THE OTHER ONES: AMERICAN SUBCULTURE AND "THE CYCLISTS' RAID"

           My paper will explore the influence of subcultures in the United States following the publication of “The Cyclists’ Raid” in the January 1951 issue of Harper’s Magazine. The short story was published at a time of great change within our country, and the inclusion of Rooney’s work proved that publishers were aware of potential change that the movement of biker gangs, and other subcultures, may eventually bring to American society. Sandwiched between the short story are two articles that address a new time in America, one about the growing worry of Communism in Russia at the eve of the Cold War, and the other on how to move forward in “this new American decade” that was described within the article. On top of a close reading of the text and a look into the history of Harper’s Magazine, my project features a look at how this new awareness of subculture would shape the way society would behave over the next fifty years.

            My close reading of “The Cyclists’ Raid” brings out the elements of the story to relate to a new, emerging biker culture that would soon be known as the “biker gang”. The story follows the main character, Mr. Bleeker, a war veteran and owner of the hotel where the biker gang sets up shop. Throughout the story, things begin to slowly escalade, and tensions grow higher and higher as we turn each page.  It is a fictional account of a real event that took place in Hollister, California, a fact that drew publishers of Harper’s to include it in the first issue of 1951. The story, while fictional, struck a nerve to those that had been affected by such biker gangs in their own communities. Causing a new awareness for biker gangs, the public found that this new subculture may cause problems down the road if not contained by the law. After all, these gangs were aware of their violent acts, and in some cases took pride in this reality. The publishing of “The Cyclists’ Raid” was a statement by the publishers to “keep an eye” on this rapidly growing movement in the United States.

           My magazine context section features a historical overview of Harper's Magazine and how the literary superpower got to where it is today. The magazine started out with strict principles: only the best of the best from English and American authors. Harper’s would pay a premium to get material from elite contributors to its offices much faster than the submissions sent to other magazines at the time. By 1951, Harper’s was known for its unique way of presenting political, social, economic, and military issues to its subscribers. One of the methods was presenting issues in the form of “short stories”, creating an alternative take on a given situation in the form of fiction. “The Cyclists’ Raid” is a prime example of this method, and the fashion of this “news reporting” was what drew me to this topic as a whole.

           Following the magazine context, I deliver my own thoughts and ideas on how subcultures have shaped our society, indirectly, since the publication of “The Cyclists’ Raid”. There are many themes in this story that can be applied to subcultures of today, such as a “one look fits all” mentality, a mindset that has proven to be very harmful to those affected. Subcultures have given Americans a lease on “a new life” for themselves, which can range from having a place where they can safely express themselves without the persecution of others, or to simply roam across the country with no commitments other than the group they took off with. The short story opened the eyes of many Americans when it came to subculture, and many as a result joined the ranks after seeing the appeal. I reflect on the toxic political climate that we see every day, and how subcultures tend to play a bigger role in this climate than we may think. There are very similar themes that are featured in “The Cyclists’ Raid” which can be applied to our culture today. It was truly fascinating to study the topic in this time period, and compare it to present day.