A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court tells the story of a Connecticut Yankee, Hank Morgan, being sent back in time to King Arthur’s Court, in 528. During the story, Hank learns much about himself and others. From his experiences, the novel as a whole tries to convey the idea that Hank has much to learn from the medieval time period and its people, even though it might not be transparent to him. During the story, Hank believes he is superior to those in King Arthur’s Court. He feels that his Yankee “can-do” attitude, capitalist beliefs, technological advances and democratic ideals put him a step above everyone in the medieval time. From his stubbornness to improve a society that does not really need improvement, Hank blinds himself from learning human values that would only be beneficial for himself and the Americans of his time. These positive aspects of life include hospitality, trust, unity, and loyalty. As a result of Hank’s efforts to change these people, he eventually destroys their society, further proving the point that his way of life is not the only way to live; as well as showing it is far from the best way to live. To begin with, Hank’s human nature and values are essentially based off of his circumstances. His time period is full of new opportunities and possibilities. These opportunities include new jobs, better technology, and new ways of thinking. These give the people a sense of optimism and a desire to want more. From this desire, people want to go
The narrator of this passage is “The Stranger” whose name is Hank Morgan. Hank Morgan is conversing with the narrator during the beginning of the novel, telling the narrator about himself. Hank also explains about his experience of going to Camelot in the time of King Arthur to the narrator. In this passage Hank is conversing with a knight who reveals his whereabouts. By doing this, the setting of the story and
Religion provides answers, evokes a sense of comfort in the unknown, and designs a moral code; however controversy now surrounds this subject regarding whether religion’s impact is more detrimental or beneficial to a society as a whole. Mark Twain’s narrator, Hank Morgan, travels back in time and attempts to accelerate the advancement of these people through the creation of technology and more importantly the destruction of the Church. Religion is a driving force in Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, as both the benefits and consequences are analyzed in order to address religion 's impact on society.
Hank, on one hand, wants to infiltrate the lower class so that he can observe first-hand the effects of his innovations on the lifestyle of the common man. In contrast, the king goes along simply for the purpose of enjoyment. Hank narrates, “When I told the king I was going out disguised as a petty freeman to scour the country and familiarize myself with the humbler life of the people, he was all afire with the novelty of the thing in a minute, and was bound to take a chance in the adventure himself” (Twain 150). King Arthur does not seem to understand the difficult lifestyle of the lower class. Any individual who accurately perceives the hardships and burdens of the life of a peasant would not jump at the opportunity to
Sharon V. Salinger, Taverns and Drinking in Early America (Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002)
In a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s court, Mark Twain sets the plot of the story in the 19th century in Connecticut. After Hank Morgan is struck by a crowbar, he wakes up 13 centuries that are in the past. In the event, a night from the court of King Arthur takes him prisoner as King Arthur orders his execution. Hank becomes the prime minister to the king by escaping execution through predicting that an eclipse will block the sun if he is executed (Lupack 162). Throughout this story, the theme of inequality is evident especially since social inequality and injustice is highlighted throughout the narrative. In one instance, Hank visits a village which is full of peasants who are dressed wretchedly. There is a clear disparity between the life in the royal court and that which is lived by peasants in the field.
“Here I was, a giant among pigmies, a man among children, a master intelligence among moles…”(Twain 40). Hank forgets his own humanity and begins to believe that his knowledge makes him more of a man, just as the nobility that he shunned believed they were better than the serfs because of the titles they held.
“You'll have to jump.' 'I'll jump.' 'Jump!' Major Danby cried. Yossarian jumped. Nately's whore was hiding just outside the door. The knife came down, missing him by inches, and he took off” (Heller 350). Yossarian ends his dialogue in a cheery and fun way because he is finally going to be free from the oppression of the US military. This also shows his increased morals, because in the beginning, he would have just killed the girl for trying to kill him. He also uses arrangement to show America at the time like, “ Heller's satirical masterpiece tells us something about the madness of America” (Pilger, John). This shows how the novel portrays the insanity of the war at this time and how these people need help or to get out. The main part of the novel is just the insane adventures Yossarian goes on throughout his horrifying experience.
Hank is shown to believe that at points it concerning him whether to do the right thing/wrong thing, responsibility of his actions towards the start of finding the money. At certain times he can be self-centred, superior and inferiority
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a coming of age novel set in the 1840’s in St. Petersburg, MO. Although written 20 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, America, especially in the south, was struggling with racism. The novel contains many thought provoking themes such as racism, social class, morals, and conforming to society’s expectations. Perhaps, one of the most important themes of the book is Huck’s refusal to conform to society’s rules or to be “Sivilized” by Widow Douglas. Throughout the novel Huck proves to the reader that staying true to himself rather than conforming to society’s expectations will allow him to live a more satisfied life.
American literature is full of classic novels containing heroic protagonists; Holden Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye is not one of these classic heroes. The article Some Crazy Cliff by Arthur Heiserman and James E. Miller Jr. provides one interpretation of the novel suggesting that the protagonist is unique compared to others commonly found in American literature; most heroes are seeking acceptance while Holden is seeking something within the society he is trying to leave. The novel follows Holden Caulfield, a young boy who recently flunked out of high school, over the course of three days. During this time, the protagonist returns to New York via train, but does not want to be with his parents until they have already learned of his
Both characters find a way to escape their reality, Huck chooses to fake his own death and run away while Bill takes on an alter ego he calls Thunderbolt Kid. Because of this need for escape, it seems to say that both characters aren’t completely happy with their American experience. Bill seems to love his life in Des Moines, Iowa, but still felt the need to “vaporize” select things in his life. Huck, on the other hand, chooses both to escape from civilization, which in this case is widow Douglas’ home, and his drunk and abusive father. Thunderbolt kid lived in one of those American dream families, a mother and father, brother and sister. Huck on the other hand, only had widow Douglas. Obviously, Huck didn’t have the typical dream family. Both children are affected by their parents’ actions. Because Bryson’s mother was poor, he learned to be more conservative and gracious than others might. On the other hand, Huck calls stealing “borrowing” because that was how he was taught by his pap. Thunderbolt Kid was able to look down at a weird family he calls the Butters boys because they were dumb and lived “in a collection of shanty homes” while he himself lived in a better home; but they were bullies and he was scared of them. This seems to say that people who are poor are or could be scary and dangerous. Huck has a similar battle to face.
In the Tribes of Palos Verdes and The Catcher In the Rye, both Jim and Holden struggle to find mental stability in their lives. J.D. Salinger expresses one of Holden's weaknesses in the statement,"I'm just going through a phase right now. Everybody goes through phases and all, don't they?"(15). When someone has a issue they often can’t say they have that problem and blame another reason for it. For Holden in The Catcher In the Rye, he blames his struggles on the phase he is going through.
Twain uses powerful people of Camelot as a representation of the upper class of the American South during the late 19th century. Twain primarily uses Merlin, the “great” wizard of Camelot, as a comparison to the rich and powerful of the American South. Merlin is characterized as very selfish and power-hungry, but where in The Crucible, Miller makes a direct reference to Joseph Mccarthy, in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Twain’s comparison is between Merlin’s actions to maintain his power and to the upper class of the American South as a whole. Throughout the novel Merlin only uses his power in the society to keep his power and not help the common people. This is compatible to how the upper class of the AMerican South during Twain’s time did not use their power to help those below them, but mainly used it in order to solidify their own power. Also whenever Hank tries to help the common people of Camelot in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, Merlin tries to stop him, as an improvement in the conditions of the common people means a direct decrease in the advantage of Merlin over those common people. This is comparable to how during the late 19th Century the upper class of the American south blocked help from outside sources for their poor people, because this help would disallow them from keeping
“I would go to work and steal Jim out of slavery,” Huck shares, showing that he would be willing to risk his life and reputation to free his friend, Jim (Twain 195). Instead of this institution creating kind, caring, compassionate learners and leaders, the educational institution instills primitive, old world values into its students in the South. However, because Huck escaped this formal Southern education, he has good morals. Southern society considers Huck an uneducated, ignorant boy, but it is he who possesses far more knowledge and compassion than any educated person of the South, showing the hypocrisy of the society in which he lives. Huck relates, "It was kind of lazy and jolly, laying off comfortable all day, smoking and fishing, and no books nor study,” while he is living out in nature with his Pap (Twain 25). He does not enjoy a formal education of books and work, but can still appreciate the beauty and curiosities of the world, in nature and its people. Huck is able to see past the barriers society puts up, as he did not receive a Southern education, which creates people who support slavery and do not think for themselves. The educational institution is like a factory, pumping out identical children all believing in old world Southern values. Huck escapes from this ‘prison’ and only then does he become a better
"Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of