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re: Hamilton's mother.

Posted by: ntjvy 01:54 pm EDT 10/31/15
In reply to: Hamilton's mother. - Delvino 12:12 pm EDT 10/31/15

I've read Chernow's Alexander Hamilton too and I agree with everything that you have said, thank you for elaborating.

I think there are two ways to discuss accuracy of a fictionalized piece:

1. Is the portrayal historically accurate? In this instance we would argue yes, for all of the reasons you cited, it makes perfect sense for Burr to call Hamilton's mother a "whore".

2. Is the content provided by the characters historically accurate? In this case no, Burr is not a reliable narrator on this topic. He is factually inaccurate. The same happens with the mention of Martha Washington's cat.

I'm by no means claiming that these are poor choices for the piece, but when someone is wondering about accuracy, and with all of this chat about "teaching tool", it's worth noting.


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re: Hamilton's mother.

Posted by: ryhog 12:25 pm EST 11/01/15
In reply to: re: Hamilton's mother. - ntjvy 01:54 pm EDT 10/31/15

Do you think either of these points is something that is "taught" about the history of the founding fathers?

How does it differ from an inaccuracy as to the color of someone's eyes? I think this is just 1st class nitpicking.


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re: Hamilton's mother.

Posted by: ntjvy 05:31 pm EST 11/02/15
In reply to: re: Hamilton's mother. - ryhog 12:25 pm EST 11/01/15

No, I can't imagine that either of these points are things that are taught about Alexander Hamilton in a typical curriculum. At least on my end though, it also isn't nitpicking, because it isn't "picking" at all. I don't find these points problematic, but they are historically inaccurate. I think it's interesting to think about how the facts are manipulated for the benefit of the narration. The purpose of Hamilton isn't to convey a set of historical accuracies, so my indicating that I don't think that it does convey a set of historical accuracies is by no means an insult or "nitpicking", just an observation.


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Burr as unreliable narrator.

Posted by: Delvino 02:05 pm EDT 10/31/15
In reply to: re: Hamilton's mother. - ntjvy 01:54 pm EDT 10/31/15

Ah, thank you for nailing what for me is one of the most under-appreciated aspects of the show: that intermittent unreliable narration. Burr's chip on his shoulder is established in the opening lines, and means he frames the entire trajectory from his POV. Not alone, of course. By the time we get to "And me, I'm the damned fool who shot him" early on, we know we're in for a slanted but profoundly focused and accessible take on the title character and history in general. For me "Wait for It" in act one takes this concept even deeper. It's why this work is so layered.


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