35-39 Summary and Analysis

The Libido for the Ugly:

Mencken passes through Pittsburgh, and can't get over how absolutely ugly the houses are; to him, such ugliness could only be achieved by some diabolical means. The brick is painted an ugly yellow, and they are all misshapen, shabby rat-traps. Mencken has been all over America and Europe, and nowhere else are the houses so homely. He believes there must be some queer fascination of or attraction to ugliness in the American psyche, for surely there are prettier options available. The notion is certainly worth some scientific scrutiny.

Travail:

The boys that are going to school in the morning past Mencken's home always seem tired and sad to Mencken. Schoolboys have a dismal existence, forced to be babysit by adults they don't respect, and taught lessons no one, not even their parents, have an interest in...