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Mark Twain is the prominent American writer of the 19th century whose writings are not only witty and capturing but also address numerous social problems such as, for example, inequality. This issue is most evident in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. The novel tells a story about an engineer from Connecticut who accidentally was transported in time and, ultimately, found himself in the times of King Arthurs reign in England. The protagonist, Hank Morgan, used his broad knowledge of since and technologies to enlighten people of the sixth century. The most critical topics being discussed there are the ones of foolishness and wisdom, modernization, and social inequality. The current paper presents the messages that the novel sends regarding the last-mentioned problem.
From the very first chapter, the reader obtains the ground for thinking about social inequality. The author describes the peasants as poor people living in appalling conditions with no money to purchase good food and new clothing. On the contrary, the knights and other people close to the court lead luxurious life. Such a bright gap between rich and poor is exacerbated by the fact of slavery. Therefore, inequality is evident not only in the quality of life but also in the extent of freedom.
The most striking point about the social inequality described by Twain is that it is regarded as justified by the Catholic Church. In medieval times, the Church was a mighty institution, and every citizen had no other option but to follow its words. What is more, it is essential to notice that, in the novel, poor peasants appear to be illiterate, and the only people who have the skill of writing and reading are either nobility or clergymen. From this, it could be inferred that ignorant peasants, deprived of education, do not have a chance to climb the social ladder. From the viewpoint of modern people, it is evident that learning is a useful tool that improves social standing, and uneducated people have little chance to succeed in life.
It is interesting to notice that the peasants do not regard inequality as a serious problem. What is more, they believe in their freedom despite being bounded by the land and constrained by the ruler. Thus, it could be suggested that these people accepted their fate and could not even imagine that their life could be different and more comfortable. Besides, slaves are shackled by the fear of their rulers and by illiteracy even stronger than by the chains. Inequality and slavery seem to be integrated into mentality since neither sirs nor peasants could not comprehend that it is wrong. King Arthur himself did not understand how hard it is to be a bondman until he became enslaved.
To sum up, in the novel of Twain, social inequality is considered to be usual. Apparently, for Hank Morgan, a person from the 19th century, it is inadmissible that some people enjoy the luxury while others barely make ends meet. However, the reader might notice that the protagonist is more concerned with fighting this social phenomenon more than any other character of the novel. The peasants, chained by the fear of nobilities, would never dare to stand up for themselves. Thus, it could be concluded that social inequality deprives people of a sense of dignity and self-esteem. Nevertheless, it could be overcome only when the entire society realizes that the income gap and different access to power harm the well-being of most of the population while enabling only an immensely narrow circle of people to bathe in luxury.
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