By: Mark Twain
Great Quotes:
“Old habit of mind is one of the toughest things to get
away from in the world. It transmits itself like physical form and feature.”
“You can't depend on your eyes when
your imagination is out of focus.”
Analysis:
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court is one
of Mark Twain’s less known classics. That
said, A Connecticut Yankee is still worth your time.
The book is an examination of how a person
thinks. The main character, Hank Morgan,
attempts to deconstruct Camelot and built 19th century America. He struggles because of how deeply the status
quo is ingrained in the society. The
people of Camelot, from King Arthur to the lowest slave, have been taught and
trained that this is the ideal society.
Hank Morgan struggles to make a lasting influence because of these
convictions.
A Connecticut Yankee argues that we cannot
simultaneously improve society and maintain the status quo. We must select one or the other. If we choose progress, we must be willing to
think new thoughts, do new things, and embrace the unknown. We must discover our unperceived shortcomings
and overcome them. A Connecticut Yankee
is a classic because it will be forever timely. We study history because it is easier for us
to see the errors of the past than it is our own. Do we have less errors of thought than King
Arthur? Perhaps. But maybe Arthur’s errors are just easier for
us to see. Maybe our errors are just as
numerous and just as appalling. Maybe we
have grown comfortable with our errors.
1.
I loved the pure silliness of several of the scenes
described. For example, the knights of
the round table begin to ride bicycles.
