• “Microhistorians, typically denied any such coziness with actual, living informants and motivated by the many concerns of social history….betray those who have left abundant records (the Father Foucquets and John Williamses) in order to resurrect those who did not ( the John Hus and Eunice Williamses).” → This quote makes me think about two ideas that I have had discussions about in this class, LIL 120, and in my class with Prof DeWolfe, Women in the Ancient World, and that is when the spotlight is on one area, what are we leaving out? We talked about this in Regarding the Pain of Others in this class, and a common theme within Prof DeWolfe’s class is trying to find women’s voice in history when for the most part, it is abundantly male-oriented. Is it fair to say that one aspect of learning history is better than another? Microhistorian vs. biographers, they both examine a person or event but is there a need to conceptualize the culture and societal influences surrounding that person or event that may have shaped the how and why of research questions? 
  • “Biographers do, after all, write about the lives of people they consider monsters or repellent human beings.” → This quote stood out because of its bluntness, the reality of what has to be done to achieve a well-informed society regarding history. When reading about historical figures who are cruel, unjust, and pretty much, yes, monsters, it is hard to imagine yourself as the one tasked with informing the public about those events. The passion for history has to surpass the passion for just one specific person or event in history, which makes me think of the greater good. I wonder if there is a way to be truly unbiased as a historian? That word is thrown around a lot when it comes to news relaying facts, but do we really want unbiased as a historian? Or rather, do we need someone so passionate about the retelling of history and accuracy that they take a much more broad knowledge of history to inform us about the person or event so that we become more knowledgeable and do not repeat mistakes. Active vs. passive in a way?