Hank Morgan's Inevitable Fate of Ruin and Oblivion: A Study of the Ending of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
HIRATA Michiko
Journal of the Society of English and American Literature 63 21 - 36 2019/03
[Refereed] Critics have discussed the ambiguity of the personality and behavior of Hank Morgan. Though he is a diligent democrat and has ample knowledge of science and technology, he is also arrogant and aggressive, and a seeker of power and esteem. Hank, in fact, has a vicious aspect in his character. In the last part of the story, he chooses to drive 25,000 knights to their death to protect himself and his 53 followers. After the catastrophe, Hank’s old enemy, magician Merlin made him sleep for 1,300 years under a spell. Then he awoke in the late 19th century and died alone in obscurity. Why does this novel have to end with Hank’s ruin and oblivion? This paper will discuss how Twain depicts the contradictory character, Hank. It also considers how such a personality leads to the grotesque ending of the novel and what meaning readers can find from it.