The Notorious Benedict Arnold Analysis

The Notorious Benedict Arnold is a non-fiction history written in 2010 to give a true account of Arnold’s life from 1741 to 1801. The memoir is set in 1741, in Connecticut, the United States of America. The main issues discussed in the memoir include ambition to excel in life, treachery and regret.

Thematically, the memoir opens by exploring the desire to succeed to achieve personal satisfaction. Characters in the memoir want to succeed in bringing honour to their families. Arnold's father was a successful businessperson, but he lost his wealth when he made the wrong investments. For André, his family lost its wealth due to harsh economic times. Arnold and André wanted to excel in life to uplift their families to where they belonged in society. Since Arnold's father lost his wealth, society mocked him and believed his family would remain poor forever. However, when Arnold joined the American army, he believed he could help his family regain its lost glory.

The second issue Steve Sheinkin focuses on is Arnold's betrayal of the people and country that considered him a hero. Arnold joined the American army during the struggle for independence. During the struggle, Arnold led his militia in several attacks against the British, and he emerged victorious. For instance, Arnold led his militia to attack the British soldiers in Fort Ticonderoga, defeating them despite sustaining serious injuries. Arnold led a series of attacks in the struggle until the United States of America gained its independence. However, Arnold was led by selfish ambitions when he secretly pledged his allegiance to the British, hoping to be given a senior rank position in Britain.

The biography ends by showing Arnold’s regret for his actions. After pledging allegiance to the British, Arnold and his wife relocated to Britain, hoping to be given a senior position in the military to help the British soldiers fight the American troops. Unfortunately, the British authorities never recognized Arnold. While in Britain, Arnold tried to do several businesses but failed. Arnold regretted his actions to betray America, which recognized him as a hero who fought for independence. Later, Arnold died in 1801 after attaining the age of 60.