Puck — August 6, 1879 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of Puck Magazine, August 6, 1878 This cartoon satirizes **General William Tecumseh Sherman**, the Civil War general and current military figure. The title "Mr. Sherman Makes Some Personal Reflections" accompanies an image of Sherman examining his own reflection in a mirror, with the caption: "Certainly, if I appear to others as I do to myself, I am without doubt the very biggest man in the country." The satire mocks Sherman's apparent vanity and inflated self-regard. The mirror reflection device emphasizes self-delusion—the gap between how he sees himself versus how others perceive him. This suggests Sherman was viewed as arrogant or boastful during this period, making him a target for Puck's political humor.