Main Characters: Hank Morgan, Clarence, King Arthur, Sandy
Minor Characters: Merlin, Sir Lancelot, Knights of the Round Table
Point of View: (*) First Person ( ) Camera-Eye ( ) Omniscient
Symbols: Church, Merlin
PLOT LINE:
Introduction: He is knocked unconscious, Morgan finds himself in Camelot, he is to be executed, tells he will cover the sun, earth would die, they tell him he will be killed a day sooner.
Narrative Hook:The eclipse came a day sooner than he expected, he is freed, made "The Boss"
Rising Action:Morgan goes on adventure with Sandy, performs miracle in Village of Holiness, travels incognito with king, sold to a slave trader, saved by Sir Lancelot, combat against Sir Sagramor, kills him and several knights, married to Sandy, have child, things seem to go well
Climax:Morgan kills all the knights, but Merlin comes disguised as a woman, puts him to sleep for 13 centuries.
Falling Action:Merlin reveals who he is, falls onto electric fence, face frozen with evil, delirious laugh.
Resolution:Twain with Morgan in 1800s, Morgan in bed, hallucinating, sees Sandy, king, then he dies.
What incident begins this story? Hank Morgan is in 19th Century America, and is hit on the head with a crowbar by a man in his factory. He awakens to find himself in Camelot, and is taken by Sir Kay to King Arthur's Court, where a story is made of his capture. Morgan is to be executed, but he uses his knowledge of a total solar eclipse to have himself seem a magician. In return for bringing the sun back, King Arthur makes him second in command of the kingdom, and he is given the title "The Boss."
What is the major conflict? The major conflict of this story is that Morgan wants to abolish knighthood and the monarchy, and put in its place a republic where all men are equal. In other words, the conflict is man versus society.
What further events complicate this story? When Morgan and the King travel around disguised as peasants, they get into trouble with the common people and are sold to a slave trader.
Morgan and Sandy go off on an adeventure to save a number of princesses in a castle, but it turns out to be a bunch of pigs in a pigsty, but to Sandy they are princesses.
How is the conflict resolved? The conflict is resolved when Merlin puts Morgan to sleep for 1300 years, Morgan "loses the game" and things regress back to how they had been.
What is the setting of this story and how does it contribute to the novel as a whole? The setting of the story is sixth century England. Had the story taken place in the present, there would be no knights and chivalry for Hank Morgan to abolish and his 19th Century devices would be no improvement but a step backwards.
A theme is a general statement that the author wishes to make about life. Write one sentence which states the theme of this book. The theme of this story is very similar to my first quote fromt he book (below), but in the exact opposite sense, being that no matter how well you re-educate and retrain people to eliminate their superstitions, all it takes is a spart to bring back those superstitions in full force; no matter how hard we strive, we cannot obtain a Utopian society.
List at least two quotes that you think are worth remembering.
"A man is a man, at the bottom. Whole ages of abuse and repression cannot crush the manhood out of him."
"I reckon we are all fools. Born so, no doubt."
Comment on the author's style. Twain wrote the story so that suspense was built up for each of the minor conflicts, putting the reader on the edge of his seat and wondering what will happen next. Some of the events have humorous twists to them as well, making the book more enjoyable.
Why did you dis/like this author? I like the author because of the suspense and humor he used in the story to convey his theme, to make it "easier for a person to digest." I believe that there is a great deal of truth to be found in humor, and this story fits that perfectly.
Why did you dis/like this story? I liked this story because the story is funny in some places and also because Morgan uses his 19th Century knowledge to manipulate his surroundings, and he gradually gains control of the country. The only thing I didn't like about the story was some of the words used in the dialogue were hard to understand. Otherwise, I thought it to be a pretty good story.