Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor
2003; Volume: 33; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
1548-9922
Autores Tópico(s)American Constitutional Law and Politics
ResumoBenedict Arnold: A Question of Honor There has been a great deal of interest recently in the first generation of Americans. Books and films concerning John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and Hamilton and Buncrowd the book shelves and the air waves. Joseph Ellis turned his attention to the entire generation of Founding Brothers. It is not surprising that A&E jumped on the bandwagon a film about the traitor in their midst. Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor premiered January 13, 2003, and starred Aidan Quinn as Arnold and Kelsey Grammer as George Washington. To a large extent, this film validated what my seventh grade teacher had taught me: Poor Benedict Arnold, weak man that he was, had been led astray by, who else? A woman, of course. This pervasive account of good patriot gone bad thanks to a conniving, social-climbing siren is the story that, apparently, millions of American school children have heard. Indeed, it is widely believed that Barbara Stanwick based her Double Indemnity character solely on Peggy Shippen Arnold. The A&E film does place a great deal of the blame for Arnold's treasonous, treacherous and most un-American-like behavior on his Tory wife. At one point in the film, Peggy (Flora Montgomery) argued that the American cause was lost and convinced her husband that his services to the Crown would secure him the position of Viceroy in America. Although Peggy takes a hit in this scene, the film does make it clear that there were other factors that contributed to the turning of Arnold's blue coat to red. The film never questions that, early on, Arnold had been devoted to The Revolution. It is true that he was an early member of The Sons of Liberty determined to rid his country of the British. The film adroitly depicts Arnold's military courage, bravery, and his unparalleled ability to inspire soldiers and lead them to accomplish remarkable feats against supposedly insurmountable odds. In fact, the film opens Frasier, err, George Washington (Kelsey Grammer) singing the praises of his most daring and successful general. During these opening scenes we see Arnold's heated discussion Granny Gates during a war council. Arnold attacked against orders, saved the day, and received a severe leg wound from which he never fully recovered. However, the film correctly chronicles how recognized Gates as the hero and promoted him over Arnold. At one point, even refused to award Arnold his back pay or reimburse him for expenses he incurred providing for his army. The film attributes Congress's shabby treatment of a true patriot and a fearless military leader a significant role in shifting Arnold's allegiance. An Arnold biographer, Barry K. Wilson, confirms this most unappreciative treatment of the heroic general: Congress was particularly in the thrall of his critics. The politicians listened to complaints about his brashness, his inattention to bureaucracy, his aversion to politics. They withheld promotions, started investigations, spread rumors.. .humiliated him, and, in the worst case of all, fell over themselves welcoming the neophyte nineteen-year-old French nobleman Marquis de Lafayette to the cause, immediately giving him the same rank as Arnold,1 Members of were unimpressed Arnold's impulsive and hot-blooded personality. Apparently, he had a propensity for duels. The film shows the impetuous Arnold challenging foes with pistols, swords or tomahawks. In the film, his intended bride is told he had already participated in seventeen! At least due in part to Congress's behavior, Arnold had become embittered and driven closer to the class of Tory businessmen whom he became acquainted in Philadelphia while serving there as Military Governor. The film presents the wounded American hero enjoying the company of the ladies in Philadelphia's most splendid Tory mansions. Washington continued to support and defend Arnold. …
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