I believe that the thing that will stick with me the longest is the part at the end where the interviewer is talking with Red Corn about the panoramic picture on the wall at the museum. My take away from this section of the book is, with true pain of an individual, or a group of individuals, an emotional scar is left, and that scar is never forgotten, even as time passes and others forget.
The thing that I will remember for the longest is that a person's actions do not always reflect their true character. William Hale did amazing things for the community and helped many people in Osage county, yet despite these things his greed and lust for power caused him to destroy scores of people's lives. Like a malicious Bruce Wayne, Hale used his money and influence to work in the shadows, crippling lives in the community he had claimed to protect.
Tom White’s goodness in a world of evil is what stuck out to me the most. He never allowed the crimes that others committed (even when his own life was in danger) negatively affect who he was as a person. My dad always told me, “No matter what anyone else does, you do what’s right”, and Tom’s character epitomizes that perfectly. No matter how much evil people did, or how much punishment they deserved, he did what he felt was right: to treat them with mercy and kindness.
What I will take away from the book is the how hunger for wealth or fame, and the greed of always wanting to have more money, land, valuables, or to even be on a higher social platform than those around you can out weigh ones believes and morals. Thus, leading them to commit horrendous crimes against the people that at one point in time they loved and trusted. How far will a person go just to be on top even if it means losing everyone? How can one thing motivate a person to want to "be so much better" than those around them that they strive great lengths, such as committing murder, to accomplish that so called feeling of being on top.
The part of the book that will stick with me the longest are William Hale’s actions towards Mollie. I have always had issues trusting people and I think that this further proves the point that even the people you feel closest to can betray you if it benefits them. Mollie married Hale’s nephew and they were family and close friends and even that was not enough to keep Hale from murdering Mollie’s family and trying to take all their headrights. It makes me more skeptical to trust people and allow others to become close to me.
I’ve taken away a deeper understanding of the complicit nature of the society that surrounds such tragic events. The fact that the mystery of these murders that occurred in our own state was uncovered by a writer across the country in New York attests to the travesty of our perception of Oklahoma history. Not once had anything close to the topic ever been brought up in the high school curriculum. It seems to reinforce the thought that the society of Oklahoma, and the larger society of America, is still complicit in perpetuating the zeitgeist of old by looking for straw men instead of true justice.
The part of the book I will remember the most is the bravery, kindness, and perseverance of Tom White to get to the bottom of the murders. It must have been frightening at some points, yet Tom White continued to work on this case. It’s acts like this that at first don’t seem like a big deal that ultimately mean the most. Even with his life in danger Tom White continued to fight to find an end to these awful crimes
I will be taking away a sort of skepticism of history. After reading this book, and realizing the amount of history that is here that I did not learn about in school, I will view history through a different eye. You never read about the murder of the Osage in your history books.
The part of me that will stick with me the most would have to be the ending chapters of the book. Even after learning of the true villain behind the story, we find out that our villain was actually only a small portion of the evil that plagued the Osage’s home. Grann, in an effort to find out more about the Osage, ends up finding out how much more complicated the crimes were by visiting with descendants of the murdered Osages. Even though he was able to help solve some existing cases, a lot still remains sadly unknown about them.
The part of the story most likely to stick with me the longest would be the cruelty of Ernest Burkhart in his affiliation with Hale. When it is revealed in the end of Chapter 22 that Ernest intended to kill Cowboy and Mollie, his own children, I could not fathom how one could be so greedy to plot his own children's death.
The part of this book that will stick with me is the history itself. We do not learn what actually happened to the Osage Indians in school. The school books do not tell us the whole truth. They only tell us what they want us to know, the good things about our state. I will take away knowing that not everything we learned in school is our states full history.
The theme that I noticed as I read the book echoed the sentiments of French playwright Jean Racine, "There are no secrets that time does not reveal." Throughout the account' Killers of the Flower Moon,' the reader is constantly reminded that over time all deeds will be known. This theme echoed in the final chapter as David Grann discovered Burt and his murders of the Indians he possessed guardianship over. This take away impacts me as I walk into the next adventure of my life, good or bad, my actions will be known or discovered, reflecting my character to all.
The thing that really stuck out to me the most while reading this book is how important parts of history such as this are often left out. Until reading this book, I had no idea that these terrible murders had even taken place. It really makes me wonder what other parts of history people have chosen to leave out, and why they have done this. All events, even if they are awful like this, are a part of history and should not be left out. -Kaylee George
The part of the book that, I believe, will stick with me the longest is the theme of resiliency. This was displayed in multiple ways. First, by the Osage tribe as a whole, and how they continued to search for answers when there seemed to be no direction. Tom White also is resilient in pursuing justice for the Osage families and capturing the criminals. Adding onto that Tom continued to do the right thing when it was hard and treating people properly. What I will take away from this book is no matter what happens in life keep going and along the way treat people with respect if you want respect back.
The part of the book that stuck with me the most is learning the true history of things that really happened to the Osage Indians. In my history classes we were not truly exposed to the complete truth and it made me question the way textbooks are written. Why write a history book if it does not include the complete truth of the history? It seems as if the writers of the textbooks do not want the complete horror of early Americans.
My main takeaway is how much we have progressed as a nation. We used to be one who wrongfully persecuted people based on the color of their skin. One that was largely opposed to interracial relationships. And now we are moving towards bigger and better things. Granted not everyone is on the same page but the majority is And that's what matters the most. Change takes time but at least there is change.
The one thing that stuck with me the most was how easy it is to disregard certain parts of history. Whether it was because these events were too painful or embarrassing, the majority of people have just brushed this story aside and forgotten about it, even though it still affects countless individuals and families to this day. Instead of brushing aside the painful memories and forgetting past mistakes, these incidents could be addressed and analyzed to prevent history from repeating itself.
The part of the book that I will remember for the longest time is the morals of the people in the story. Good people were present, like Tom White, but there were numerous murderers, liars, cheaters, and burglars present, as well. Although I think that morals are declining as time goes on, it is difficult for me to wrap my brain around the fact that they were not much better back then; I learned that morals are not declining as quickly as I originally thought.
The part of this book that stuck with me the most is where the author discusses how the Osage death toll during the "Reign of Terror" was actually much larger than the 24 deaths that were officially recorded. The actual number of killings could have been anywhere from in the hundreds to the thousands, leaving the majority of the cases unsolved, often without any effort to investigate them in the first place. It scares me to think about how many high ranking people in our society were complicit - and often times participants - in such a corrupt and bloody scheme against an innocent minority group. This is a perfect example of how racism plays out in the context of a corrupt and morally bankrupt government. If that much abuse of power was happening earlier in American history, I cannot even begin to imagine how much of it could still be happening today.
I think that what stuck with me the most in this book is that if the agency had never stepped in and investigated what was going on, Hale and Ramsey would have got away with it, and had the entire fortune through Ernest. It also baffles me that Hale was willing to kill Ernest or Bryan to succeed, which probably indicates that he's a sociopath, but I'm no psychologist. I almost admire Hale's dedication to the craft, and the fact that he could still live with himself after getting out of jail and basically walking after being responsible for so many murders. I think it sheds an unsurprising light on how long it took for the government to get involved in a case like this just because it didn't involve white people getting murdered. It also, now that I think about it, really makes me wonder how lucky Mollie was, because she could have ended up with someone other than Tom White assigned to her case, someone who was willing to look the other way and say that it was all a coincidence. I really enjoyed the way the book was written, and how it methodically follows Agent White as he tries to uncover something that could have been the death of his career. I was sincerely convinced it was an outside job, but the book was great at uncovering pieces of information and showing how the breadcrumbs lead back to Mr. Hale. As someone who is interested in this line of work, it was certainly a great read!
The part that has affected me the most while reading this book is the depth of selfishness of William Hale. How far he was willing to go in order to get money. He lived a truly twisted life and his actions showed it. The fact he was able to do this to the family of the woman who married his nephew, and who he was likely close with because of the marriage, is terrifying.
The part that will stick with me the longest is no matter how good society believes someone to be, underneath they can be a completely different person causing lasting harm to those who were fooled. William Hale was seen as the protector but behind closed doors, he was responsible for most of the heartache. A person's true intentions can never be completely known.
The part of the book that will stick to me the most is how evil the white people were to the Osages. They would literally marry an Osage then murder them for their money. Power and money corrupt the human mind more than people know. Hale was willing to make his nephew lose his family just to become more rich and powerful. He was one of the most soulless and nefarious looters in United States history. I cannot even fathom having a wife and children and then killing them just for wealth. I want my family to be peaceful.
The thing that stuck with me the most and that I kept noticing throughout the book is Mollie's strength through her hardships, and her willingness to see the best in people until they gave her a reason not to. Mollie held strong through the waves of death in her family that crashed over her. She lost her sisters, her mom, and her daughter all in such a short period of time. I would be overcome with grief and unable to go on if I had lost as much as she did. Mollie continued to believe her husband would not betray her in such a way as he did as the town spoke of what she thought was the unthinkable, and it was only when Ernest confessed himself what he did that she finally turned away from him, but even then she was calm and put together. Mollie attended the trials and the murder scenes, she watched her family die before her eyes and she continued to hold steady and not break down into nothingness like so many would have. The acts against her family and other Osage done by Hale and his nephews, along with others, is almost unbearable to read, and I can't believe it isn't a key part that is taught in History classes. The suspicious deaths were disregarded for so long, and I can't help but wonder how different the outcome would be if people would have paid attention to the cries of help from the Osage people sooner.
After reading the novel, I am intrigued as to how much of history gets washed over in the education system. The Osages were some of the wealthiest people in a time where Native Americans were being oppressed and yet this material was never covered in any of the history classes I have taken. Grann has inspired me to read more of historical based novels, which is not a genre I typically enjoy to read. I also can appreciate the structure in which the story was written. It was engaging and interesting, while never losing the main focus of justice.
The part of the book that I believe will stick with me would be how much I learned about the Osage Indians. I thought that throughout all of my history classes in high school I would have learned the truth about what really happened.
After reading Killers of the Flower Moon, the thought “money is the root of all evil,” comes to mind. Greed and the desire for excessive wealth poisoned the humanity so many people. They were so caught up in the idea of financial gain that they never considered that the Osage were people too, just like them. The Osage were very susceptible to so much exploitation, and because of this rapacity in the villains, they took advantage of this. Sadly, the desire for material things can completely destroy a person’s consideration of others. -Natalie Hegwer
The thing that stuck out to me the most was that some people are so consumed by power and greed that they are willing to kill for even just a taste of it. Greed overtakes people such as Hale and Burkhart, but Tom White fought against the injustice that walked across the Osage lands and he did it with a righteous hand. William Faulkner once said, "Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed." White did just that and it is inspiring to know that we could have a justice department that uses little force and tries to never take a life unless absolutely necessary.
The one thing that I believe will resonate with me for the longest time is that having such an excessive amount money can make you lose who you are. Social classes all have different expectations within them. In the case of most of the Osage Community, once the oil came, then came major wealth. The community seemed to have two different groups, one that used the wealth to live a more luxurious life but they kept traditional life as much as they could, and Mollie is an example of that person. The second used the money to a full extent, such as replacing cars with damage of as much as a flat tire. Another point of focus could be how much the county itself changes. These people who fought to keep their land and their traditions safe from white practices dive straight into those practices once having money. They dismantle the original town and build a booming metropolis. For me this would be hard, I was raised in heavy family traditions. If I would have lived in that time it is hard to say if they would have stood the test of the influx of money. Having read about the changes this money caused really makes you hold on to and value the person you are. It's true we can all grow, but these people completely changed.
For me, I feel that the takeaway of this book is rather clear. It exemplifies the lengths that some individuals will go to for the benefit of themselves and their close ones. The prospect of oil wealth was so enticing to William Hale that he was willing to organize the deaths of many innocent individuals. The race relations of the time also did not likely help the case for the Osage involved. However, the main point is that destroying others people lives typically sounds terrible to the individual’s human nature until self gain is a result of it.
The part I'll take away is how the federal investigators closed a case with so many holes. It shows Hoover's determination to make the FBI a success and to save his personal image. Hoover seemed, to me, to be a secondary antagonist through out the story. Hoover wanted so desperately to avoid a scandal that he closed a case with dozens of murders that were solved.
I totally agree. People love clean outlines and neatly-tied-up-stories, but they are not easy to come by in real life. It is disappointing but unsurprising that Hoover was so willing to call the case closed.
The thing that stuck the most to me in this book is the shear number of murders and hate crimes that just go unnoticed in society. The story was focused around Hale and the 24 murders that were believed to be his doing, however after he gets locked up and I thought the story was ending, it was revealed that he was only a small part in the Osage murders. There was up to 600 murders or mysterious deaths of the osage I believe and only a few people actually got into trouble with it. It is astounding that there can be so much harm and hate in the world and no one even seems to care about it. Also it is crazy to think about how much history is hidden away from us to see. I grew up in Oklahoma and still had no idea about how gruesome it was back in the day. When we learn about history we should know the truth and not just the good version. -Freddy Grotts
The main takeaway from the book is how in solving the case of one set of murders, hundreds were still never solved. The FBI was seen as a success because its agents were able to solve a string of murders that were all connected. Since Hoover was rushing throughout the investigation to get it over, he allowed for other murders to go unsolved.
This book has, more than anything, shown me that there is simply no end to the horrors to be found in America's history -- especially when you inquire into the shadowy corners wherein live those stories not fully investigated, like that of the Osage Reign of Terror. I have never trusted the politicians (demagogues?) of America less.
The thing that will probably stick with me the longest is how honorably Tom White treated the prisoners at Leavenworth. He was fully aware of the crimes committed by the notorious criminals housed there, yet he demanded that every prisoner be treated fairly. He even took special care to ensure that Hale’s family was treated well by prison officials. I hope that I can reciprocate his behavior in my life by refusing to treat people differently for any reason, regardless of who is doing it around me.
The part of the book that stood out to me most was when Mollie was being questioned following Ernest’s statement to White. She was shocked to learn her husband was involved. Yet, she decided to stand by her husband. I was amazed that when asked, “You love your husband?” Mollie responded, “Yes.” Though she was in denial, I still found her dedication to Ernest very admirable. At the same time, it was extremely disappointing that Ernest betrayed Mollie’s committed love and trust. Although her thoughts towards him changed later, that moment of devotion will stay with me.
Throughout all the events of the book, I’m still reminded that the Osage didn’t ask to live on land which was sitting above such a prized resource, it was forced upon them, which in turn thrust them into a life of white society who “scalped their souls”. That ‘one’ action of westward expansion led into an entire labyrinth of conspiracy and greed that is almost unfathomable.
While reading the book, there was many things I learned. The biggest thing that stuck with me though was how white men treated the Osage. An example was how the government almost forced the Osage people to have "guardians" to monitor all their money. the Osage were almost treated like property to white men. If you "owned" or were a guardian of an Osage family, then you could do whatever you wanted with their money. It showed just how much the majority of white men did not care for people of different races. -Sam Pratt
One thing that really surprised me and stuck with me was how fast the Osage got rich and how fast it was until they had "guardians" controlling their money. Not only was that their money but they couldn't be independent with it. White men controlled the Osage and their money to the point where it didn't matter whether or not they had enough money to feed their families that month. I found it ridiculous that just because they got rich quick and that they weren't white meant they didn't have control over their own money. -Hannah Rios
What I will take away is how terrible American history truly is. From these Osage murders to slavery to the civil rights movements of the 1900's. It seems there is always another event in our history in which you can point to discrimination against a minority. It's really sad how little we hear about some of these events. You never read about the Osage murders in your American History class. To me that is the thing that stands out the most. The lack of respect for all groups of people and the unwillingness to admit our mistakes.
The sheer size of the Conspiracy to rob the Osage of their money will stick with me and continue to astound me. These people murdered their neighbors without a second though just for economic success. The combination of greed and evil in Bill Hale led he and his cohorts down a dark path from which they would never return.
The issue that made the most impact for me was the blatant racism that the whites had towards the Native Americans. During the Hale trial, the questions were raised asking if a jury of white men would ever punish another white man for the murder of an Indian, and if they would decide whether a white man killing an Osage was murder or merely animal cruelty. It was absolutely astonishing to me that a white man's life was valued that highly over a Native American’s. Race does not determine the value of anyone’s life: we are all equal humans. --Kelsey Mader
The thing that will stick with me the most from this book is the character of Tom White. He seemed to have no hidden motive or agenda when it came to defending the Osage and bringing to justice the ones that wronged them. He stayed true to his morals until the very end. He fought for what was right, even as others around him compromised their integrity at every turn. When his own life was on the line, he still chose to protect those around him. He was selfless in most of his actions. He tried to promote dignity for those in prison, who he knew did not feel guilty for their actions. He served other people to the very end of his life. And last but not least, he tried his best to make sure that the story and history of the Osage people did not die along with those who tragically lost their lives.
The part of the book that will most likely stick with me the longest is the ending. It was hard to keep track of the many leads that took shape and faded away, so the end where it was all settled will be the easiest to remember. I think the whole book will stick with me a while, but the early irrelevant details will fade from memory before too long. What I took away from this book is that even the highest regarded people are still capable of heinous acts, and that greed can make a monster out of anyone. -Gabe Wilmot
The part of he book that will stick with me the most is just how much history we miss out on in school. The government and Americans are so willing to disregard and throw out any parts of history that shows wrong doing on their parts. If not for this book,there is a very slim to none chance that I would have ever heard about the wrong doings done to the Osage. After reading this, I wonder how many more sections of history have been plucked out of books to save the image of America.
The most impactful theme for me would have to be the idea that wealth and possession are not everything, especially when the process of acquiring them may be detrimental to others. Wealth and possession alone is not a bad thing, but if you have to tear others down or deceive people to get it then it’s not worth it.
I believe that the thing that will stick with me the longest is the part at the end where the interviewer is talking with Red Corn about the panoramic picture on the wall at the museum. My take away from this section of the book is, with true pain of an individual, or a group of individuals, an emotional scar is left, and that scar is never forgotten, even as time passes and others forget.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I will remember for the longest is that a person's actions do not always reflect their true character. William Hale did amazing things for the community and helped many people in Osage county, yet despite these things his greed and lust for power caused him to destroy scores of people's lives. Like a malicious Bruce Wayne, Hale used his money and influence to work in the shadows, crippling lives in the community he had claimed to protect.
ReplyDeleteTom White’s goodness in a world of evil is what stuck out to me the most. He never allowed the crimes that others committed (even when his own life was in danger) negatively affect who he was as a person. My dad always told me, “No matter what anyone else does, you do what’s right”, and Tom’s character epitomizes that perfectly. No matter how much evil people did, or how much punishment they deserved, he did what he felt was right: to treat them with mercy and kindness.
ReplyDeleteWhat I will take away from the book is the how hunger for wealth or fame, and the greed of always wanting to have more money, land, valuables, or to even be on a higher social platform than those around you can out weigh ones believes and morals. Thus, leading them to commit horrendous crimes against the people that at one point in time they loved and trusted. How far will a person go just to be on top even if it means losing everyone? How can one thing motivate a person to want to "be so much better" than those around them that they strive great lengths, such as committing murder, to accomplish that so called feeling of being on top.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that will stick with me the longest are William Hale’s actions towards Mollie. I have always had issues trusting people and I think that this further proves the point that even the people you feel closest to can betray you if it benefits them. Mollie married Hale’s nephew and they were family and close friends and even that was not enough to keep Hale from murdering Mollie’s family and trying to take all their headrights. It makes me more skeptical to trust people and allow others to become close to me.
ReplyDeleteI’ve taken away a deeper understanding of the complicit nature of the society that surrounds such tragic events. The fact that the mystery of these murders that occurred in our own state was uncovered by a writer across the country in New York attests to the travesty of our perception of Oklahoma history. Not once had anything close to the topic ever been brought up in the high school curriculum. It seems to reinforce the thought that the society of Oklahoma, and the larger society of America, is still complicit in perpetuating the zeitgeist of old by looking for straw men instead of true justice.
ReplyDelete- Mitchell Potts
The part of the book I will remember the most is the bravery, kindness, and perseverance of Tom White to get to the bottom of the murders. It must have been frightening at some points, yet Tom White continued to work on this case. It’s acts like this that at first don’t seem like a big deal that ultimately mean the most. Even with his life in danger Tom White continued to fight to find an end to these awful crimes
ReplyDeleteI will be taking away a sort of skepticism of history. After reading this book, and realizing the amount of history that is here that I did not learn about in school, I will view history through a different eye. You never read about the murder of the Osage in your history books.
ReplyDeleteThe part of me that will stick with me the most would have to be the ending chapters of the book. Even after learning of the true villain behind the story, we find out that our villain was actually only a small portion of the evil that plagued the Osage’s home. Grann, in an effort to find out more about the Osage, ends up finding out how much more complicated the crimes were by visiting with descendants of the murdered Osages. Even though he was able to help solve some existing cases, a lot still remains sadly unknown about them.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the story most likely to stick with me the longest would be the cruelty of Ernest Burkhart in his affiliation with Hale. When it is revealed in the end of Chapter 22 that Ernest intended to kill Cowboy and Mollie, his own children, I could not fathom how one could be so greedy to plot his own children's death.
ReplyDeleteThe part of this book that will stick with me is the history itself. We do not learn what actually happened to the Osage Indians in school. The school books do not tell us the whole truth. They only tell us what they want us to know, the good things about our state. I will take away knowing that not everything we learned in school is our states full history.
ReplyDeleteThe theme that I noticed as I read the book echoed the sentiments of French playwright Jean Racine, "There are no secrets that time does not reveal." Throughout the account' Killers of the Flower Moon,' the reader is constantly reminded that over time all deeds will be known. This theme echoed in the final chapter as David Grann discovered Burt and his murders of the Indians he possessed guardianship over.
ReplyDeleteThis take away impacts me as I walk into the next adventure of my life, good or bad, my actions will be known or discovered, reflecting my character to all.
The thing that really stuck out to me the most while reading this book is how important parts of history such as this are often left out. Until reading this book, I had no idea that these terrible murders had even taken place. It really makes me wonder what other parts of history people have chosen to leave out, and why they have done this. All events, even if they are awful like this, are a part of history and should not be left out.
ReplyDelete-Kaylee George
The part of the book that, I believe, will stick with me the longest is the theme of resiliency. This was displayed in multiple ways. First, by the Osage tribe as a whole, and how they continued to search for answers when there seemed to be no direction. Tom White also is resilient in pursuing justice for the Osage families and capturing the criminals. Adding onto that Tom continued to do the right thing when it was hard and treating people properly. What I will take away from this book is no matter what happens in life keep going and along the way treat people with respect if you want respect back.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that stuck with me the most is learning the true history of things that really happened to the Osage Indians. In my history classes we were not truly exposed to the complete truth and it made me question the way textbooks are written. Why write a history book if it does not include the complete truth of the history? It seems as if the writers of the textbooks do not want the complete horror of early Americans.
ReplyDeleteMy main takeaway is how much we have progressed as a nation. We used to be one who wrongfully persecuted people based on the color of their skin. One that was largely opposed to interracial relationships. And now we are moving towards bigger and better things. Granted not everyone is on the same page but the majority is And that's what matters the most. Change takes time but at least there is change.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that stuck with me the most was how easy it is to disregard certain parts of history. Whether it was because these events were too painful or embarrassing, the majority of people have just brushed this story aside and forgotten about it, even though it still affects countless individuals and families to this day. Instead of brushing aside the painful memories and forgetting past mistakes, these incidents could be addressed and analyzed to prevent history from repeating itself.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that I will remember for the longest time is the morals of the people in the story. Good people were present, like Tom White, but there were numerous murderers, liars, cheaters, and burglars present, as well. Although I think that morals are declining as time goes on, it is difficult for me to wrap my brain around the fact that they were not much better back then; I learned that morals are not declining as quickly as I originally thought.
ReplyDeleteThe part of this book that stuck with me the most is where the author discusses how the Osage death toll during the "Reign of Terror" was actually much larger than the 24 deaths that were officially recorded. The actual number of killings could have been anywhere from in the hundreds to the thousands, leaving the majority of the cases unsolved, often without any effort to investigate them in the first place. It scares me to think about how many high ranking people in our society were complicit - and often times participants - in such a corrupt and bloody scheme against an innocent minority group. This is a perfect example of how racism plays out in the context of a corrupt and morally bankrupt government. If that much abuse of power was happening earlier in American history, I cannot even begin to imagine how much of it could still be happening today.
ReplyDeleteI think that what stuck with me the most in this book is that if the agency had never stepped in and investigated what was going on, Hale and Ramsey would have got away with it, and had the entire fortune through Ernest. It also baffles me that Hale was willing to kill Ernest or Bryan to succeed, which probably indicates that he's a sociopath, but I'm no psychologist. I almost admire Hale's dedication to the craft, and the fact that he could still live with himself after getting out of jail and basically walking after being responsible for so many murders. I think it sheds an unsurprising light on how long it took for the government to get involved in a case like this just because it didn't involve white people getting murdered. It also, now that I think about it, really makes me wonder how lucky Mollie was, because she could have ended up with someone other than Tom White assigned to her case, someone who was willing to look the other way and say that it was all a coincidence.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the way the book was written, and how it methodically follows Agent White as he tries to uncover something that could have been the death of his career. I was sincerely convinced it was an outside job, but the book was great at uncovering pieces of information and showing how the breadcrumbs lead back to Mr. Hale. As someone who is interested in this line of work, it was certainly a great read!
The part that has affected me the most while reading this book is the depth of selfishness of William Hale. How far he was willing to go in order to get money. He lived a truly twisted life and his actions showed it. The fact he was able to do this to the family of the woman who married his nephew, and who he was likely close with because of the marriage, is terrifying.
ReplyDelete-Destiny Rowell
The part that will stick with me the longest is no matter how good society believes someone to be, underneath they can be a completely different person causing lasting harm to those who were fooled. William Hale was seen as the protector but behind closed doors, he was responsible for most of the heartache. A person's true intentions can never be completely known.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that will stick to me the most is how evil the white people were to the Osages. They would literally marry an Osage then murder them for their money. Power and money corrupt the human mind more than people know. Hale was willing to make his nephew lose his family just to become more rich and powerful. He was one of the most soulless and nefarious looters in United States history. I cannot even fathom having a wife and children and then killing them just for wealth. I want my family to be peaceful.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that stuck with me the most and that I kept noticing throughout the book is Mollie's strength through her hardships, and her willingness to see the best in people until they gave her a reason not to. Mollie held strong through the waves of death in her family that crashed over her. She lost her sisters, her mom, and her daughter all in such a short period of time. I would be overcome with grief and unable to go on if I had lost as much as she did. Mollie continued to believe her husband would not betray her in such a way as he did as the town spoke of what she thought was the unthinkable, and it was only when Ernest confessed himself what he did that she finally turned away from him, but even then she was calm and put together. Mollie attended the trials and the murder scenes, she watched her family die before her eyes and she continued to hold steady and not break down into nothingness like so many would have. The acts against her family and other Osage done by Hale and his nephews, along with others, is almost unbearable to read, and I can't believe it isn't a key part that is taught in History classes. The suspicious deaths were disregarded for so long, and I can't help but wonder how different the outcome would be if people would have paid attention to the cries of help from the Osage people sooner.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the novel, I am intrigued as to how much of history gets washed over in the education system. The Osages were some of the wealthiest people in a time where Native Americans were being oppressed and yet this material was never covered in any of the history classes I have taken. Grann has inspired me to read more of historical based novels, which is not a genre I typically enjoy to read. I also can appreciate the structure in which the story was written. It was engaging and interesting, while never losing the main focus of justice.
ReplyDelete-Sabrina Arredondo
The part of the book that I believe will stick with me would be how much I learned about the Osage Indians. I thought that throughout all of my history classes in high school I would have learned the truth about what really happened.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Killers of the Flower Moon, the thought “money is the root of all evil,” comes to mind. Greed and the desire for excessive wealth poisoned the humanity so many people. They were so caught up in the idea of financial gain that they never considered that the Osage were people too, just like them. The Osage were very susceptible to so much exploitation, and because of this rapacity in the villains, they took advantage of this. Sadly, the desire for material things can completely destroy a person’s consideration of others.
ReplyDelete-Natalie Hegwer
The thing that stuck out to me the most was that some people are so consumed by power and greed that they are willing to kill for even just a taste of it. Greed overtakes people such as Hale and Burkhart, but Tom White fought against the injustice that walked across the Osage lands and he did it with a righteous hand. William Faulkner once said, "Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed." White did just that and it is inspiring to know that we could have a justice department that uses little force and tries to never take a life unless absolutely necessary.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing that I believe will resonate with me for the longest time is that having such an excessive amount money can make you lose who you are. Social classes all have different expectations within them. In the case of most of the Osage Community, once the oil came, then came major wealth. The community seemed to have two different groups, one that used the wealth to live a more luxurious life but they kept traditional life as much as they could, and Mollie is an example of that person. The second used the money to a full extent, such as replacing cars with damage of as much as a flat tire. Another point of focus could be how much the county itself changes. These people who fought to keep their land and their traditions safe from white practices dive straight into those practices once having money. They dismantle the original town and build a booming metropolis. For me this would be hard, I was raised in heavy family traditions. If I would have lived in that time it is hard to say if they would have stood the test of the influx of money. Having read about the changes this money caused really makes you hold on to and value the person you are. It's true we can all grow, but these people completely changed.
ReplyDeleteFor me, I feel that the takeaway of this book is rather clear. It exemplifies the lengths that some individuals will go to for the benefit of themselves and their close ones. The prospect of oil wealth was so enticing to William Hale that he was willing to organize the deaths of many innocent individuals. The race relations of the time also did not likely help the case for the Osage involved. However, the main point is that destroying others people lives typically sounds terrible to the individual’s human nature until self gain is a result of it.
ReplyDeleteThe part I'll take away is how the federal investigators closed a case with so many holes. It shows Hoover's determination to make the FBI a success and to save his personal image. Hoover seemed, to me, to be a secondary antagonist through out the story. Hoover wanted so desperately to avoid a scandal that he closed a case with dozens of murders that were solved.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. People love clean outlines and neatly-tied-up-stories, but they are not easy to come by in real life. It is disappointing but unsurprising that Hoover was so willing to call the case closed.
DeleteThe thing that stuck the most to me in this book is the shear number of murders and hate crimes that just go unnoticed in society. The story was focused around Hale and the 24 murders that were believed to be his doing, however after he gets locked up and I thought the story was ending, it was revealed that he was only a small part in the Osage murders. There was up to 600 murders or mysterious deaths of the osage I believe and only a few people actually got into trouble with it. It is astounding that there can be so much harm and hate in the world and no one even seems to care about it. Also it is crazy to think about how much history is hidden away from us to see. I grew up in Oklahoma and still had no idea about how gruesome it was back in the day. When we learn about history we should know the truth and not just the good version.
ReplyDelete-Freddy Grotts
The main takeaway from the book is how in solving the case of one set of murders, hundreds were still never solved. The FBI was seen as a success because its agents were able to solve a string of murders that were all connected. Since Hoover was rushing throughout the investigation to get it over, he allowed for other murders to go unsolved.
ReplyDeleteThis book has, more than anything, shown me that there is simply no end to the horrors to be found in America's history -- especially when you inquire into the shadowy corners wherein live those stories not fully investigated, like that of the Osage Reign of Terror. I have never trusted the politicians (demagogues?) of America less.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that will probably stick with me the longest is how honorably Tom White treated the prisoners at Leavenworth. He was fully aware of the crimes committed by the notorious criminals housed there, yet he demanded that every prisoner be treated fairly. He even took special care to ensure that Hale’s family was treated well by prison officials. I hope that I can reciprocate his behavior in my life by refusing to treat people differently for any reason, regardless of who is doing it around me.
ReplyDeleteBrittany West
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that stood out to me most was when Mollie was being questioned following Ernest’s statement to White. She was shocked to learn her husband was involved. Yet, she decided to stand by her husband. I was amazed that when asked, “You love your husband?” Mollie responded, “Yes.” Though she was in denial, I still found her dedication to Ernest very admirable. At the same time, it was extremely disappointing that Ernest betrayed Mollie’s committed love and trust. Although her thoughts towards him changed later, that moment of devotion will stay with me.
Throughout all the events of the book, I’m still reminded that the Osage didn’t ask to live on land which was sitting above such a prized resource, it was forced upon them, which in turn thrust them into a life of white society who “scalped their souls”. That ‘one’ action of westward expansion led into an entire labyrinth of conspiracy and greed that is almost unfathomable.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the book, there was many things I learned. The biggest thing that stuck with me though was how white men treated the Osage. An example was how the government almost forced the Osage people to have "guardians" to monitor all their money. the Osage were almost treated like property to white men. If you "owned" or were a guardian of an Osage family, then you could do whatever you wanted with their money. It showed just how much the majority of white men did not care for people of different races.
ReplyDelete-Sam Pratt
One thing that really surprised me and stuck with me was how fast the Osage got rich and how fast it was until they had "guardians" controlling their money. Not only was that their money but they couldn't be independent with it. White men controlled the Osage and their money to the point where it didn't matter whether or not they had enough money to feed their families that month. I found it ridiculous that just because they got rich quick and that they weren't white meant they didn't have control over their own money.
ReplyDelete-Hannah Rios
What I will take away is how terrible American history truly is. From these Osage murders to slavery to the civil rights movements of the 1900's. It seems there is always another event in our history in which you can point to discrimination against a minority. It's really sad how little we hear about some of these events. You never read about the Osage murders in your American History class. To me that is the thing that stands out the most. The lack of respect for all groups of people and the unwillingness to admit our mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThe sheer size of the Conspiracy to rob the Osage of their money will stick with me and continue to astound me. These people murdered their neighbors without a second though just for economic success. The combination of greed and evil in Bill Hale led he and his cohorts down a dark path from which they would never return.
ReplyDeleteThe issue that made the most impact for me was the blatant racism that the whites had towards the Native Americans. During the Hale trial, the questions were raised asking if a jury of white men would ever punish another white man for the murder of an Indian, and if they would decide whether a white man killing an Osage was murder or merely animal cruelty. It was absolutely astonishing to me that a white man's life was valued that highly over a Native American’s. Race does not determine the value of anyone’s life: we are all equal humans. --Kelsey Mader
ReplyDeleteThe thing that will stick with me the most from this book is the character of Tom White. He seemed to have no hidden motive or agenda when it came to defending the Osage and bringing to justice the ones that wronged them. He stayed true to his morals until the very end. He fought for what was right, even as others around him compromised their integrity at every turn. When his own life was on the line, he still chose to protect those around him. He was selfless in most of his actions. He tried to promote dignity for those in prison, who he knew did not feel guilty for their actions. He served other people to the very end of his life. And last but not least, he tried his best to make sure that the story and history of the Osage people did not die along with those who tragically lost their lives.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that will most likely stick with me the longest is the ending. It was hard to keep track of the many leads that took shape and faded away, so the end where it was all settled will be the easiest to remember. I think the whole book will stick with me a while, but the early irrelevant details will fade from memory before too long. What I took away from this book is that even the highest regarded people are still capable of heinous acts, and that greed can make a monster out of anyone.
ReplyDelete-Gabe Wilmot
The part of he book that will stick with me the most is just how much history we miss out on in school. The government and Americans are so willing to disregard and throw out any parts of history that shows wrong doing on their parts. If not for this book,there is a very slim to none chance that I would have ever heard about the wrong doings done to the Osage. After reading this, I wonder how many more sections of history have been plucked out of books to save the image of America.
ReplyDeleteThe most impactful theme for me would have to be the idea that wealth and possession are not everything, especially when the process of acquiring them may be detrimental to others. Wealth and possession alone is not a bad thing, but if you have to tear others down or deceive people to get it then it’s not worth it.
ReplyDelete