2ect + 'as alone in serio(s interest
in an& belie$e& something + ha& &one in regar&s to it 'ere 'orthy o) sharing* #e$er be)ore ha& a
teacher or anyone &one that )or me*
#at(rally + ha& al'ays 'ante& to be a history ma2or in college b(t no' + ha& a rene'e& )er$or
in my interest an& increase& the scope o) my ambitions* + ha& al'ays gla&ly rea& an& absorbe&
in)ormation abo(t history b(t no', i) + go )ar eno(gh in e&(cation, maybe + can 'rite an& contrib(te
something to 'hat there is to be rea&* !hat lea$es me 'here + am to&ay, a (ni$ersity 'riting classroom,
patiently 'aiting to pass thro(gh all the general e& co(rses to get to serio(s history classes 'here my
obsession can )lo(rish* %rom there + hope to go on to gra&(ate school an& become one o) the &(sty, ol&
Ph*&s in the classrooms an& libraries o) some (ni$ersity, rea&ing thro(gh tomes the si:e o) a small chil&
an& 'riting on the s(b2ect o) history so that maybe + too can contrib(te something to its st(&y*