In the spirit of not watching Television, (but renting the occassional movie), I watched a great flick about that guy the yummy eggs are named after.
According to the film, Benedict Arnold was really a decent guy. He was considered to be a great hero at one point in time. His wife was an interesting piece of work. She was as different as can be from another revolutionary wartime hero. Abigail Adams encouraged her husband in goodness and much of the good that he did was following advice from his wife.
Ironically, Benedict Arnold’s wife was (according to this film), the motivating factor behind much of Arnold’s idiocy. Her tendency toward disloyalty was evidence in her choice to marry Benedict after making promises, (albeit unspoken), to her redcoat boyfriend. Arnold is depicted in this movie as being deeply in love with Peggy and willing to do whatever it took to make her happy. She wanted to be married to a powerful man and was in love with his potential to be king. It was interesting to watch the evolution of both of their personalities.
Peggy was a contemporary of Jane Austen and much of my understanding of the culture of the times is from Austen’s books. Peggy obviously married to enhance her power. She encouraged her husband to betray himself and his country even when he wanted to do the unselfish and difficult things. When he was busted, she told him to escape and helped him do it then blamed it all on him when Washington found her.
Arnold struggled with the decisions he made as a result of his wife’s advice…but he still made those decisions. The saddest scene was the very end where he challenges a long time collegue to a duel for defiling his name. Peggie is cowering in the carriage as the men duel. Both of their lives have disintegrated to nothing and Arnold recognized and states that future generations will categorize him with other traitors like Lucifer and Judas.
I was empowered by this movie because it really made me think aabout the decisions that I make not only in my personal life but in the advice I give my husband. Marriage can be very challenging and I often feel like my influence isn't really felt. Yet, as I look at these historic events, I realize that my general attitude makes a difference in his life, whether for good or ill. I wonder how much I have influenced the choices he has made.
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