"After hearing Al Kroboth's story of his walk across Vietnam and his brutal imprisonment in the North, I found myself passing harrowing, remorseless judgment on myself. I had not turned out to be the man I had once envisioned myself to be. I thought I would be the kind of man that America could point to and say, 'There. That's the guy. That's the one who got it right. The whole package. The one I can depend on.'"

I believe this is the most important passage because he realizes why he should have protested the war when he returned from Vietnam. He regrets being an "American Coward" and wishes he could have been more heroic, like Al Kroboth. He went into the war thinking he'd be a real American that others could "depend on". But, when he returns he does not speak out about the injustices of the war and feels like a coward because of it. This quote is important because he finally understands and grasps the idea that he could have helped so many other soldiers by speaking out against the war, and could have stopped more wartime horrors and imprisonments like what happened to Al Kroboth. He comprehends his failure and gets real with himself and the reader, admitting his failure.

Gaimon, Phil. Pro Cycling on $10 a Day: From Fat Kid to Euro Pro. Boulder, Colorado: VeloPress, 2014.

"It's funny what happens to your mind and your body during a crash. What you thought you were doing and what you expected to happen are suddenly tossed aside. A second ago, you were racing and having a good time. Now you're on the guardrail, or against a curb, or sliding on the pavement, and you have to deal, with that. As my senses were heightened and my brain hit the "record" button, instincts kicked in" (94).

This quote is when Phil Gaimon crashes in the Athens Twilight Pro Criterium Race. This race is very popular and has a lot of drunk college kid spectators. He is riding for the Jelly Belly Pro Cycling team at the time, but goes to this race an individual rider without his teammates. He recognizes this race as a "crashfest" and his only goal is to come out of the race safe. Yet, when he registers, he is given race number 13, and because he is superstitious, he believes this to be unlucky. He pins the number on upside down to relieve this unluckiness and starts the race, yet is crashed out by another rider going into the first corner. This quote is his reflection upon the incident and the reality of crashing in general.

This passage is memorable because I've crashed on my bike before so I know exactly what he's talking about. I seem to remember every moment of my crashes, as he describes when his "brain hit the 'record' button". Actually, I had a horrible mountain bike crash a few years ago and when I recovered from it, I posted on Instagram about it saying, "one minute I'm having the time of my life, the next I'm lying on the ground writhing in pain". This phrase that I said reminded me of this passage and gave it sentimental value because I've literally already been there. And my crash inspired me to bounce back and better myself, as Phil did later in the book (he didn't let the crash affect his race career). Phil's message about crashing truly got to me because I realized how very real his words are, which also helped me understand the importance of resiliency.

"I'd been training and racing since February, so my coach prescribed four days off the bike and four days with short easy rides. You know how a hot tub feels better if you just come out of an ice bath? Well, a week on a sofa is better if you've been beating yourself up for months." (60).

Before this, Phil had been racing, partying, and managing his various side jobs. This overworked him greatly and he now needs a break from training in general. He talks to his coach about the prospect of taking some time off the bike and his coach agrees. His most recent race was Tour of Pennsylvania and he had been racing since February and it is now June. When he's off the bike he does not completely isolate himself from bike racing; he goes to a race the following weekend with friends and cheers on his teammates from the sidelines. At the race he goes to watch, he carries around a rubber chicken, wagging it at the racers as they come by. He feels like it wouldn't be a weekend without waiting in line for a port-a-potty (something that always happens at bike races).

I like this passage because it has humorous connections to the real world and life in general. When he mentions how a hot tub feels better if you've just come out of an ice bath, he relates his personal cycling to the experiences of the general public. I've also learned the importance of taking rest days on the bike and can relate to his personal training knowledge. For example, when I get sick and have a cold, I have found that taking time off the bike and going easy is more beneficial than continuing training. I also like that he used the phrase "beating himself up" to describe his prolonged time racing because every day racing is a new opportunity to crash and fail. This passage is memorable to me because I've had feelings of overtraining and he explains what I've experienced in greater detail.

Interpretive Writing, Comparison/Contrast of Montana 1948 and Platoon

"A hero cannot be a hero unless in a heroic world." -Nathaniel Hawthorne.

 Modern day society is not a utopia, and humans are to blame. No matter how much good there is in the world, humans always seem to find a way to dilapidate and bring society to immoral depths. War, guns, violence, and injustice define the human condition; a human's true fiber is that of personal gain and selfish substance. In Larry Watson's novel, Montana 1948, and Oliver Stone's movie, Platoon, two characters, Uncle Frank and Barnes, exemplify this truly wicked human characteristic. They both commit atrocities to their fellow human race and don't show any regret for their actions. The cruel and unrepentant nature of Uncle Frank's and Barnes's actions manifest that humans are innately evil.

In Montana 1948, Uncle Frank molesting Marie illustrates the vile nature of humans because he takes advantage of an innocent human being. Gail discovers Frank's horrible secret and confides in Wes. She tells him that his "brother has molested Indian Girls" and "does things he shouldn't. He takes liberties. Indecent liberties." (45). Frank's actions show he is a savage, remorseless human being. He selfishly takes what he wants from Marie, a naïve and pure Indian Girl that is friends and a caretaker for his extended family. His sinful heart and soul tell him it's ok to do that because he's just straight plain evil. Frank's self-interest and wrong doings against Marie epitomize the immoral quintessence that all humans have deep down inside them.

Another instance in which Uncle Frank shows that all humans are evil at the core is when he kills Marie and tries to hide his actions. David confesses that "Uncle Frank had been in [his] house the afternoon Marie had died" (122), meaning that Frank had killed Marie. She was a liability to him and he got rid of her without thinking twice. He told no one else and tried to cover it up, and wouldn't have even been found out if David had not seen the incident unfold. Frank's behavior shows that humans, when given an opportunity, will inflict harm on (and in Frank's case, even kill) others, especially for personal gain. Frank doesn't feel any regret for committing such a horrible act because he sees the world as a sculpture he can mold (and destruct) with his villainous desires. Uncle Frank's guiltless murder represents the innate viciousness within us all.

And after all his heinous actions, Frank still shows no sign of contrition for what he's done, displaying how truly wicked humans are at heart. Wesley exclaims to Gail that Frank "had no more concern for what he did if... if he had kicked a dog. No. He'd show more remorse over a dog" (150). Frank's lack of remorse shows that humans as a whole have this poisonous characteristic. His terrible yet regretless actions illustrate that he shows no compassion for the human race. This goes to show that humans, when exposed under the right light, have evil notions guiding their decisions and psychological analysis of those decisions. The fact that Wes believes Frank would show more remorse over kicking a dog than raping and killing a fellow human being clarifies how innately cruel human beings can be. Frank's behavior proves that humans are innately evil because he shows no admitted concern for his hideous actions.

In Platoon, Barnes shooting and killing the Vietnamese woman for unjustifiable reasons displays that humans are inherently vile. Barnes "interrogates the village chief about whether the villagers have been aiding the NVA, and cold-bloodedly shoots his wife dead". Killing an innocent woman in cold blood makes Barnes a stone cold murderer. And, it goes to show that humans have a cruel characteristic within them, for he wouldn't have killed her if he couldn't bear to live with himself. By believing his heinous action is ok, Barnes represents that humans are guiltless about their cruelest of crimes. His actions illustrate that humans, deep down in their core, weigh their own selfish interests higher than the welfare of others. This is one of the ideologies shared by all humans that show they are innately evil. By killing the Vietnamese woman without regret, Barnes proves that humans have evil ingrained into their true character.

Later in the movie, Barnes murders his comrade for selfish gain, further legitimizing that humans are intrinsically foul. Barnes believes Elias is the weak link that will rat on him by telling Captain Harris that Barnes illegally killed the Vietnamese woman, which would end up getting him court martialed. So, to make sure this information never gets to Captain Harris, Barnes "finds Elias alone and shoots him, then returns and tells the others that Elias was killed by the enemy". Killing a man to conceal his retched murder story exemplifies how evil Barnes really is. He deep down believes that killing Elias is ok because it will benefit himself. This covetous desire to take Elias's life is similar to that of every human's desire to act in unharmonious self interest. And self-interest can be an evil thing as it may entail afflicting harm onto others. As long as humans are personally benefitting from a situation, they are ok with committing wrong-doings. Thus, Barnes killing Elias for personal benefit illustrates that humans are innately evil because we all share this self-centered characteristic.

Towards the conclusion of this film, Barnes murders yet another of his closest comrades out of self-interest, proving yet again that humans have an evil characteristic deep in their foundation. Barnes encounters Chris during the airstrike called in by Captain Harris after the NVA destroyed the battalion's headquarters, and Barnes knows that Chris recognizes him as the murderer of Elias. So, Barnes then proceeds to "try and kill Chris, but is knocked unconscious by an airstrike". Barnes's cruel actions represent how high he holds his self-interest above the rights of others. By killing Chris in cold blood as well, he truly epitomizes the evil characteristic displayed in humanity. This murder further validates that humans will not show remorse for malicious conduct if it is in their best interest. This greedy personality trait proves that humans are inherently disharmonious and have a heinous core. By killing Chris for personal gain, and not regretting his criminal actions, Barnes shows that humans are innately evil.

By committing atrocious acts without guilt, Uncle Frank and Barnes illustrate the inherently evil characteristic of all human beings. They raped and murdered people without feeling any sense of regret because they had something to gain personally. That made it ok for them. And while humans as a whole may not commit murder or extreme acts like they did, we do share this same characteristic of self-interest, and that is what makes us truly evil at the core. Humans are willing to harm others to get what they want. This trait is what makes us malicious creatures; this is what drives our actions and makes us disharmonious as a broader society. We inflict our self-interest upon each other, as these two characters did when they killed people they knew to hide evidence against themselves. But, we can change this selfish characteristic into one of symbiosis if we learn to adapt, instead of force, our personal interests around others'. We can live in harmony if we are able to accept others for what they are and what they know, and really accept our own actions as well. By acknowledging that others have their own interests as well, us humans can learn to collaborate and build meaningful relationships. Even if we may be inherently evil and self-centered, we can become a working, mutually-beneficial unit through acceptance of others and comradery.