A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court Character Analysis

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court explores the drastic differences that separate two eras thirteen centuries apart. Amongst these distinctions are the values and ideals held by the people of these different times. This great disparity is addressed by the story’s narrator, Hank Morgan. Morgan, who holds the same views as author Mark Twain, sets out to challenge 6th century values with his American ideals of the 19th century. A prideful, practical, and intelligent man, Hank Morgan remains determined throughout the story in hopes of reaching his ultimate goal to revolutionize and Americanize King Arthur’s Camelot. Hank Morgan’s values are evident through his personality and behavior. It is frequently seen that Morgan’s conceitedness overrides many of his decisions. Because of his knowledge that extends past King Arthur’s time, the Yankee often disregards the other opinions of the kingdom, believing his to be superior. Furthermore, he addresses the discrepancy between him and his people, stating that, “Here I was, a giant among pigmies, a man among children, a master intelligence among intellectual moles” (Twain 47). This points out that Morgan would be fit for …show more content…
Being one of his later works, the story was an interesting take on the genre of science fiction. It was on the first works to tackle the subject of time travel. What inspired Twain to write this story, however, was the fact that it appealed to many of his views. It allowed him to write on the matters of nobility and royalty, topics not evident in Twain’s other works. It also let him express his views on injustice and the flow of human nature. By funnelling his ideals and beliefs through Hank Morgan, Twain was able to rant on about these issues. Just like many of his previous works, readers indirectly got to learn more about Twain through the reading of this