Chilton Manrodt's Saga Of An Educated Vagabond

Autobiography Book Report In Spencer Chilton Manrodt’s autobiography, Saga of an Educated Vagabond, he shares his life story into something that we can all read and imagine. I believe that his motivations for writing an autobiography would be to share his life story with later generations such as myself (since he is my 3rd cousin). In order to pass down the life of a football star that was later dragged into the tragedy of war, he wrote a manuscript that was later found in a trunk in the basement after his daughter’s death in recent years. “No one must limit himself to one character. With each change in environment, embellishments may be added to, or subtracted from the basic character.” (Manrodt 4) He believes the legacy of the Chilton family should live on, make an impact that lasts and never forget who made it happen. Manrodt’s most admirable quality would be that he is optimistic. “You might think my character days were over. No. This didn’t call for my ceasing to be a character; it only called for a change in type. I will always be a character of one type or another.” (Manrodt 383) This quote explains that he always looked ahead of himself, and he believed that more events, whether they are good or bad, will help become a better person in the future. Unfortunately, Manrodt passed
away before I was born, but he would one of the people I would like to get to know. I would like to get the sense of what he went through from his experiences, not only from his career in football or in the air force, but just the way they lived in the early 30’s and 40’s. I don’t think that Manrodt was trying to get a response from the audience. I believe that he was telling his story just to tell it. “I wasn’t certain whether their feelings were stronger in the analysis of the character of the medical profession or stronger in their condemnation of one Spencer Chilton Manrodt, Captain AC.” (Manrodt 383) Since I never got a chance to meet him, this gave me the insight of a different part of a Chilton family’s life that I have never gotten to know. This book has provided me with knowledge on how to live on the Chilton legacy and encourage other relatives to do the same. The book structure is a chapter book that contains 85 chapters in all.
He starts from his time he starts college with flashbacks pertaining to his childhood events. The diction that Manrodt decides to use would be an old fashion choice of words, and the words he writes are denotative. “Currently, I was no longer a topographical computer.” (Manrodt 130) Throughout the book, there are figurative devices used such as similes and metaphors. For example,” To me, I was as ugly as a pan of worm.” (Manrodt 9) In order to keep the writing drawn into the book, Manrodt focuses on a little comedy. “The draft, of course, you nut heads. Haven’t you been reading the newspapers?” (Manrodt
106) The theme for, Saga of an Educated Vagabond by Spencer Chilton Manrodt, is to have faith in who you want to be, even if you have to change from one type of character to another. “A character is a personality type, molded both by the environment and the inner man. Frequently, it is the need to exist within the environment, kind or cruel, that establishes the pattern of the character chosen or practiced.” (Manrodt 3) Manrodt states that where you come from, who you grow up around, and who you are taught by are what your character will turn out to be. And when that environment changes, you character changes with it as you adapt to your new surroundings. “The simple quotation leaves me quite blank, yet, were I able to listen to and watch the speaker, I would have a clear picture of the character.” (Manrodt 3)

Works Cited
Manrodt,Spencer Chilton. Saga of an Educated Vagabond. Windham:Dark Harbor, 2013.