History 477

Devine

Spring 2013

Questions to Consider as you read Barnum’s Autobiography

1. Was Barnum a “respectable” entrepreneur? A rogue? Or, more likely, to what extent was he both? What evidence can you cite to make your case?

2. How did Barnum balance “respectability” with the public’s desire for entertainment, and – at times – the public’s desire for “naughty” entertainment?

3. Was Barnum a “genius?” If so, what was the source of his genius? What did he know or come to realize before everyone else?

4. Were Barnum’s “attractions” just humbug or did they serve the cause of enlightenment? Why were some attractions more popular than others?

5. Was Barnum simply out to enrich Barnum or was there more to the man than this?

6. Some have said Barnum specialized in “democratic amusements.” Through his attractions, he empowered the people to make up their own minds about things rather than passively consume culture that their “betters” had bestowed on them. Was Barnum, like his contemporary Andrew Jackson, a “man of the people,” a “propagator of democracy”?

7. What did Barnum value? What steps, if any, did he take to spread or popularize his own value system?

8. How do we account for the popularity of the American Museum, its attractions, and of Barnum himself? What do you think the “draw” was to contemporary audiences?

9. What does Barnum’s popularity tell us about the nineteenth-century United States? Does it seem that if there were no Barnum that his society would have had to invent one?

10. What role did advertising play in Barnum’s success? What was especially original and effective about Barnum’s techniques?

11. How could Barnum get away with presenting “hoaxes” and yet still keep the people coming to his Museum?

12. Though we only have Barnum’s own point of view to go on, how would you describe the audiences that patronized his attractions? What were they looking for? What need did they have that Barnum fulfilled?

13. Many contemporary observers considered Barnum “quintessentially American.” Even today, this characterization holds some weight. Does the label fit? Why or why not?

14. Do you consider Barnum an admirable person? Why or why not?

15. Putting on your literary critic hat, can you speculate as to why Barnum the autobiographer chose to write about certain episodes in his life – even those that did not always paint a flattering portrait of him? For example, in the “Ivy Island” episode with his grandfather, Barnum ends up the fool, but he recounts the story all the same.