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

The Evils of Monarchy and Society in the Works of Mark Twain 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 moon 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 called the damned 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†¦show more content†¦In some cases, he proves that he is in fact superior. It is through the escapades of the prince that Twain brings out his real criticism of monarchies. As Edward travels through his country, he sees the terror that his laws bring to the common people. As Kenneth S. Lynn says, the little princes adventures are an education in human viciousness and depravity (217). The prince observes the harshness of English laws when he is in Hugos dungeons with Sir Hendon. There he meets two women who are in the dungeons simply because they are Baptists. At first, the prince is unaware of the laws in his kingdom; he thinks that the women will be set free soon since they will not keep ye long for such a little thing (165). The next day, he is taken outside and he saw a spectacle that froze the marrow in his bones. Fagots had been piled about the two women, and a kneeling man was lighting them! (167). The prince is horrorstruck at this sight, saying, That which I have seen in that one little moment will never go out from my memory, but will abide there...Would God I had been blind! (168). Even the false king, Tom, witnesses such events. In one passage, he rules on cases that people bring before him. One man, after being sentenced, begs that he be executed by hanging. Tom, surprised by this request, asks how the man was to die, and is shocked to learn that he was to be boiled alive: Oh, prithee, noShow MoreRelatedMark Twain And Slavery Essay1356 Words   |  6 PagesMark Twain and Slavery Mark Twain, a famous American writer wrote many books highly acclaimed throughout the world. For his masterpiece, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the literary establishment recognized him as one of the greatest writers America would ever produce. This novel is about a teenage boy by the name of Huck Finn. He is living with Miss Watson and Widow Douglas who have adopted him. He decides that civil life is not for him and that he is going to run away. At the beginning ofRead More The Final Episode of Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn3016 Words   |  13 PagesNonesuch (405); referring, of course, to the silly play put on by the Duke and Dauphin in chapter 23.   From one point of view, this whole evasion sequence seems funny and humorous in the traditions of frontier and southwestern humor.   Twain had a reputation as a humorist, and some of his readers got a big laugh out of this section.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many, however, are put off by it; think it seems out of place in this novel which deals with so many serious, adult subjects; whosRead MorePre-Columbian Period9302 Words   |  38 Pagestechnologically advanced as the Mesoamerican civilizations further south, there were extensive pre-Columbian sedentary societies in what is now the US. The Iroquois had a politically advanced and unique social structure that was at the very least inspirational if not directly influential to the later development of the democratic United States government, a departure from the strong monarchies from which the Europeans came.[citation needed] [edit] North Americas Moundbuilder Culture A MississippianRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 PagesMainstream GOOD: Sheer physical authenticity - reliability †¢ Cost of publishing book acts as a barrier to entry against casual writers †¢ Hardly any oversight over the quality of material that gets published via new media channels †¢ Any work, regardless of its value, can easily get broadcasted to a global audience †¢ Publishers want to ensure that their books sell *quality check* †¢ Any hack can put up his dribbling on Fictionpress.net †¢ Any angst-filled teenager can put up his