by Mark Twain (pseudonym
of Samuel Clemens 1835 - 1910)
Connecticut Yankee, first published in 1889, is the
story of a nineteenth-century mechanic who travels back in time to the
days of King Arthur. With his prodigious memory and scientific
acumen,
he attempts to modernize medieval society. An example of early
science fiction, this is the first novel to travel back in time. A
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is written as a satire on
the utopian days of
King Arthur. Broad strokes of violence that might offend today's
readers were intended as burlesque humor. The book has been
variously classified as science fiction, humor, satire, and utopian
literature.
Background
A
Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court was written when
Twain was in severe financial straits. His self-made fortune had
evaporated as his investments in the Paige Typesetting Machine and a
publishing company failed. He had begun the story a few years
earlier, after reading Mallory's Le
Morte d'Arthur; now, he finished the story to earn money to support
his
family. His pessimism is intertwined with his humor.
Characters
Hank
Morgan - A 19th century mechanic who travels back in time to 6th
century England
Clarence
- A page, and Hank's right-hand man
Merlin
- The magician
King
Arthur
Alisande,
or Sandy - A beautiful, talkative young lady who is at first Hank's travel
companion and later his wife
The
Story
Hank
Morgan, a resourceful mechanic and supervisor in the Colt Arms Factory,
is knocked unconscious during an argument and awakens
in Medieval England during the days of the Round Table. Concerned
about societal problems, he sets out to transform the country with
nineteenth century mores and technology. Throughout his
adventure, he is beset by problems: Merlin the Magician's
jealousy, animosity from the Knights of the Round Table, and the
ignorance and superstition of the people. In the end, the
technology is destroyed and Merlin casts a spell on Hank, which leaves
him sleeping for thirteen hundred years. Hank reawakens in 19th
century Connecticut.
BOOKS
Librarian
Talk ... about Books!
Books offer helpful information about historical background, settings,
and authors. Literary criticism may be compiled in a book. The
catalog is online at Kingwood
College Library Catalog. If you want criticism of the
novel itself, try the search words Connecticut yankee and criticism.
For setting and historical background, search for Arthurian romances,
King Arthur or Morte d'Arthur.
Electronic books
or eBooks are available at NetLibrary.
You will need a library card barcode number to read eBooks from
off-campus. Create
a Free Account to save favorite book titles and notes in NetLibrary.
Apply
online
for a library card. For quicker results, wait for 30 minutes after you submit the application, then call the circulation desk at 281-312-1691 and ask them to process it. Use your card to:
Place a
hold on a book.
Request a
book listed in the catalog but available from another
location.
Access databases
from home.
Reference Books:
REF PN3385 .N68, vol. 20 Novels for Students
A good source for characterization, themes, historical context and critical
overview.
REF DA152.5.A7 N48 Lacy, Norris N., ed. The New Arthurian
Encyclopedia.
Brief entries on Merlin, Arthur, Twain, etc.
REF PN44.M33, vol. 2 Masterplots.
Summary of Morte D'Arthur ( pp. 1083-1087).
REF56.U8S66 Encyclopedia of Utopian Literature.
Brief summary and analysis of A Connecticut Yankee.
Circulating Books:
Some good background books are:
DA152.5.A7A82 Ashe, Geoffrey. Landscape of King Arthur.
Photographs of the sites of King Arthur's adventures, including physical
descriptions, and the facts behind the legends
DA152.5.A7D39 Day, David. The Search for King Arthur.
King Arthur's historical, mythical and literary origins, with pictures of
related artwork
PR2047.W49 Whitaker, Muriel. Arthur's Kingdom of Adventure.
The world of Malory's Morte D'arthur
VIDEOS:
Several videos about the King Arthur story are available. Check the library
catalog. Some of the best are:
PROF DA152.L4 Legend of Arthur (view in the library
only)
Examines the history and mythology of King Arthur.
PROF PN57.A65L4 Legend of Arthur in Literature and Popular Culture
(view in the library only)
Discusses the enduring fascination with King Arthur and includes Connecticut
Yankee.
Scholarly
Journal Articles
Librarian
Talk ... about Finding Scholarly Journal Articles!
So you need
scholarly journal articles? At one time, you would find hard copies
at a research library. Today, they are compiled in electronic databases.
Electronic databases are purchased by the libraries for your research
use. If you need assistance finding a particular article, contact
the Reference Librarians and they will help you get it. They will
need full bibliographic information - and your name and address. Send
your phone number as well, so they can contact you if necessary.
Use your library card to login to these
online journal databases.
These databases are available to Lone Star College System students on campus or
with your library card number. If you are a student at another school,
check with your librarian for availability.
Project
Muse - Search nearly 250 scholarly journals for articles.
Use
Twain rather than Clemens.
JSTOR
- Search back issues of 117 scholarly journals.
Academic
Search Complete - Use Twain
rather than Clemens. Be
sure to limit your search to scholarly journals.
Literature
Resource Center - Use Clemens
rather than Twain. For
scholarly articles from journals and books. Many of the journal
citations require you to find the full text elsewhere.
Search
the Internet
Librarian
Talk ... about the Internet!
The internet can be a
wonderful source of original documents. You can find reviews from
the time period when the book was published, background information
about King Arthur and Mark Twain, and electronic copies of the book.
Browse the sites we have suggested below. Remember, you do want to
find reputable sites. Look at:
Accuracy - The information
should be researched and show proof of that research.
Source - Look at the
domain: .edu .gov .org .net
are valid research sources.
Authority - What are
the author's credentials? (Don't quote from another college freshman's
paper.)
Coverage - Does the
page have the information you need for your research?
Objectivity - If a
work is biased, use it - just make sure your professor knows YOU
know. Offer both sides of issues, where applicable.
Support for a successful paper is more than finding the right resources.
Putting it all together takes time and effort. Sometimes it takes
additional help from the librarians or tutors. Please consider
the following aids.
Librarian
Talk ... about Books! 