Who wrote: H.L. Mencken
Audience: Mencken’s primary audience at that time was college students and educated people in general.
Represent: Mencken is portraying Bryan in almost a vagabond-like appearance, in his last days, as someone who is bitter toward the cities and the more liberal ways things are done. He is also emphasizing Bryan’s great respect and ability to identify with people who lived in rural America.
What being said: Mencken starts his essay on Bryan’s interests that are grounded in rural settings; he then gives example of Bryan’s ability to relate easier with country folks. Next, he mentions how Bryan lived a long life, perhaps too long as he went from almost becoming president to living a low and forgettable existence. Mencken discusses Bryan’s long and important political history and how he moves from the cities and into the country where he is left to continue his influence in political teachings.
How being said: Mencken writes about Bryan in a negative and somewhat stereotypical light in his essay, almost how Bryan may have feared that people from the cities may have looked down upon him and others like him living in the country.
What proof: Mencken is giving examples of Bryan’s interest in life, such as his lifelong hobby of “fly catching.” He is giving details of Bryan’s political activities and convictions. He then focuses his attention to Bryan’s final days in a “one-horse Tennessee village” where he began to make his influence felt on the citizens living in rural America.
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As you mentioned, Mencken seems to try and place Bryan into a bad light. By giving the public a scope in which to see Bryan, they are probably more likely to take on his opinions. Mencken’s publishing’s are very biased, and are clearly trying to bash Bryan’s way of life. Do you think that the reason he was trying to make Bryan seem like someone who was against the cities and the way things are done there is because his audience was primarily from there and would take somewhat of an offense to this?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Mencken most likely felt superior to Bryan. You can tell from the way that he critizes Bryan. Mencken was not only rude but also harsh, he embarrassed Bryan in everyway that he could. The article shows that Mencken was biased, he obviously felt that people from the city were better in every aspect and he laughed at Bryan for being rural America.
ReplyDeleteYou are right in stating that Mencken had a negative view of Bryan, but I think that he was attacking him while being negative at the same time. He did not agree with Bryan's ideas, and did not see him fit to be president. His ideals were not ideals that America could run on, in Mencken's eyes. He was a country man, simplistic, and his examples of Bryan's life long hobbies such as fly catching were not meant to describe his life, they were meant to attack it and show his ruralesque qualities. America was thriving, not because of rural ideas it was running on, but the cities and central government.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's important to understand that Mencken's audience was actually, himself!
ReplyDeleteAlthough he does at times attempt to make his letter "persussive," however, in most respects it reflects more his own personal animosity and bitterness towards Bryan.
I agree with others that the only audience that Mencken would have gained would have been who were like-minded, and shared his same views and personal sentiments.
That is a long way down from being a presidential candidate to almost forgotten. Mencken didn't believe that Bryan would make a good president so he figured the best way to make sure that he didn't become the president was to attack his figure.
ReplyDeleteYou are right H.L. Mencken gives example of Bryan’s ability to relate easier with country folks. He goes as far as saying Bryan liked people that smelled like sweat and that were not debauched by the refinements of the toilet. He also mentions Bryan Liked farmhouse kitchens and greasy victuals and getting up to cocks crowing. The fact that he liked the country life style and people, doesn’t give H.L. Mencken the right to criticize him. He was entitled to live, hang out, and love the country. That does not make him inferior to the city folks.
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