Prejudices, first series

"Prejudices, First Series" by H. L. Mencken is a compilation of thought-provoking essays from the early 1900s that dishes out sharp criticism aimed at cultural and literary icons, revealing Mencken’s keen and cutting observations of American society and its literary scene; the common threads throughout the work explore what it means to be a critic, the core of literature, and the state of American thinking as the country went through a period of big changes, focusing on the role of literary criticism by pointing out the disputes about its true function, while making it clear he doesn’t like critics who judge art using strict rules, pushing for a more thoughtful, individual way of understanding artistic works, revealing his views on honesty, moral showing-off, and the heart of American culture by cleverly critiquing people and societal trends.