Puck — March 26, 1879 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Puck Magazine Page 35 This page contains two distinct pieces of political satire: **"The Reception of Ulysses"** (left) is a theatrical piece mocking President Ulysses S. Grant's third-term aspirations. The dialogue satirizes Grant's candidacy through classical allusion—comparing him to Homer's Ulysses—while characters debate his fitness for continued office. The repeated chorus "We can't do much worse than you" suggests public skepticism of his presidency. **"Puck's Pantheon: Ben Deadeye"** (right) is a biographical character assassination of General Benjamin Butler, describing him as a "triangular" politician, incompetent administrator, and self-serving opportunist. It dismisses Butler as a disreputable figure unworthy of public trust. Both pieces employ ridicule and wordplay typical of Puck's irreverent approach to political figures of the Reconstruction era.