A complete issue · 16 pages · 1879
Puck — September 24, 1879
# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Les Enfants Terribles" (The Terrible Children) This September 1879 *Puck* cartoon satirizes two ambitious political figures as childish competitors. The caption "I want to be President!" and "I Want to be Governor!" depicts them as squabbling children rather than serious statesmen. The title "Les Enfants Terribles" (French for "terrible children") reinforces the mockery—suggesting these politicians are behaving immaturely and petulantly over offices they desire. The caricatured figures appear exaggerated and grotesque, a common *Puck* technique to demean political rivals. Without additional context, the specific identities remain unclear, but the satire's point is evident: the magazine criticized these aspirants as insufficiently serious or dignified for high office, reducing their ambitions to childish squabbling over toys or positions.
# Analysis of Puck Page 450 This page is primarily **text content rather than cartoons**—it contains editorial commentary, brief satirical items ("Puckerings"), and advertisements for back issues. The main satirical pieces mock contemporary targets: - **"Strong Meat for Babes"** criticizes penny dreadfuls and cheap literature corrupting children, arguing such content makes boys want to "hunt Indians, wreck rail-roads" and girls become "foolishly 'fast.'" - **"Wages on the Elevated Roads"** attacks the lack of wage increases for railroad workers despite company profits. - Several **brief political jabs** reference election candidates (Robinson, Kelly) and Republican party positions. The tone throughout is **reformist social satire**—attacking labor exploitation, corrupt business practices, and commercial exploitation of youth. Without visible caricatures or illustrations on this particular page, the satire relies entirely on written wit and editorial argument rather than visual humor.
# Analysis of This Puck Page The main cartoon depicts classical gods (Jupiter, Hebe, and Bacchus) in heaven discussing American politics, titled "BOOM." The deities represent established order responding to political turbulence on Earth below. The right column features "Mr. Michael Angelo Mulhooly on the Political Situation," a satirical character commentary on contemporary politics. Mulhooly discusses various political figures and candidates—notably Kelly (a "boss candidate"), references to Cornell, and critiques of both Democratic and Republican establishments. The satire mocks Irish-American political patronage systems and questions about aristocratic versus democratic principles. The piece ridicules machine politics, political corruption, and the gap between democratic ideals and actual practice. Without specific dates or named candidates visible, the exact election remains unclear, though it appears to critique Gilded Age urban political machines.
