Chapter 6, The Cyclone Assemblyman Summary and Analysis

Early January in Albany proves cold and lonely for the young politician, as Alice travels to Montreal with friends. On ice-slick streets, Roosevelt makes his way to the Republican Caucus. He makes an impression on his fellow assemblymen with his appearance alone. They compare him to his contemporary, Oscar Wilde. He receives criticism from both sides of the assembly for his age and assumed weak spirit. Roosevelt quickly proves such assumptions false. When some men of the Assembly make condescending remarks, Roosevelt reacts passionately, even coming to blows on at least one occasion.

He does, however, make his own observations about his fellows. Many represent the machine politics that he despises. Few hold the same breeding and education as Roosevelt, which draws contempt from the young man. Most notably, Roosevelt quickly witnesses corruption among even...