Teen Reader
A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court (1889)
A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court (Text Version)
A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court (Audio Version)
A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a satirical novel by Mark Twain, first published in 1889. It is the story of Hank Morgan, a 19th-century resident of Hartford, Connecticut, who is inexplicably transported back in time to the court of King Arthur. Hank uses his knowledge of modern technology to try to improve the lives of the people he encounters, but his efforts are ultimately unsuccessful. Twain’s novel is a critique of romanticized views of the past and a commentary on the dangers of unchecked technological progress.
Mark Twain
Mark Twain (born November 30, 1835, Florida, Missouri, U.S.—died April 21, 1910, Redding, Connecticut) American humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who acquired international fame for his travel narratives, especially The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), and Life on the Mississippi (1883), and for his adventure stories of boyhood, especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885). A gifted raconteur, distinctive humorist, and irascible moralist, he transcended the apparent limitations of his origins to become a popular public figure and one of America’s best and most beloved writers.
A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court Analysis
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is a satirical novel by Mark Twain, first published in 1889. It is the story of Hank Morgan, a 19th-century resident of Hartford, Connecticut, who is inexplicably transported back in time to the court of King Arthur. Hank uses his knowledge of modern technology to try to improve the lives of the people he encounters, but his efforts are ultimately unsuccessful. Twain’s novel is a critique of romanticized views of the past and a commentary on the dangers of unchecked technological progress.
A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur’s Court Discussion Questions
Discuss the two opposing views of knighthood that are presented in the novel.
What is Hank Morgan's view of the nobility, and of aristocratic preferment?
How does Hank Morgan use his technological knowledge to gain power?
How well does power set with Hank? That is, does he use his power for the betterment of the people or for the glory of Hank Morgan?
What features of Camelot does Hank Morgan find attractive? Why does he try to change these aspects?
What is Hank Morgan's views on superstition? Does he ever use superstition for his own advantage? Explain.
How does Hank's nineteenth-century prudery affect his views about Camelot?
Which aspect of the novel do you consider more important — the social criticism, or the science fiction fantasy?
Discuss Hank Morgan's total failure to modernize Camelot in terms of his inventions, his attention to human needs, and his own prejudices.
(Questions from Cliffsnotes.com)
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