Edmund Morris' "Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in Edmund Morris' "Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan", Morris introduces himself into the narrative both as a true eyewitness and as a fictional one, who is both older and more American than the authentic Morris and lives a life oddly paralleled to Reagan's life. The author points out that, while "Dutch" clearly is not a traditional biography, it adheres to the most important aspects of the fundamental biographical style in that it provides the reader with ample information about Reagan through the most significant moments of his life. The paper relates that Morris developed this style because, despite having been paid more than $2.9 million to write an official biography, Morris found himself deterred by a calculated silence on Reagan's part, which left the author grappling to find who Reagan really was as a man.

From the Paper:

"Throughout the course of the book, Morris again and again refers to Reagan in physical form, noticing his "deep-chested" strength as a youth, his elegant aging as a 30-year-old actor, and his stiff comportment as a President. At times the descriptions slide into the sensual: "That hard, splendid body, those bruising arms and knees, the prickle of wet wool..." describes the young lifeguard Reagan. Later, "that quiet, palpable mass, at once majestic and unthreatening. It's not simply an aggregate of height and breadth....he [crowds] one's horizon." While these descriptions may seem to be the result of literary license, emphasizing the body rather than the man, they have the distinct effect of creating a character who is almost a paperboard cut-out. By focusing on the two-dimensional, this effect iterates the importance of Reagan's "acting" rather than his authentic "feeling"."

More papers on Edmund Morris' "Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan":

• Argumentative Essay # 141985 : "Economic Policies of Ronald Reagan"
• Persuasive Essay # 128541 : "The Leadership of Ronald Reagan"
• Essay # 32200 : "The Seamstress: A Memoir of Survival"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: