An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt by Jerome Alden is set in the United States in the early twentieth century. During this period Theodore Roosevelt, the country’s 26th president, attempted to run for a third term as president in 1912. Having already been a leader of the United States twice and dissatisfied with the policies of his successor, William Taft, Roosevelt became active in 1912 to spearhead a new campaign and gained public popularity comparatively quickly. Alden’s play recounts Roosevelt’s pre-election journey as the primary protagonist of history, but the literary work is not genuinely documentary; instead, it is a synthesis of historical facts with fiction and elaboration of details. Focusing specifically on Roosevelt is critical to examine the political context in the United States in the run-up to the 1912 election to assess the country’s social and economic environment. The play reveals exciting details about the life and politics of Roosevelt, one of the central figures in American politics.
Several issues of public importance are covered in this literature, but aspects of generational and socioeconomic practices prove the most prominent. Roosevelt, shown as an arrogant individual, cares about his son’s well-being and encourages his personal growth as a man in every possible way (Alden, 1979). Although the generational conflict is not shown explicitly in this play, the reader (viewer) clearly understands that the theme of the family relationship between father and children traces. Among other things, this is evident in the scene when Roosevelt’s field trip ends badly, and the younger son Quentin Roosevelt helps his father cope with the problems. On the other hand, the play reveals the social and economic hardship facing Americans. Whether worried about it or as part of a campaign, Roosevelt made populist speeches about the unfairness of the distribution of wealth, but good speeches alone do not always work (Foner, 2019). Thus, the former president seeks to improve the country’s economic well-being by emancipating poor workers’ rights.
Of all the issues addressed in the play, it seems that the social and economic crisis in the United States is the most important to Roosevelt. This is evident from the extensive description of the theme in work and the personal reaction that Alden says Roosevelt expressed at the time of the Pennsylvania miners’ strike. In particular, Roosevelt supported the miners’ legitimate demands for higher wages and shorter working hours. Among the foreign policy issues raised in the play, criticism of President Woodrow Wilson’s foreign policy activities proved most relevant to Roosevelt. In particular, Wilson was in no hurry to involve the United States in the military theaters of WWI, but Roosevelt had his opinion on the matter: Wilson’s peace-loving policy was alienating the country from building a strong army. Among other reasons, but perhaps also because of the loss, Roosevelt hated Wilson, criticizing most of his reforms.
Throughout the close reading, the reader could not help feeling the image of Roosevelt as an arrogant and unkind character. In trying to achieve his goals, the former president could ignore popular opinion and create reforms based only on a personal notion of the best outcome for the United States. For a public leader of power, such selfishness may not seem expedient. However, the play also shows Roosevelt on the positive side, especially in his relationship with his son. In these scenes, Roosevelt is shown as a just but caring and altruistic father. Among Roosevelt’s significant initiatives was an attempt to modify the bureaucratic side of the White House by simplifying the English spelling system. This involved redefining the American language as new, not a successor to British classicism. The play tells us that Roosevelt never fully achieved these ideas, for which he blamed himself.
Ultimately, the play is an exciting piece of literature to study. I enjoyed this book as it sheds light on the many omissions of historical research. With Alden’s help, I was able to get to know Roosevelt not only as a textbook historical figure but in terms of his human traits; however, I am not entirely confident in the validity of that knowledge. For this reason, I would cautiously recommend the literature to study friends, pointing out that not all details match reality. Finally, if I were to meet Roosevelt today, the only question I would ask would be, “How do you look at the United States today?”
Bibliography
Alden, Jerome. Bully: An Adventure with Theodore Roosevelt. New York: Crown Publishers, 1979.
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty: A History of the United States, Seagull 6th ed, vol. 2. New York: WW Norton, 2019