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Burr: a Complex Character
Summary: Although most remember him as a traitorous villain, Aaron Burr is among the misunderstood figures in American history and a man who was ahead of his time in many respects. As Gore Vidal portrayed him in his novel of the same name, Burr served as a revolutionary war hero, a dedicated father, and an important political figure in the late 1700s and early 1800s who showed greater complexity, sincerity, and generosity during many periods of his life.
Remembered by most people as a traitorous villain, Aaron Burr is looked down upon by many. At the surface, he may seem to be this traitorous villain, but if one looks beyond the common conception of Burr, at the big picture of his life, he or she will see the real character of Aaron Burr. This is the character portrayed in the novel Burr, by Gore Vidal.
To begin, one must recognize that Burr was a complex, three-dimensional character unlike most frequent depictions of him. Rather than follow suit with these preconceived notions of him, Vidal puts him in the light of a protagonist. Burr seems to have separate personas for different people. On one hand, Burr acts somewhat insincere and unprincipled with his enemies. Burr clearly acted this way towards people such as General Washington and Hamilton which led to some of Burr's ill-famed moments. Yet, with...
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This section contains 549 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |
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