The Twesme Family Past and Future Horizons Award
The Twesme Family Past and Future Horizons Award
Valerie Feyen will receive the historic first “Twesme Family Past and Future Horizons Award” to be presented June 19 at 2:30 p.m. at the “George and Gertrude Gale Strawberry Social” at Old Main in Galesville. The Twesme Family Award Committee received essays from Valerie Feyen and Andrew Fox. Andrew Fox will receive an “Excellent Essay Certificate” for his entry. Both essays will appear in print for public appreciation.
The award is made to a graduating G-E-T high school senior who writes the best essay that references the voracious reading habit George Gale started at age sixteen when he read the nine-volume biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Eventually Gale came west from Vermont to Wisconsin and founded Trempealeau County, Galesville, and Galesville University. After referencing the George Gale story, the essay must then review the biography of a person selected by the student and envision what the student herself or himself might want to accomplish in the future.
********************************************************
Finding Inspiration in the Works of George Gale and Corrie ten Boom
by Valerie Feyen
Developing the small town of Galesville and establishing a foundation for educating the youth was George Gale’s dream. Up until age sixteen, George showed little interest in the benefits of school or reading and instead invested his time in activities like hunting or fishing. George Gale, newly fascinated with the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, developed a new-found passion for the importance of education and its effect on power. George Gale was adamant about helping youth succeed by stimulating education and fighting for what was right. The great lengths of work done by George Gale are truly astonishing and inspiring. While merely a young schoolboy and avid sportsman, George took advantage of his passions and created a community full of support. I believe that there is much to say about Mr. Gale’s attempts to bring the community together and make a change towards a better world and society. While George Gale left an impact on merely a small town in Wisconsin, there is so much to take away from his life and dreams. Just like how a powerful French leader inspired a young boy, the life work of one man from a small town, like George Gale, can inspire many to go out and change the world. Just like George Gale, the ten Boom family of the Netherlands in the 1940s fought for what was moral and catered to the needs of all.
In reading the breath-taking biography, The Hiding Place, written by John Sherrill, Elizabeth Sherrill, and Corrie ten Boom herself, I found great extents of selflessness, bravery, inspiration, and life-wisdom. The ten Boom family, six Dutch Christians living in a small watch shop called the “Beje,” lived modestly and graciously. As World War II hit and Germany invaded the Netherlands, the small family opened their home to Jewish refugees seeking a place to hide. While daunting and threatening, the family, through the leadership of Corrie, slowly involved themselves in the Dutch Resistance. Through these activities, members of the resistance helped the ten Boom family establish ways to keep these Jews in hiding safe. A renowned architect paid a visit to their home to install a secret room, fitting six people, in Corrie’s bedroom. This room was named “The Hiding Place.” In addition to this, a buzzer-alarm system was installed into the house in order to warn the refugees of searches or danger. The watch shop also got access to the telephone system, creating a secret dialogue to discuss matters with other members of the resistance.
In February of 1944, the watch shop was searched and the ten Boom family arrested. Despite the great lengths of investigation, the hiding place in Corrie’s room was never discovered and the Jews were safe. While a majority of the ten Boom family was released shortly after their arrest, Corrie, her sister Betsie, and her father were among those who suffered imprisonment. Corrie, due to having the flu, was held in solitary confinement. After nearly three months of imprisonment, Corrie learned of her father’s death, who died only ten days into imprisonment after becoming ill. Throughout her time in prison, Corrie found ways to get help from those in power. During a visit to the doctor, Corrie got the nurse to get her booklets of the four Gospels, a needle and thread, a toothbrush, among other things. With each trip to the showers, Corrie smuggled the Gospel booklets to other women to graciously pass along her fortunes. In a short reading of their father’s will to the family, Corrie’s sister Nollie gifted her a Bible that she smuggled back to her cell. Her time in the Scheveningen prison was surely cruel, but Corrie had yet to face the worst of her encounters.
After a few months of imprisonment, Corrie and her sister were moved to the Vught concentration camp, used for political prisoners. Here at this camp, Corrie and Betsie used the Bible to preach to the other prisoners, all in need of hope and light. Here, Corrie worked with relay switches in a factory while her sister sewed prison uniforms. Their stay did not last here, and the two sisters were moved to Ravensbruck in Germany.
Arriving at this camp, the prisoners were stripped of their clothing and all items. Corrie managed to smuggle the Bible and some vitamins into the camp. At this camp, the sisters were assigned to a room of bunks full of fleas. The building here was designed for four hundred prisoners, but it instead housed about fourteen hundred. The pair was assigned to work at a factory, pushing minecarts full of metal plates. Shortly after this, Betsie became weaker and more ill and was moved to knitting socks. While the labor here was brutal and inhumane, Betsie and Corrie remained strong in faith. While not forcing anyone to convert to Christianity, the sisters preached in the evenings to those who wished to hear. Selflessly, the sisters offered their smuggled vitamins to those that were ill and lent their blanket to newcomers. As time went on in this camp, Betsie became very weak and ended up losing the ability to use her legs or arms. She was moved to the hospital wing, where she eventually died. Corrie was released from the camp not long after, which later in Corrie’s life, she discovered was an accident.
In hindsight of reading this book, I see the genuine altruism and valor that the ten Boom family had throughout their experiences in the early 1940s. While completely unfathomable to my own mind, Corrie’s hardships, along with the other tens of millions that suffered from the Holocaust, were her reality. Corrie and her family decided to take action, defying the standard of bystanders, to save those that were innocent. Endangering their own lives, the family was willing to help anyone that showed up at their doorstep. Ultimately, Corrie and her family suffered experiences that are nothing short of vile and heart-breaking, but they strived to help and do good, which is the greatest and most selfless thing imaginable. Through my perspective, I struggle to see how this family was so incredibly gracious and strong in such trying times.
Corrie’s story has greatly opened my eyes, making me realize the overwhelming power of a community, courage, and faith.
In my own life, while it may not be as close to as drastic as Corrie ten Boom or George Gale, I would like to make an impact on my community. Through the means of music, advocating for mental health, and being an activist for the environment, I wish to change things for the better. I plan to attend Wartburg College in the fall for a Bachelor of Music degree in music therapy. In earning this degree, I can cater to the needs of those with special needs or on the spectrum, people with mental health disorders or struggles, or those with memory obstacles. Because I have a strong love for music, I would love to apply this to my career. Along with this, I strive to contribute to the field of psychology and therapy. It is important to me that people prioritize mental health and well-being. As it is so important to take care of the mind and body, I wish to help my clients find ways to better function in their lives. Outside of work in my future career, I care immensely about the environment and the climate. The current status of the world is fear mongering, yet at times, we fail to address or change it. Throughout my studies in college and my post-educational work, I strive to make advancements towards environmental activism. While I do not quite know what it looks like yet, it is important to me that we keep this world and its nature surrounding us safe and protected.
In living my life of faith and service, I wish to give back to my community and to those that have served me. I have been blessed with staff, congregational members, and community members that have given me endless opportunities which have allowed for personal growth. My time spent with the music department at G-E-T has taught me confidence and self-worth, given me my close friends, and showed me the path to my career. My time spent in my faith and with my church has allowed me to show off my love of music and learn from others. Any community-led activities in the area have taught me the importance of service and unity. Great success and power can come from a small community, which leads back to a small town like Galesville. From an outside perspective, this small town may not seem like much. However, this community, for me, has been one of empowerment and encouragement.
In conclusion, I have confidence that I, too, can make a difference in this world, whether it be locally or someplace else. Although it may not be written down in a book made of nine volumes, in a town’s history, or part of an underground society formed against political injustice, my greatest aspiration is to affect someone’s life and do good in the world, just like these people have done before me.
Works Cited
********************************************************
“Meeting Levels of Ambition” by Andrew Fox
The story of the circuit riding judge, George Gale, is inspiration to any aspiring individual from a small town like Galesville or Trempealeau. Personally, I’ve been exposed to the story of George Gale many times while performing and spending time at Old Main. His story is one of tenacity for learning, something I hold very dear to my heart as well. Learning about his early endeavors in his youth gives me much hope that my future may end up as successful as his. I especially find his reading of Sir Walter Scott’s nine-volume set about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte inspirational. In my youth, especially now, I find history as one of my most vital subjects academically. As my teacher, Ryan Mendez, states “history does not repeat, but it often rhymes”, this quote is one I often reflect upon when someone asks the importance of history. Becoming educated in history is one of the most impactful things we can experience in our life, it allows us to predict events more often, see emerging trends, and learn from past experiences. George Gale was aware of that fact when he went on the endeavor to read the epic history of Napoleon Bonaparte. His knowledge of the emperor of France undeniably helped the young George achieve all that he did. I wish to follow a similar path that he has been on, which is why I have also chosen to read a condensed version of Sir Walter Scott’s biography on Napoleon Bonaparte. I was gifted this biography after volunteering for Old Main’s Founders Day celebration video. As a token of appreciation, I will be reading this biography as the judge did back in his teenage years, well at least a condensed version. This will especially be helpful, not only for current events such as my AP European history exam in May, but for my career once I complete my schooling in Madison.
The thing that I find most admirable about Bonaparte was his unending ambition, all throughout his life, you can see he makes great strides to be the best military commander he can be. Shown in his early combat in the Alps, he had his divisions make every possible sacrifice he could, baggage, stragglers, even the artillery pieces themselves. This level of dedication to maintain the most maneuverable armies possible shows his passion to be the best, going beyond reason for most commanders. This simple example does not show the extent of his ambition, for some, it seems that his ambition went beyond his country's limit. The limit of France was extremely evident in the invasion of Russia, as Walter Scott described “the Russian army engaged only on a basis to keep the French aware and weary”. This comprehensive and vast invasion is a clear example of the necessity of supply lines, with Napoleon's doctrine of pillage not being able to be put to use. With the French army during the invasion being alert as mentioned above, there also was a policy of scorched earth being implemented by the Tsar’s armies, destroying any useful supplies of food, ammunition, etc. This measure was catastrophic to the ever-advancing army, with no amount of supply coming in from the Russian lands, and the supply chains growing farther and unable to keep up with demand. A basic principle Napoleon kept within his armies, as established in his early combat with the Austrians, that his armies’ morale would partly come from their pillaging. “This was showing the deer to the hound when the leash about to be slipped”, Walter Scott's examination of this principle is evident in the invasion of Russia due to its confounded lack of it. Although this example shows a rather negative interpretation of Napoleon's ambition, it's clear that it was insatiable, especially in the name of the French people. In Napoleon's later life as emperor, he divorced the Empress Josephine, while this is not as fervent in Scott’s novel when compared to the combat of Napoleon, it is said that he went through it for the “sake of the French people”. Josephine’s inability to birth children goes to show, even though he loved her, he still had to produce an heir for the French people. His absolute ambition penetrates every aspect of his life, while admirable, I would not quite follow specifically in his extreme footsteps.
The reason I am interested in Napoleon is evident in the previous paragraph. I have always thought of myself as an ambitious man, and what better example of ambition is there than Napoleon. Not only is his ambition interesting, but also his accomplishments and legacy. Contrary to my current history teacher's opinion, I believe that Napoleon was a tyrant. Napoleon Bonaparte was a hero during his time, but looking at it through a critical modern perspective he fits the definition of tyrant. While this bold analysis of Napoleon Bonaparte is dealing in absolutes, I would like to show that he was not a traditional tyrant. I still find Napoleon to be an admirable man, especially in Walter’s examination, his overwhelming power is undeniable. I would like to point out his glaring defect, he was a warmonger. Many times were conflicts started by French aggression and exemplified by Napoleon’s effectiveness. It is also notable that Napoleon fought in almost no defensive wars, at least ones that were not started by France. When discussing the validity of this perspective, one of my classmates brought up the fact that he was fairly elected through democratic means, in other words, the French asked for his imperial government. My counter to this claim was that infamous dictators are often put into power through this similar means, such as Adolf Hitler, who attained office through democratic vote. To avoid confusion, Napoleon is not comparable to Hitler in any regards, but only follows similar power gains. There are many things we can learn about individuals like Napoleon, as the time he rose to power is just as unstable as the times we are in currently. I believe that during times of crisis, it allows people of good nature and bad to achieve as much as Napoleon did, and it's how I can learn to avoid gaining status for the wrong reasons. If I am going to be notable in any way, I wish to not bring it about through the degrading or harm of others. While I do not wish to demean such a notable historical figure, our society has evolved in such ways that we can attain levels of prowess through other means than war.
Of the assumption that I want to achieve a similar level of ambition as George Gale or Napoleon Bonaparte, if my life were to have any major accomplishment, it would be to work as an advisor or peacekeeper for the United Nations and/or Red Cross. I have always wanted to take my passion and ambition for history and apply it to peoples relations. If I am going to have a degree in history, I will most definitely have a minor or double major in sociology or human relations. It is my hope that during my years in college I get the privilege to go overseas for a portion of that. I have had the luxury to be born in a relatively stable country like America and being able to have the choice of helping others is one I must take. While many have said my passion for history will not be useful, I believe that if I continue to strive for a path like this, I will be in areas that are heavily affected by the sins of history. It is undeniable that an extensive knowledge of the history of developing areas will help my understanding of these countries' struggles. Having this history can bring about a uniformity of the wrongdoings of the past and help bring a better future. My extensive study of history and war only reinforces my ambition to become a peacekeeper, or at least to become an educator for the sake of awareness of societal issues. Naturally this would require me to leave the stability of our region and be somewhere I am not used to, this culture shock will either break or build me, just like Napoleon once endeavored on his first water crossing. This risk is something that I have to take to build up my own life, and that starts with my admission to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
I one day hope to say that I have met the levels of ambition that the Galesville founder had, and his own inspiration had as well. If my journey shall have any faults, I will now be able to look back upon the ambitious life of Napoleon and reflect on why I am making my journey now. I am grateful for this experience provided by the Twesme Family and their encouragement for my journey to come.
********************************************************
Valerie Feyen will receive the historic first “Twesme Family Past and Future Horizons Award” to be presented June 19 at 2:30 p.m. at the “George and Gertrude Gale Strawberry Social” at Old Main in Galesville. The Twesme Family Award Committee received essays from Valerie Feyen and Andrew Fox. Andrew Fox will receive an “Excellent Essay Certificate” for his entry. Both essays will appear in print for public appreciation.
The award is made to a graduating G-E-T high school senior who writes the best essay that references the voracious reading habit George Gale started at age sixteen when he read the nine-volume biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Eventually Gale came west from Vermont to Wisconsin and founded Trempealeau County, Galesville, and Galesville University. After referencing the George Gale story, the essay must then review the biography of a person selected by the student and envision what the student herself or himself might want to accomplish in the future.
********************************************************
Finding Inspiration in the Works of George Gale and Corrie ten Boom
by Valerie Feyen
Developing the small town of Galesville and establishing a foundation for educating the youth was George Gale’s dream. Up until age sixteen, George showed little interest in the benefits of school or reading and instead invested his time in activities like hunting or fishing. George Gale, newly fascinated with the life of Napoleon Bonaparte, developed a new-found passion for the importance of education and its effect on power. George Gale was adamant about helping youth succeed by stimulating education and fighting for what was right. The great lengths of work done by George Gale are truly astonishing and inspiring. While merely a young schoolboy and avid sportsman, George took advantage of his passions and created a community full of support. I believe that there is much to say about Mr. Gale’s attempts to bring the community together and make a change towards a better world and society. While George Gale left an impact on merely a small town in Wisconsin, there is so much to take away from his life and dreams. Just like how a powerful French leader inspired a young boy, the life work of one man from a small town, like George Gale, can inspire many to go out and change the world. Just like George Gale, the ten Boom family of the Netherlands in the 1940s fought for what was moral and catered to the needs of all.
In reading the breath-taking biography, The Hiding Place, written by John Sherrill, Elizabeth Sherrill, and Corrie ten Boom herself, I found great extents of selflessness, bravery, inspiration, and life-wisdom. The ten Boom family, six Dutch Christians living in a small watch shop called the “Beje,” lived modestly and graciously. As World War II hit and Germany invaded the Netherlands, the small family opened their home to Jewish refugees seeking a place to hide. While daunting and threatening, the family, through the leadership of Corrie, slowly involved themselves in the Dutch Resistance. Through these activities, members of the resistance helped the ten Boom family establish ways to keep these Jews in hiding safe. A renowned architect paid a visit to their home to install a secret room, fitting six people, in Corrie’s bedroom. This room was named “The Hiding Place.” In addition to this, a buzzer-alarm system was installed into the house in order to warn the refugees of searches or danger. The watch shop also got access to the telephone system, creating a secret dialogue to discuss matters with other members of the resistance.
In February of 1944, the watch shop was searched and the ten Boom family arrested. Despite the great lengths of investigation, the hiding place in Corrie’s room was never discovered and the Jews were safe. While a majority of the ten Boom family was released shortly after their arrest, Corrie, her sister Betsie, and her father were among those who suffered imprisonment. Corrie, due to having the flu, was held in solitary confinement. After nearly three months of imprisonment, Corrie learned of her father’s death, who died only ten days into imprisonment after becoming ill. Throughout her time in prison, Corrie found ways to get help from those in power. During a visit to the doctor, Corrie got the nurse to get her booklets of the four Gospels, a needle and thread, a toothbrush, among other things. With each trip to the showers, Corrie smuggled the Gospel booklets to other women to graciously pass along her fortunes. In a short reading of their father’s will to the family, Corrie’s sister Nollie gifted her a Bible that she smuggled back to her cell. Her time in the Scheveningen prison was surely cruel, but Corrie had yet to face the worst of her encounters.
After a few months of imprisonment, Corrie and her sister were moved to the Vught concentration camp, used for political prisoners. Here at this camp, Corrie and Betsie used the Bible to preach to the other prisoners, all in need of hope and light. Here, Corrie worked with relay switches in a factory while her sister sewed prison uniforms. Their stay did not last here, and the two sisters were moved to Ravensbruck in Germany.
Arriving at this camp, the prisoners were stripped of their clothing and all items. Corrie managed to smuggle the Bible and some vitamins into the camp. At this camp, the sisters were assigned to a room of bunks full of fleas. The building here was designed for four hundred prisoners, but it instead housed about fourteen hundred. The pair was assigned to work at a factory, pushing minecarts full of metal plates. Shortly after this, Betsie became weaker and more ill and was moved to knitting socks. While the labor here was brutal and inhumane, Betsie and Corrie remained strong in faith. While not forcing anyone to convert to Christianity, the sisters preached in the evenings to those who wished to hear. Selflessly, the sisters offered their smuggled vitamins to those that were ill and lent their blanket to newcomers. As time went on in this camp, Betsie became very weak and ended up losing the ability to use her legs or arms. She was moved to the hospital wing, where she eventually died. Corrie was released from the camp not long after, which later in Corrie’s life, she discovered was an accident.
In hindsight of reading this book, I see the genuine altruism and valor that the ten Boom family had throughout their experiences in the early 1940s. While completely unfathomable to my own mind, Corrie’s hardships, along with the other tens of millions that suffered from the Holocaust, were her reality. Corrie and her family decided to take action, defying the standard of bystanders, to save those that were innocent. Endangering their own lives, the family was willing to help anyone that showed up at their doorstep. Ultimately, Corrie and her family suffered experiences that are nothing short of vile and heart-breaking, but they strived to help and do good, which is the greatest and most selfless thing imaginable. Through my perspective, I struggle to see how this family was so incredibly gracious and strong in such trying times.
Corrie’s story has greatly opened my eyes, making me realize the overwhelming power of a community, courage, and faith.
In my own life, while it may not be as close to as drastic as Corrie ten Boom or George Gale, I would like to make an impact on my community. Through the means of music, advocating for mental health, and being an activist for the environment, I wish to change things for the better. I plan to attend Wartburg College in the fall for a Bachelor of Music degree in music therapy. In earning this degree, I can cater to the needs of those with special needs or on the spectrum, people with mental health disorders or struggles, or those with memory obstacles. Because I have a strong love for music, I would love to apply this to my career. Along with this, I strive to contribute to the field of psychology and therapy. It is important to me that people prioritize mental health and well-being. As it is so important to take care of the mind and body, I wish to help my clients find ways to better function in their lives. Outside of work in my future career, I care immensely about the environment and the climate. The current status of the world is fear mongering, yet at times, we fail to address or change it. Throughout my studies in college and my post-educational work, I strive to make advancements towards environmental activism. While I do not quite know what it looks like yet, it is important to me that we keep this world and its nature surrounding us safe and protected.
In living my life of faith and service, I wish to give back to my community and to those that have served me. I have been blessed with staff, congregational members, and community members that have given me endless opportunities which have allowed for personal growth. My time spent with the music department at G-E-T has taught me confidence and self-worth, given me my close friends, and showed me the path to my career. My time spent in my faith and with my church has allowed me to show off my love of music and learn from others. Any community-led activities in the area have taught me the importance of service and unity. Great success and power can come from a small community, which leads back to a small town like Galesville. From an outside perspective, this small town may not seem like much. However, this community, for me, has been one of empowerment and encouragement.
In conclusion, I have confidence that I, too, can make a difference in this world, whether it be locally or someplace else. Although it may not be written down in a book made of nine volumes, in a town’s history, or part of an underground society formed against political injustice, my greatest aspiration is to affect someone’s life and do good in the world, just like these people have done before me.
Works Cited
- Giere, Arthur F. History of Galesville University.
- Gale, George. Received by George Gale, Jr, 823 Broadway, 19 Dec. 1863, 823 Broadway.
- Gale, George. Received by Helen Gale, Morris Island, 6 Mar. 1864, Morris Island.
- Riley, Rev. Jim, and Lucinda Oakland Morken. The Ever-Whirling Wheels of Change.
- Sherrill, Elizabeth, et al. The Hiding Place. 1971. New York, Ny, Crossings Classics, 1992.
- Stuhr, Robin. “Founder’s Day Tribute to George Gale.” The Galesville Republican, 10 June 1984.
- “The Galesville University Founder. Twesme, Dorothy. Received by Old Main Center, 2019, Las Vegas, Nevada.
********************************************************
“Meeting Levels of Ambition” by Andrew Fox
The story of the circuit riding judge, George Gale, is inspiration to any aspiring individual from a small town like Galesville or Trempealeau. Personally, I’ve been exposed to the story of George Gale many times while performing and spending time at Old Main. His story is one of tenacity for learning, something I hold very dear to my heart as well. Learning about his early endeavors in his youth gives me much hope that my future may end up as successful as his. I especially find his reading of Sir Walter Scott’s nine-volume set about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte inspirational. In my youth, especially now, I find history as one of my most vital subjects academically. As my teacher, Ryan Mendez, states “history does not repeat, but it often rhymes”, this quote is one I often reflect upon when someone asks the importance of history. Becoming educated in history is one of the most impactful things we can experience in our life, it allows us to predict events more often, see emerging trends, and learn from past experiences. George Gale was aware of that fact when he went on the endeavor to read the epic history of Napoleon Bonaparte. His knowledge of the emperor of France undeniably helped the young George achieve all that he did. I wish to follow a similar path that he has been on, which is why I have also chosen to read a condensed version of Sir Walter Scott’s biography on Napoleon Bonaparte. I was gifted this biography after volunteering for Old Main’s Founders Day celebration video. As a token of appreciation, I will be reading this biography as the judge did back in his teenage years, well at least a condensed version. This will especially be helpful, not only for current events such as my AP European history exam in May, but for my career once I complete my schooling in Madison.
The thing that I find most admirable about Bonaparte was his unending ambition, all throughout his life, you can see he makes great strides to be the best military commander he can be. Shown in his early combat in the Alps, he had his divisions make every possible sacrifice he could, baggage, stragglers, even the artillery pieces themselves. This level of dedication to maintain the most maneuverable armies possible shows his passion to be the best, going beyond reason for most commanders. This simple example does not show the extent of his ambition, for some, it seems that his ambition went beyond his country's limit. The limit of France was extremely evident in the invasion of Russia, as Walter Scott described “the Russian army engaged only on a basis to keep the French aware and weary”. This comprehensive and vast invasion is a clear example of the necessity of supply lines, with Napoleon's doctrine of pillage not being able to be put to use. With the French army during the invasion being alert as mentioned above, there also was a policy of scorched earth being implemented by the Tsar’s armies, destroying any useful supplies of food, ammunition, etc. This measure was catastrophic to the ever-advancing army, with no amount of supply coming in from the Russian lands, and the supply chains growing farther and unable to keep up with demand. A basic principle Napoleon kept within his armies, as established in his early combat with the Austrians, that his armies’ morale would partly come from their pillaging. “This was showing the deer to the hound when the leash about to be slipped”, Walter Scott's examination of this principle is evident in the invasion of Russia due to its confounded lack of it. Although this example shows a rather negative interpretation of Napoleon's ambition, it's clear that it was insatiable, especially in the name of the French people. In Napoleon's later life as emperor, he divorced the Empress Josephine, while this is not as fervent in Scott’s novel when compared to the combat of Napoleon, it is said that he went through it for the “sake of the French people”. Josephine’s inability to birth children goes to show, even though he loved her, he still had to produce an heir for the French people. His absolute ambition penetrates every aspect of his life, while admirable, I would not quite follow specifically in his extreme footsteps.
The reason I am interested in Napoleon is evident in the previous paragraph. I have always thought of myself as an ambitious man, and what better example of ambition is there than Napoleon. Not only is his ambition interesting, but also his accomplishments and legacy. Contrary to my current history teacher's opinion, I believe that Napoleon was a tyrant. Napoleon Bonaparte was a hero during his time, but looking at it through a critical modern perspective he fits the definition of tyrant. While this bold analysis of Napoleon Bonaparte is dealing in absolutes, I would like to show that he was not a traditional tyrant. I still find Napoleon to be an admirable man, especially in Walter’s examination, his overwhelming power is undeniable. I would like to point out his glaring defect, he was a warmonger. Many times were conflicts started by French aggression and exemplified by Napoleon’s effectiveness. It is also notable that Napoleon fought in almost no defensive wars, at least ones that were not started by France. When discussing the validity of this perspective, one of my classmates brought up the fact that he was fairly elected through democratic means, in other words, the French asked for his imperial government. My counter to this claim was that infamous dictators are often put into power through this similar means, such as Adolf Hitler, who attained office through democratic vote. To avoid confusion, Napoleon is not comparable to Hitler in any regards, but only follows similar power gains. There are many things we can learn about individuals like Napoleon, as the time he rose to power is just as unstable as the times we are in currently. I believe that during times of crisis, it allows people of good nature and bad to achieve as much as Napoleon did, and it's how I can learn to avoid gaining status for the wrong reasons. If I am going to be notable in any way, I wish to not bring it about through the degrading or harm of others. While I do not wish to demean such a notable historical figure, our society has evolved in such ways that we can attain levels of prowess through other means than war.
Of the assumption that I want to achieve a similar level of ambition as George Gale or Napoleon Bonaparte, if my life were to have any major accomplishment, it would be to work as an advisor or peacekeeper for the United Nations and/or Red Cross. I have always wanted to take my passion and ambition for history and apply it to peoples relations. If I am going to have a degree in history, I will most definitely have a minor or double major in sociology or human relations. It is my hope that during my years in college I get the privilege to go overseas for a portion of that. I have had the luxury to be born in a relatively stable country like America and being able to have the choice of helping others is one I must take. While many have said my passion for history will not be useful, I believe that if I continue to strive for a path like this, I will be in areas that are heavily affected by the sins of history. It is undeniable that an extensive knowledge of the history of developing areas will help my understanding of these countries' struggles. Having this history can bring about a uniformity of the wrongdoings of the past and help bring a better future. My extensive study of history and war only reinforces my ambition to become a peacekeeper, or at least to become an educator for the sake of awareness of societal issues. Naturally this would require me to leave the stability of our region and be somewhere I am not used to, this culture shock will either break or build me, just like Napoleon once endeavored on his first water crossing. This risk is something that I have to take to build up my own life, and that starts with my admission to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
I one day hope to say that I have met the levels of ambition that the Galesville founder had, and his own inspiration had as well. If my journey shall have any faults, I will now be able to look back upon the ambitious life of Napoleon and reflect on why I am making my journey now. I am grateful for this experience provided by the Twesme Family and their encouragement for my journey to come.
********************************************************