ABSTRACT
In his great semi-autobiographical novel, The Way of All Flesh, Samuel Butler shows convincingly and dramatically the tragic effects of cruel and stupid methods of child-rearing. People educated along Butlerian lines will claim their ideas as their own, but they may find cogent reasons to argue more than one side of an issue. Butler was the son of a clergyman and grandson of a bishop. His father expected, and very nearly demanded, that Samuel prepare for the ministry, but the boy refused to meet this expectation. He wanted to be an artist and, indeed, his talent was considerable; his work was good enough to be exhibited occasionally in the Royal Academy. Butler made a success of sheep-ranching, sold out, and returned to London. Butler's satire of education encourages a thoughtful reader to apply it over a wide range of practices.
