Through the Outlooking Glass

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Pages: 43

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About this book

Alice meets a Red Knight whose breakfast order changes as quickly as his political principles. In Simeon Strunsky's parody of Lewis Carroll, Theodore Roosevelt becomes a knight pursuing a third cup of coffee, while Alice tries to make sense of his arguments. A meal, a circular boat ride and a display of gymnastics turn public promises and campaign positions into comic puzzles.

The short chapters use dialogue, riddles and verse to mock the language of the 1912 presidential campaign. The Knight explains a square deal through geometry, defends keeping something other than a promise, and boasts about balancing between two stools. Familiar figures from children's stories share the scene with references to tariffs, political supporters and presidential ambition. Readers interested in American political humor can follow how Strunsky makes verbal tricks expose the gap between a candidate's declarations and his conduct.