Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes how in his "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", Mark Twain seeks to satirize many of the "romantic" notions about the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. It looks at how his depiction of 6th century England reveals a time and a country that is rife with political, economic and social problems where many people are subjugated by fear of the supernatural and forced to lead oppressed lives. It discusses how Twain's novel seeks to tell us as much about the failings of 19th century post-Enlightenment American ideology as it does to criticize the romantic vision of King Arthur.

From the Paper:

"In his zeal to develop 6th century England into a technologically-advanced republic based on democratic principles, the Yankee unleashes all of the horrors of modern warfare upon the knights that try to stop him. In this final battle, we see the ways in which Twain's satire has increasingly come to question the values of America in the 19th century, and that this critique is just as profound and deep-seated as his earlier attacks on the romanticism of Arthurian England. The Yankee's idea is that it is only the Church and the aristocracy that are opposed to a republic, because a democratic government would not benefit them since they already possess a higher role in the social order under the monarchy. Hank argues that if he and his supporters can just get rid of the upper echelon of British society, then they will have control of the country and can set up a new government."

Visitors who viewed this Analytical Essay also liked these:

• Analytical Essay # 49638 : "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"
• Book Review # 103021 : "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court"
• Analytical Essay # 21882 : " Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: