Modern Chivalry

Paper Summary:

In this paper, the writer studies 'Modern Chivalry' by Hugh Henry Brackenridge notes that the work, published in the 1790s, is over four volumes and features a satirical picture of American life. The writer explains that 'Modern Chivalry' is a commentary on American society, which through satire, demonstrates the positives and negatives of colonial America and what should be done to fix some of the ills. The writer further explains that the book is therefore a reflection of the values of America. The writer concludes that the work illustrates the danger of American society even though Brackenridge may claim to have written a book for purely entertainment value.

From the Paper:

"Drawing on many truths, this work of satire became very popular particularly in the west which it satirizes. The story is dominated by a hero, a new Don Quixote, and his servant Teague who is like a Sancho Panzo. It is first and foremost a parody of the frontier, but speaks on much more the political landscape of early colonial America. Modern Chivalry can be seen as a work to show insight into America's system of representation. It is ultimately, a satire on numerous aspects of young America and thus reflects on the forces which from which it emerged, a society still in the youthful stages of a new form of government."
"Modern Chivalry's primary theme is one which was of great consequence to a young America as whole. In Colonial America, there was a question as to the common man could be an effective democratic citizen in a young and unique republic. According to Lukasik, it is this face of the republic that Brackenridge depicts meaning this piece of literature is in fact a product of the political forces of America."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brackenridge, Hugh Henry (1790). Modern Chivalry. Retrieved March 5, 2007 from: http://xroads.virginia.edu/~Hyper2/Chivalry/part1contents.htm
• Fiction I. (2005). Modern Chivalry. Retrieved March 6, 2007, from Bartleby Website: http://www.bartleby.com/225/1504.html .
• Gilmore, Michael T. (1978). Eighteenth-Century Oppositional Ideology and Hugh Henry Brackenridge's Modern Chivalry. Early American Literature, 13.
• Nelson, Dana D. (Winter 2002). Indications of Public Will: Modern Chivalry's theory of democratic representation. Lexington, 15,1, 23-40. Retrieved March 6, 2007 from ProQuest Database.
• Lukasik, Christopher J. (2004). The Face of the Public. Early American Literature, 39,3, 413-465. Retrieved March 6, 2007 from ProQuest Database.

More papers on Modern Chivalry:

• Analytical Essay # 8828 : "Chivalry"
• Book Review # 129803 : "Bouchard's "Strong of Body-Brave & Noble"
• Comparison Essay # 4042 : "The Tales of Arthur"

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