The Education of Henry Adams

The Education of Henry Adams is simultaneously an insightful autobiography written in the third person and a damning critique of modern educational theory and practice. Originally written in 1907, but not published until 1918 after the death of the author, it won the 1919 Pulitzer Prize. It was also recently named the #1 book on Modern Library's 100 Best Nonfiction Books list.

Subject

The book is an autobiography of Henry Adams, who was born into a United States political family in 1838 (two of his ancestors had served as President of the United States). The book deals with the changing social, technological, political, and intellectual worlds of his lifetime, but he puts these into an interesting context: he claims that "traditional" education had failed him in dealing with these rapid changes in the world.

Related Topics:
Henry Adams - United States - 1838 - President of the United States

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His solution was, to a large degree, self-education. Much of the book focuses on his methods of educating himself, both through experiences and through reading, and how "proper" schooling, along with many other things in his life, was a great waste of time.

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There are two things which set this work apart from other autobiographies. First, the entire book is told in the third person. This literary device enabled Henry Adams to relate a much stronger narrative, making a great deal of the book flow along much easier than it would have in the first person. The second trait is the self-criticism and sarcasm; Henry Adams steps back from the dryness of many autobiographies and is able to criticize himself greatly, but intertwine it with well-placed humorous and sarcastic elements.

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The largest criticism of the book is that Henry Adams consciously left out the experience of his marriage and subsequent death of his wife, and did not reflect on what he had learned from it. This turns out to be a superficial criticism; he does, in fact, reflect on this in many indirect ways. Most directly, he laments the fact that the beautiful memorial that he had constructed for his wife had become something of a tourist destination, but beyond this, one can note a change in his perspectives after her death.

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