There is no doubt that Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is marred by structural absurdities, imperfect tonal shifts, and an episodic, choppy arrangement. The novel often attempts to do far too many things at once, juggling commentary on chivalry, aristocracy, religion, technology, and more. That the book survives these flaws and transcends many of Twain's other texts is a testament to the author's remarkable talent. The book succeeds in large part because of a trio of elements that operate beneath the narrative surface; these three devices are arguably the most popular tools in Twain's repertoire. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayThe first of these, irony, is evident even from light reading. Never mind that Yankee was originally intended to be a romantic tale. Since readers are likely to sympathize with Hank Morgan, they instinctively reflect his presupposition that the 19th (or 21st) century is superior to the simple, archaic conceptions of the 6th century, probably because the differences between the two eras are immediate and tangible. While the modern world has brought us a degree of gender and racial equality, charity, leisure, and democracy, the world in which King Arthur lived was sordid, muddy, and a mockery of his own virtues. In the modern era, a man has the right to be a man, and even those who must resort to menial physical labor have the opportunity to at least care for their own family without fear that a "greater" knocks on their door. That, at least, is the reality presented to us through Hank Morgan's musings, but as anyone who has read a significant amount of literature from that era knows, such decency was not often the case. In Chapter XXXIII, "The Political Economy of the Sixth Century," Morgan attempts to detail the devious workings of political economy to the blacksmith Dowley, but all his arguments are rebuked for ignorance. What Morgan never ceases to consider is that the situation he dissects was not foreign to the population of the 19th century; in fact, it was almost analogous to the deplorable standards of living experienced by many of Morgan's contemporaries. This brings us to the second facet of Twain's style that keeps this sweeping book from tipping over: tragedy. These works seem to blindly assume that a richer economy strengthens a culture. In fact, on the surface, this appears to be true; after all, how could an educated, prosperous, and constantly evolving civilization be inferior to one that places itself at the mercy of inbred idiots adorned in bulky armor and ridiculous clothing? However, this too is revealed at the end, when we see that Morgan's "colony" of educated, like-minded revolutionaries default back to their superstitious ways in no time. There are certain instinctive human flaws that cannot be eliminated in a million years, and so there is little or no basis for assuming that all the technology in the world could make a culture truly "better." As Twain commented regularly in the last years of his life, the human race is inherently diseased and depraved, and whatever superficial masks humans may wear, their souls remain destitute. Despite Morgan's proud assumptions, humanity hasn't evolved much over the past 13 centuries and the future doesn't look any better. Consistent with Twain's Calvinist attitudes, there is nothing man can do to.?