Evils of Monarchy and Society in the Works of Mark Twain Essay

The Evils of Monarchy and Society in the Works of Mark two In the latter part of his life, Mark Twain developed a deep-rooted hatred for society. His aphorisms often reflect this contempt Every one is a moonlight and has a dark side which he shows to no one (Salwen n.pag.). This disdain for humanity eventually seated itself in complete disapproval for what he callight-emitting diode the arouse human race. Twains criticism for society appeared in many of his works, growing stronger and stronger as time passed. Hand in hand with his distaste for society went his hatred for the upper class. In each of his works, Twain creates a theme of appearance versus reality and ultimately brings out his harsh criticism of monarchies. Through such royal criticism, Twain comments on American civilization, attacks societys ideals, and assaults commonly held beliefs. The Prince and the Pauper has often been written off as just another childrens book. It is seen as Twains first experience wit h historical fiction, which simply led into Twains more famous work, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court. However, Twain starts to show his disapproval of monarchies in this book. Edward, the Prince of England, and a common beggar boy, turkey cock Canty, switch clothes and identities, throwing each into a social situation with which he is not familiar. Through the stories of each boy, Twain brings out two themes that reflect his views on monarchy and society. Underlying the adventures of Tom Canty is Twains mockery of the idea that clothes determine a mans place in society. As Twain once said, Clothes take a shit the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society (Clothes n.pag.). Tom Canty assumes the role of King of Engl... ...n. capital of Massachusetts Twayne, 1988. Lynn, Kenneth S. Afterword to The Prince and the Pauper. Mark Twain Quotations - Clothes. Online Available <http//www.tarleton.edu/schmidt/Clothes.html> (May 22, 1999) Mark Twain Quotation s - Monarchy. Online Available <http//www.tarleton.edu/schmidt/Monarchy.html> (May 22, 1999) Salomon, Roger. B. Twain and the Image of History. Yale University, 1961. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Vol. 48. Detroit Gale, 1993. Salwen, Peter. The Quotable Mark Twain. Online Available <http//salwen.com/mtquotes.html> (May 4, 1999) Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Tom Doherty, 1985. _____. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court. New York Penguin. _____. The Prince and the Pauper. New York Penguin, 1964.