You Know Me Al: A Busher's Letters: Analysis of Major Characters
"You Know Me Al: A Busher's Letters" is a satirical work that centers around the character of Jack Keefe, a right-handed pitcher for the White Sox. Through a series of letters to Al Blanchard, Jack reveals his life experiences, showcasing himself as a boastful and self-justifying figure. His correspondence offers insight into his relationships, including his romantic escapades and the challenges he faces throughout his baseball career. Jack's personality is marked by laziness and egotism, which contributes to his portrayal as a rather tragic hero. Al, as Jack's correspondent and brother-in-law, plays a significant role in the narrative, being both a confidant and an unwitting victim of Jack's machinations. Other characters, such as Florrie, Jack's wife, and various girlfriends, highlight the complexities of Jack's personal life and the impact of his behavior on those around him. The interplay of these relationships emphasizes themes of ambition, failure, and the often humorous misadventures of an aspiring athlete. This examination of character dynamics offers readers a lens into the world of early 20th-century baseball and its accompanying social intricacies.
You Know Me Al: A Busher's Letters: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Ring Lardner
First published: 1916
Genre: Novel
Locale: Chicago, Illinois
Plot: Satire
Time: c. 1915
Jack Keefe, a right-handed White Sox pitcher. In his letters to Al, Jack gives a full account of his adventures; he also reveals himself to be a shameless braggart and chronic self-excuser. With complete lack of reticence, he discusses his foolish episodes with his girlfriends, his troubles with his baseball career, and later his marital misadventures and his in-law troubles. Jack is a powerful pitcher, but his laziness, alibis, stinginess, and egotistical gullibility make him the rather pathetic hero of this satire.
Al Blanchard, Jack Keefe's correspondent, patronized and used by Jack. Al is the recipient of the letters that elaborate every detail of the pitcher's life. Apparently, Al never does see through Jack.
Florrie, Jack's wife and Allen's sister-in-law. Disgusted with Jack's stinginess, Florrie leaves him when he is sold to Milwaukee. She rejoins him when she learns she is pregnant. She names the baby after Allen.
Allen, Jack's brother-in-law, also a pitcher.
Marie, Allen's wife.
Violet, a girlfriend who abandons Jack when he is sent back to the minor league.
Hazel, another girlfriend, who marries a boxer.
Al, Jack's son.