Author:
Mark Twain (1835-1910)
Title: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Genre: novel
Date: 1889
Characters:
-protagonists: Hank Morgan (The Boss), Clarence, King Arthur
-antagonists: Merlin, Sir Sagramor, The Church
-others: Sir Kay, Sandy, Hello-Central,
Settings:
Connecticut, England in Sixth Century,
Point of View:
Plot Summary:
Commentary:
June 21, 528: burn at the stake day/eclipse of sun
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Lecture ONE
I. The broad spectrum of Twain's Work, Career, and Themes.
Four Major Sections:
1. Begins in SW Humor/Love affair and Concern with English Language.
--discuss where the pen name comes from, MARK TWAIN
--introduce and read Raft Passage (LIFE 12)
--review this and the FRAME Tale, conflict between EAST/WEST
2. Continues with SW Humor through travelogues
-- A Tramp Abroad
-- Roughing It
3. Overriding Success/Fame from Childhood/Early Adult Memories
-- Tom Sawyer
-- Huck Finn
-- Life on the Mississippi
Here we begin to see some of Twain's most memorable themes coming forth. The author goes beyond
mere entertainment and introduces themes and ideas which he will write about the rest of his life.
He begins to inspect the fabric of American culture and civilization and hold them up for OUR
examination and criticism. He reveals much of the hypocrisy, false sentiment, and self consciousness he
discovers around him.
Some Common Themes and Concerns:
A. He continues his attack on Romanticism which we saw in F. Cooper piece, sometimes outright,
sometime subtly. In Huck Finn there is a half sunk, floundering steamboat called the Walter Scott. In the
same novel, anytime Huck and Tom Sawyer come into contact there is a distinct contrast between the
romantic, outlandish Tom and the common sensical Huck.
B. He questions frontier Puritanism/Established Church through the guise of Huck Finn (READ
HUCK 12-13).
"Its not how close to Hell you are, its the direction you're facing"
C. He examines the horrid institution of slavery in all of its ugly dimensions in Huck Finn.
-- brief discussion of banned books, term "nigger",
-- the moral climax of Huck, all right then, I'll go to hell.
(Huck overcoming the TRAINING of his culture)
D. along these lines, attacks Aristocratic sentiment which is prevalent in the South before the Civil
War. Blames Walter Scott for the Civil War. Scott's romances of glory of feudalism, equated with
Southern Aristocracy of the Genteel plantation owners.
E. Examines the Art and Deception of the Con Man in American culture (Melville does a great job
in THE CONFIDENCE MAN), through the King and the Duke. Intro Camp Meeting scene...(READ
HUCK 133)
F. He examines the danger and ugliness of the MOB impulse, how people will "go along" with
about anything, jump on the bandwagon, get up a lynch mob, etc.
G. Examination of Appearances vs. Reality. Mississippi as Symbol of its beauty and its underlying
dangers. How experience takes away from innocence. (READ SHORTER WRITINGS, 92-92)
4. JUMP to the last phase of Twain's life and works, which take on a much darker, ominous tone.
-- loses faith in human race and its institutions
-- doubts existence of a God that is even aware of mankind
-- hopelessness of improving man or his culture
-- sees universe operating in terms of mechanical determinism
-- sees death/obliteration as man's only escape from the dreamworld he finds himself in
(READ Letter 7, LETTERS FROM THE EARTH)
What lies right in the middle of Twain's Middle Period and His Later Period is Connecticut Yankee with
many elements of ALL of Twain's themes and ideas present.
Genetic Criticism: Life, Times and Influences
technically: genetic criticism concentrates upon, but is not limited to, the observable changes in the texts
between the earliest available draft and the final, usually printed, form. The primary subject matter
includes, if available, jottings and notes, exploratory or discovery drafts, manuscripts, cancellations,
insertions, revisions, rearrangements, copy sheets, proof sheets, gallery revisions and the final text. (Doyno
10)
In some cases genetic criticism can reveal an author's original intentions or the meanings an author
staked out in the early plans. But often the writer discovers, creates, and connects while writing. In many
cases genetic criticism can increase our knowledge of how the author's mind was working while creating
art and, perhaps, artistic ambiguity.(Doyno 10-11)
Genesis of CONNECTICUT YANKEE
beginnings:
1880, Twain reads THE BOY'S KING ARTHUR
fall, 1884, Geo Cable gives Twain copy of Mallory
Dec., 84, famous first notebook entry, armor scene
in 1885, "Private History of Campaign that Failed"
describes both the farcical and serious, extended tall tale
-- he will repeat this in YANKEE
1. Jan-Feb, 1886 [Word of Explanation, Chapters 1,2,3]
modern civilization almost all ways superior to ancient
people depicted as "children" or child-like
Merlin a mere bumbler
Nov. 1886: speech on story plans, defend Arthur w Gat. guns
take 40% of income
Yankee as Amoral Opportunist
2. Summer, 1887 [Chapters 4 - 20, excluding 10]
ridding Arthur's kingdom of political/social injustice
'86-'87, from Republican Party (Lincoln/Grant) to Mugwump Party
supports Grover Cleveland
speaks out for civil rights
against political dictatorships
for rise of unions as means of equalizing power
turns into an Anglophobe
a. in England, gentry are beating Liberal Party
b. M. Arnold's review of Grant's Memoirs (shall/will)
c. May, 87: reads Standring's PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF ENGLISH
ARISTOCRACY, laws of primogeniture, fetish of nobility
-- satirize English laws and practices
-- knights/ladies more course/ignorant/superstitious
-- Merlin more evil, spreads false rumors
-- Ch 8: attacks laws/customs that protect royalty/nobility/Church
-- from Hank the Entrepreneur to Hank the Reformer
patent office, factories, schools, telephones, etc.
-- loyalty to country, not institutions (defends leave Rep. Party
3. Summer, 1888 [21-36, 10] and Fall/Spring of 1889 [37-44]
summer at Quarry Farm
fall/spring in Hartford, Conn.
illness in family, wife's eye troubles/cannot read & edit text
business problems
Charles L. Webster publishing company
Twain keeps pulling money out of company to pay for
Paige Typesetting Machine (technology)
M. Arnold article: Americans are irreverent due to the American
Press and the "American addiction to the funny man"
Chs. 27-38: King/Yankee experience tyranny, the poor/slavery
Chs. 39-44: attempt to destroy knight errantry
destroy English aristocracy, set up a Republic
Critical Observations of Yankee:
most satirical and most gloomy of works to date
constant problems with point of view, Twain's voice intrudes
Hank Morgan never becomes a full character, just a device
purpose of the book too diverse, Twain tries to do too much
Contradictions even in Hank
stranger in strange land........a know it all
equalitarian....................a boss, manager
great technician................uses for trivial effects
humanitarian....................monster who kills 25,000 knights
constantly alternates/juxtaposes the comic and serious
example: horror of Morgan LeFay, but he kills musicians
often, emotional excess: hanging of starving mother
Anti-Utopian Novel
Hank tries to set up Utopia, fails
sweeping reforms in human society are impossible
technology provides only means for massive destruction
technology desensitizes the individual to suffering of others
hopelessness, universe as mechanical determinism
Training is Everything
For next time: I talked this time, you talk next time.
Find cases, examples of the Twain themes/ideas/concepts discussed.
including:
Southwestern Humor
Love Affair with Language
Attack on Romanticism
Attack on Religion/Church
Attack on Slavery
Attack on Aristocratic Sentiment
Discussion of Con Man
Attack on Mob Impulse
Discussion of Appearances vs Reality
Benefits/deficits of technology for society
Dark Mechanical determinism
1. Find examples of these in text
2. Also bring a little contemporary relevance to them. What might Twain be teaching us that we can apply
to what is going on in our world today???
YANKEE, LECTURE TWO--quotes all from Signet Classic Paperback
1. Southwestern Humor
22, 25 (sexual), 30, 32, 74, 80, 98, 105-107(LeFay), 129-30 (Hogs), 289, 296
-- mention famous print: the PEN IS mighter than the sword
2. Love Affair with Language
96, 151 (German)
3. Attack on Romanticism
68, compare to Cooper attack
4. Attack on Religion/Church
53, 55, 64, 82, 113, 145
5. Attack on Slavery
54, 115, 139-141, 171-172, 211, 216 (Civil War), 251-2, 285
6. Attack on Aristocratic Sentiment
54, 96, 81, 134, 174, 218, 219, 228 (just destroy them in end)
7. Discussion of Con Man
155-56, Merlin, 168 (Rival) HANK HIMSELF, miracles and showmanship (255)
8. Attack on Mob Impulse
213, 219, 244, 247, 256
9. Discussion of Appearances vs Reality
magic of science, everything done for showmanship (like Tom Sawyer)
10. Benefits/deficits of technology for society
59 (three firsts), 100 (pollution), 149, 152, 166, 199, 299,
301 (like nuclear button) & 309
11. Dark Mechanical determinism
206 -- better to be dead
TRAINING is all: 109, 114, 119
horrendous ending of novel
---------------------------------------------------------------original idea worked in: 76
notice the book begins with eclipse, Ch 6, ends with 239 blotting
Sagramore connection: 12, 62, 277 (Ch 39)
foreshadowing: 40, 119, 135, 237
Franklin references: 23-24, 50, 52, 229
discussion of wages: 220, 231, 234
NRA: 195
***Missionary Concept, Sandwich Islands, Twain's Campaign Against:
Hank as Missionary? 47, 99, 283, 284, 318
***Biography; Money matters and the Paige Typesetter:
15, 48, 87 (spendthrift), 171, 224-225, 268 (mistakes), 272 (impotence) 276 (laugh at him), 281, 305, 320