Morgan 1 Conflicting Motives: The Yankee s Redemption Since its release, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur s Court has received extensive analysis and criticism. Literary Critics have shifted through Twain s diction and phrasing to decipher the book s meaning, and to give the text a just interpretation. In particular, much of this analysis has been focused on Twain s Yankee himself: Hank Morgan. There has been much speculation as to the proper reading of Hank. Hank has often been called Twain's spokesperson, or Twain s voice within the text. It has been regarded by many critics that Hank, in essence, reflects Twain s own thoughts and opinions. As Lawrence Berkove reflects in his A Connecticut Yankee: A Serious Hoax, the operative assumptions used by most [interpreters] of A Connecticut Yankee are that the novel was intended to favor progress, and that Hank Morgan...is the hero who represents Twain s Values (Berkove, 29) In contrast, Hank has also been regarded as a counter to Twain s thinking altogether, Berkove continues later in his article to state: Hank might represent that part of Twain which wanted to believe in progress, but the deeper part of the author was convinced that it could not be, and A Connecticut Yankee is the inevitable, remorseless, and tragic victory of that conviction (Berkove, 32). As well, Hank s individual character, separate from Twain, has received extensive analysis. Many interpretations have been given to the exact nature of Hank s character. Twain himself is reported by the book s illustrator Dan Beard as having considered Hank skilled and well-intentioned but a perfect ignoramus (Berkove, as citing Paine). In his article That Petrified Laugh : Mark Twain s Hoaxes in the West and in Camelot, Jeffrey Bilbro asserts that Twain strives to keep his readers sympathetic with Hank, but that ultimately the character cannot be perceived in this manner. The Yankee is not an altruistic bearer of equality Bilbro says,
Morgan 2 Hank s actions consistently undermine his language of equality (Bilbro, 2012). On the other hand, Arthur O Keefe, in his article The Morally Imperative Lie in Twain s Connecticut Yankee shares the belief that Twain sympathized with his protagonist and that lies and deceptions he employs are not only necessary but are rooted in moral clarity (O Keefe, 2012). Thus, O Keefe seems to argue for the morality of Hank s character. Ultimately, Hank is a confusing. He is somewhat enigmatic as his actions, his ideas, and his motives conflict each other from circumstance to circumstance. The reader then, must determine for themselves what perspective of Hank to take, as Twain does not write him to be a clearly intentioned character. The reader may perceive Hank to be filled with compassion in one moment and completely detestable in the next. It is thus, not an entirely fair assessment of Hank s character to deem him wholly sympathetic or wholly corrupt. Hank possesses both qualities and each of them must have an equal examination. On the one hand, it is very easy to see Hank as a compassionate character. Hank s reactions to the freeman, the prisoner, and the slave, all suggest a very sympathetic tone. With his first encounter of the freeman in Chapter 13, Hank expresses a sense of respect and understanding: they were the nation, the actual Nation; they were about all of it that was useful, or worth saving, or really respect-worthy (125). Hank finds a large amount of worth in the freeman, and explains that without their class, the kingdom would be doomed. He sympathizes calling him a poor ostensible freeman (127), and he is lead to show compassion on the freeman by offering him a job in his factory. He invites him to leave what Hank considers a form of slavery and to take up a new position which will provide security ( the bishop will confiscate your small property; but no matter, Clarence will fix you all right ); will offer education ( read- - yes, and write too it is the first thing that you yourself will be taught in that Factory ); and
Morgan 3 will secure the freedom of religion: ( you couldn t enter unless your religion, whatever it might be, was your own free property ) (130). Likewise, Hank carries his compassion into the dungeons of Morgan Le Fay where he meets Hugo and his family. Before Hugo s true story is made clear to him however, Hank reassures his family that he will be freed. Hank demonstrates his compassion, freeing a man to be with his family; and before Hugo is freed, Hank once again offers an opportunity for work in his factory, explaining that they will like it there (159). It is here that Hank expresses his goal: I m going to turn groping and grubbing automata into men (159). Hank wants to give power to men and to equip them with better living conditions. Hank continues this liberating process, his compassion leading him to free the rest of Morgan le Fay s prisoners who have been kept in the dark for miniscule crimes. This compassion Hank demonstrates, frees women and men to be with their families. Hank even goes with some of the prisoners to their homes to witness the joyous reunion. And as he brings them to the light of day, Hank mutters I wish I could photograph them! (170). There is a sense that Hank is in awe; that he wishes to capture this moment of beauty, as he cares for these prisoner s release. Hank, likewise, expresses the same sympathy for the enslaved. When he comes upon a group of slaves being brought in chains across the country, he refers to them as poor creatures (189). If I lived and prospered I would be the death of slavery, that I was resolved upon; but I would try to fix it so that when I became its executioner it should be by command of the nation (190). Hank undoubtedly sympathizes with the slave. He wants to free them, and this can be seen as an example of his compassion. Before he leaves the procession, Hank remarks that the image of a particular abused slave will never leave his mind; that it hadn t left, even at the time of his writing. Hank is moved by the toil of man; he expresses sympathy and care for the downtrodden. And perhaps the ultimate display of Hank s kindness, is the moment he does rid the land of
Morgan 4 slavery, as well as bring equality to the freeman: Slavery was dead and gone; all men were equal before law; taxation had been equalized (365). Yet, while Hank may display a sense of compassion in a few circumstances, he is in contrast, easily seen as a character who uses manipulation, and even violence. Prior to this passage where Hank notes the success of his emancipation efforts, he mentions an unfortunate incident in which he hangs an author: If he had left out that old rancid [joke] about the lecturer I wouldn t have said anything; but I couldn t stand that one. I suppressed the book and hanged the author. This is not the first instance of Hank executing murder. In his encounter with Morgan le Fay, Hank is seen appeasing her want for punishment by allowing the hanging of an entire orchestra: "I saw that she was right, and gave her permission to hang the whole band" (155). Moreover, if Hank is not being seen allowing the demise of authors or band members, he is masquerading as a wizard for the entire country. When the eclipse comes, Hank allows the kingdom to believe the sun operates under his control. Once he is has garnered their respect, and they believe him to be a sorcerer, Hank allows himself to continue the ruse, gaining popularity, even to the extent of destroying his competitor Merlin's home. As O Keefe shares, reflecting on Royal s assertion of Hank: [He] maintains power by manipulating the masses with technology-supported miracles such as the destruction of Merlin s tower (The Morally Imperative Lie). Inevitably the reader is left wondering who Hank truly is and how he may be interpreted. Such a character is confusing to the reader who, in one scene sees Hank as a sympathetic creature, moved by his compassion to bring justice and opportunity; while in another, is confronted with the obvious violence and deception which pervades so many of Hank s actions. How then does the reader reconcile these conflicting extremes?
Morgan 5 The answer lies in who Hank is specifically compassionate towards. These exhibitions of violence, or particular murders, extend only to a group Hank comes to term the intellectuals: There are wise people who talk ever so knowingly and complacently about the working classes, and satisfy themselves that a day s hard intellectual work is very much harder than a day s hard manual toil, and is righteously entitled to much bigger pay. Why, they really think that, you know, because they know all about the one but haven t tried the other. But I know all about both; and so far as I am concerned, there isn t money enough in the universe to hire me to swing a picking axe thirty days, but I will do the hardest kind of intellectual work for just as near nothing as you can cipher it down-- and I will be satisfied, too. Intellectual work is misnamed; it is a pleasure, a dissipation, and it is its own highest reward. The poorest paid architect, engineers, general, author, sculptor, painter, lecturer, advocate, legislator, actor, preacher, singer, is constructively in heaven when he is at work; and as for the magician with the fiddle bow in his hand, who sits in the midst of a great orchestra with the ebbing and flowing tides of divine sound washing over him-- why, certainly he is at work, if you wish to call it that, but lord it s a sarcasm just the same. The law of work does seem utterly unfair-- but there it is, and nothing can change it: the higher the pay in enjoyment the worker gets out of it, the higher shall be his pay in cash, also. And it s also the very law of those transparent swindles, transmissible nobility and kingship (264).
Morgan 6 Hank, thus, separates the kingdom into two groups of people: the intellectuals, and the working class. If Hank is violent or deceptive, it is directed at the intellectuals of the kingdom. Even his remark about the magician waving his fiddle bow to conduct the orchestra, shadows the musicians of Morgan Le Fay s castle which he gave permission to be hung; as well as the executioner he ordered to act as replacement for the deceased composer, knowing he had no musical expertise and would soon be executed himself. In addition, Hank s corrupt deception is maintained for the King and the nobility (the intellectuals), to uphold a certain amount of power, but he drops this charade in front of the common man when he goes incognito. Hank is really casting off his wizard status to become the average working class man. For this is surely Hank s true status, he is a working class man. Hank explains to Twain in the very opening of the text: My father was a blacksmith, my uncle was a horse doctor, and I was both, along at first. Then I went over to the great arms factory and learned my real trade (36). Hank became a factory man, and explains that he was able to make any kind of machinery, anything a body wanted (36). If there was need for something, Hank explains that he could invent it. He became successful too, being promoted to a superintendent role. Like the freeman, the prisoner, and the slave, Hank identifies with the working class; the lowest and largest caste. This explains Hank s respect for the freeman, as well as his sympathies for the slaves and the prisoners. He has a personal tie to the working class, and he is able to empathize because he too is part of a labor force. Hank therefore, wishes to put power into their hands, and to bring destruction to the intellectual life. Thus, Hank undoubtedly expresses a compassionate quality, as he hopes to build up the working class to an equal, if not higher, status of the intellectuals, and bring freedom from their oppression. However, his violence cannot be excused. Regardless of his sympathies or his kind
Morgan 7 acts to the working class, Hank is still manipulative and violent to the intellectuals. Consequently, Hank may be compassionate, but it is a partial compassion, selective to only the working class, and willing to sacrifice the intellectuals. Furthermore, not only is Hank s compassion partial, it is continually being warped by his desire for power, which has been his purpose since his arrival. From his first encounter in the court, Hank states: if...it was really the sixth century...i would boss the whole country inside of three months; for I judged I would have the start of the best-educated man in the kingdom (50). While Hank may wish to bring freedom and equal status to his working class people, he is, at the same time, driven by his own selfish desires of obtaining higher status and authority. In the scene where Hank lavishes Marco (a freeman) and his wife with, not only a full meal, but new furniture and clothes, it could very well be seen as a gesture of extreme kindness. Yet, Hank does not do this for Marco alone; rather, Hank s intentions are to show his superiority over another guest, Dowley, who is seen before the dinner bragging of his success. What Hank is...trying to buy, is the reverence of the villagers (A Serious Hoax,34). Dowley is silenced by the ostentatious expense that Hank goes to for Marco, and as a result Hank is happy. Dowley is humiliated and Hank hugely enjoys appearing far superior to his rival (Berkove, 34). All of a sudden here comes along a man who slashes out nearly four dollars on a single blow-out; and not only that, but acts as if it makes him tired to handle such small sums. Yes, Dowley was a good deal wilted (297). What had the potential to be an act of kindness, Hank turned into an opportunity to achieve higher status. Berkove explains [Hank] has no taste for democratic fraternity; he wants to be looked up to (A Serious Hoax, 34). Just as Hank s desire for power stunts his compassion for Marco; he likewise treats his kingdom in the same fashion. Three years after Hank and the King roam incognito; Hank has
Morgan 8 continued to maintain power. The Kingdom is bustling with Hank s many inventions, and he becomes the overseer of trains, telephone lines, schools, and multiple factories. And, as has been stated, he has obtained a sense of freedom: Slavery was dead and gone; all men were equal before the law; taxation had been equalized (365). He is in the process of bringing up his working class, and achieving his ultimate goal: a republic. It would seem that his sympathies for the working class are thus, coming to fruition, and that the rise of his factories and inventions are alleviating their oppression. However, Hank recognizes his fatal inconsistency ( That Petrified Laugh ) sharing: I may as well confess, though I do feel ashamed when I think of it: I was beginning to have a base hankering to be its first president myself. Yes, there was more or less human nature in me; I found that out (366). Hank s goals of a republic, of a working class equal to that of the intellectuals, is being warped into a new vision by his more selfish pursuit of power; a vision in which Hank rises to the top as president. His mission no longer remains focused on the working class, but on his status. Hence, there is a conflict between Hank s desire for power and his compassion for his working class citizens. Hank s overriding goal is power (whether for its own sake or for some quixotically grotesque dystopian scheme), which he pursues ruthlessly (O Keefe, 2012). Hank may strive to bring equality and end the oppression, but his want for authority cheapens, and alters his compassionate qualities; his motives become mixed, and Hank is once again, confusing for the reader. The reader is faced with a character who seems to long for justice, fair treatment, and freedom for the oppressed peoples of the kingdom, while on the other hand, appears to be seeking only his own selfish motives of obtaining control. Consequently, the reader begins to wonder which motive Hank will submit to; whether his desire for power will win out, or his compassion for men and his aspirations of equality.
Morgan 9 However, with the closing scenes, the reader s hope for Hank s compassion begins to dwindle as Hank states: that the mass of the nation had swung their caps and shouted for the republic for about one day, and there an end! The Church, the nobles, and the gentry then turned one grand, all disapproving frown upon them and shriveled them into sheep! From that moment the sheep had begun to gather to the fold -- that is to say, the camps -- and offer their valueless lives and their valuable wool to the "righteous cause." Why, even the very men who had lately been slaves were in the "righteous cause," and glorifying it, praying for it, sentimentally slabbering over it, just like all the other commoners. Imagine such human muck as this; conceive of this folly! (392) In this scene the working class has turned away from Hank and the republic, and he disdainfully laments over the loss of his citizens for whom he worked to bring opportunity and equality. Hank s compassion for the class has faltered; he now refers to them as human muck, and deems their lives as valueless. He remorses that even the slaves which he emancipated have turned against him, or rather, turned against the republic. Finally, Hank resolves to do battle, and it appears as though his compassion for the people is completely lost. A testament to this loss is Hank s dialogue with his army of fifty-two English boys. These boys exhibit their own kind hearts by pleading with Hank that they wish to abstain from fighting out of love for their people: these people are our people, they are bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh, we love them-- do not ask us to destroy our nation! (393). But Hank s reply seems to reflect what has been his philosophy all along: we shall have to fight nobody but these thirty thousand knights (394).
Morgan 10 Knights, Hank can justify killing, as they belong to the intellectuals. Yet, as Bilbro points out, even if these [men] are all knights, this is still a massacre ( That Petrified Laugh ). Whether Hank sees his motives as necessary or not, he is committing the death of thousands of men, and destroying the nation his army of boys appear to care so much for. It would seem then, following this scene, that Hank is wholly corrupt, devoid of all mercy. Most readers still hoping Hank will bring liberty and equality to Camelot are finally disillusioned. Hank does not value the choice of the people; he intends to force "democracy" on them (with himself at the top) whether or not they want it ( That Petrified Laugh ). After the death of so many men, the reader must conclude that the true motives of Hank are not justice or equality, but power. With the death of England, the destruction of factories, and the demise of all its men, it is clear that instilling a republic was no longer synonymous with instilling equality, of ending oppression. Hank s desires for control, it would seem, ultimately triumphed over his qualities of compassion. Readers who were amused at [Hank] now find their laughter petrified as the industrialization that seemed to be an instrument of good has caused great harm and been overcome by a backward, superstitious magician ( That Petrified Laugh ). The reader is left with wholly corrupt; they must believe that his true motives were selfish and that this selfishness is the final display of Hank s character. However, this is not the text s conclusion. If the final chapter is included as an equally definitive example of Hank s character, then Hank is redeemable. As the novel reaches its conclusion, the narration shifts back to its original perspective. Twain, having finished the tale, goes to find its author. He finds Hank sleeping, and crying out. It is what he cries for that brings his redemption. Hank is speaking to Sandy pleading with her to stay next to him and to bring Hello-Central to him so that he may say good bye. Hank has taken
Morgan 11 the battle of the sand-belt for a fantastic frenzy and moves on to express his fear: an abyss of thirteen centuries yawning between me and you! between me and my home and my friends! between me and all that is dear to me, all that could make life worth living (409). Hank s monologue to Sandy demonstrates his change of focus. The battle is not what Hank recalls as important, but instead, expresses that his home, the love of Sandy and Hello-Central, and his friends, are truly all that make life meaningful. It is not power or control, but man, human relationship, and love, that Hank choses to deem important in his final moments. While Hank may be a character of conflicting motives, corrupt actions, and questionable morals, he is ultimately a redeemable character in that he has learned to value man over power.
Morgan 12 Works Cited Berkove, Lawrence I. "A Connecticut Yankee: A Serious Hoax." Essays in Arts and Sciences (1990): 28-44. Web. Bilbro, Jeffrey. "'That petrified laugh': Mark Twain's hoaxes in the West and Camelot." Journal of Narrative Theory 41.2 (2011): 204+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 18 Dec. 2015. O'Keefe, Arthur Shattuck. "The Morally Imperative Lie in Twain's Connecticut Yankee." The Midwest Quarterly 54.1 (2012): 11+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 18 Dec. 2015.