I want you to click on the three links below in order. Each link
will take you to a description of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, which
took place on April 14, 1865. As you will notice, each article contains a
different level of description, imagery, and dialogue. The final entry, from
the PBS News Hour, is the one you should use as a model for writing your
research paper. Notice how this final entry sets the tone: it begins happily,
which provides contrast to the events that will follow. Notice also the ways in
which it adds details, like the warnings from the presidents staff and,
following, the detail of the drunken bodyguard. Notice how the writer adds the
description of the president and Mrs. Lincoln laughing and holding hands just
as the assassin enters the room. And notice, too, the liberal use of quotations
from those present, which gives the scene a real human touch.
After youve read these short biographies, consider the
following questions for discussion:
1. What sorts of things does Howard
Markel, the author of the third essay, add to the story to make it more
interesting and lifelike?
2. Interestingly, Markels essay focuses
mostly on the experiences of a young doctor. How would the narrative change if
the focus were on one of the other participants in this story, such as John
Wilkes Booth or Major Rathbone?
3. In addition to the ones Ive listed
above, what are some of the descriptive touches that Markel adds to the story
to keep the reader engaged and interested?
BIO 1 https://www.loc.gov/collections/abraham-lincoln-papers/articles-and-essays/assassination-of-president-abraham-lincoln/
BIO 2 http://www.ushistory.org/us/34f.asp
BIO 3 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/april-15-1865-tragic-last-hours-abraham-lincoln/
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