John F. Kennedy said “A man does what he must—and that is the basis of all human morality” (Bartleby, Kennedy). This quote rings true in Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, a story about the advancement of Gilded Age technology transferred into Arthurian British times. A man named Hank Morgan has mysteriously time traveled into the reign of King Arthur and is being brought to the King for possible execution. His decisions after his capture give a sick and twisted spin to JFK’s quote. Mark Twain uses Hank’s knowledge for technology and his pursuit for a better society to make the ironic point that when pressed into awful circumstances or given too much power, humans that detest immorality will go away from their own moral compasses almost naturally. After all, a man does what he must.
As Hank is being imprisoned in King Arthur's Court, he picks apart each of the main attendees and internally see’s their faults. One thing Hanks seems to be taken back upon is how everyone seems to be gleefully …show more content…
In the chapter entitled “Beginnings of Civilization”, Hank seems to think that starting up industries and schools will fix this immorality he sees (Twain, 55-57). A school is a valid thing to start up, but it is interesting that Hank thinks industrialization will fix problems of that day. Yes, education of the mass, in schooling and in crafting is a good thing to do, but will that really fix immorality? Hanks is convinced that it will, but through various episodes later in the novel, Twain’s point is clear: even though machines are great, they are just machines (Beard, Echo). Machinery’s purpose was never to fix day-to-day issues but rather to improve our day to day life. Twain wants his audience of the late 1800’s to clearly understand that humanity, not technology, can fix the social issues of that day. Our dependency should not be with
As Hank is being imprisoned in King Arthur's Court, he picks apart each of the main attendees and internally see’s their faults. One thing Hanks seems to be taken back upon is how everyone seems to be gleefully …show more content…
In the chapter entitled “Beginnings of Civilization”, Hank seems to think that starting up industries and schools will fix this immorality he sees (Twain, 55-57). A school is a valid thing to start up, but it is interesting that Hank thinks industrialization will fix problems of that day. Yes, education of the mass, in schooling and in crafting is a good thing to do, but will that really fix immorality? Hanks is convinced that it will, but through various episodes later in the novel, Twain’s point is clear: even though machines are great, they are just machines (Beard, Echo). Machinery’s purpose was never to fix day-to-day issues but rather to improve our day to day life. Twain wants his audience of the late 1800’s to clearly understand that humanity, not technology, can fix the social issues of that day. Our dependency should not be with