7 The Libido for the Ugly.doc

7 The Libido for the Ugly I. Background information 1) H. L. Mencken- the author His life Henry Louis Mencken (1880- 1956) was the first American to be widely read as a critic. a twentieth century journalist and social critic, a cynic and a freethinker, known as the American Nietzsche. He is often regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th century. Mencken was born in Baltimore, Md., on Sept. 12, 1880, and privately educated there. After graduating from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute at the age of 16, he became a reporter on the Baltimore Herald. He rose rapidly; soon he was famous. His Style Menckens writing is endearing because of its wit, its crisp style, and the obvious delight he takes in it. Mencken is well-known for his bombastic style and acid tongue and in this piece he seems to have excelled himself. Mencken doesnt just satirize, or perhaps one might more appropriately say he doesnt just berate and revile the ugliness of Westmoreland, he attacks the whole American race -- a race that loves ugliness for its own sake, that lust to make the world intolerable; a race which hates beauty as it hates truth. 2) Important Places Pennsylvania(PA): Officially Pennsylvania is a commonwealth, not a state. In everyday usage it is normally referred to as a state. It covers 46,058 square miles. 33rd largest state of the USA. It has the Nickname of The Keystone State. Pittsburgh: city in Southwest Pennsylvania. It is one of the most important industrial cities of America, and a center of rail and river transportation. Termed the Steel City or Smoky City, it is the center of rich bituminous-coal region, producing also natural gas, oil and limestone; a large part of U.S. steel and iron is produced here. Westmoreland County: a county in Southwest Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Greensburg. It is a mining and manufacturing region. ? II. Structure of the text Part I(Para1-2):The general impression- hideousness Part II(Para3