Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1941 Mark Twain's Theories of Morality. Frank C. Flowers Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Flowers, Frank C., "Mark Twain's Theories of Morality." (1941). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 99. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/99 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MARK TWAIN*S THEORIES OF MORALITY A dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College . in. partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of English By Prank C. Flowers 33. A., Louisiana College, 1930 B. A., Stanford University, 193^ M. A., Louisiana State University, 1939 19^1 LIBRARY LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY COPYRIGHTED BY FRANK C. FLOWERS March, 1942 R4 196 37 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author gratefully acknowledges his debt to Dr. Arlin Turner, under whose guidance and with whose help this investigation has been made. Thanks are due to Professors Olive and Bradsher for their helpful suggestions made during the reading of the manuscript, E. C»E* 3 7 ?. 7 ^ L r; 3 0 A. h - H ^ >" 3 ^ / (CABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT . INTRODUCTION I. Mark Twain— philosopher— appropriateness of the epithet 1 A. A. B.-Paine's comment 1 B. R. D. Altick's comment 2 II. Mark Twain— philosopher and the theories of despair A. "His despair— the result of his philosophy" I B. "His philosophy— the result of his despair" k C. These theories in the light of Ylhat Is Man? k III. The purpose of this study b IV. Mark Twain and his contemporaries 5 A. Paine 5 B. Howells 5 C. Phelps, Matthews, Shaw, Henderson, Macy, Mencken, Kipling, Smith 6 D. Clemens* own statement about his work S V. Mark Twain and the later critics S A. Van Wyck Brooks s B. Pattee, Cargill, and Parrington 9 C. The answers of DeVoto and Eastman to The Ordeal 10 D. The "artist" of The Ordeal II E. Bernard DeVoto and the Symbols of Despaii'" 12 F. R. D. Altick— his solution VI. Three specific aims of this study 11 CHAPTER I THE THEORY OF MAN I. Man an impersonal machine 15 A. Problems involved in the definition 15 1. The human element l6 2. The personal merit 17 3. The moral element 17 B. Paine's comment as to the "moral machine" 19 II. Reconciliation of ideas: man the machine— man the moral agent 19 A. The task made difficult by words 19 1. Convenience of parable 20 2. Statement by Paul Carus 20 B. The link of reconciliation 20 iii C. Mark Twain's figure of speech— the parable 21 D. The influence of Lecky 21 III. What Is, Man? 23 A. Man the machine 23 1. Origin of the figure 2 2. Application of the figure 2 3* The human machine contrasted with the ordinary- machine 2*+ 1+. Summary— man, the result of the law of his make 25 33. The machine qualified 25 1. The moving impulse of the machine 26 2. She machine of many mechanisms 2f The suffering-machine and the happiness-machine 2g I: Recapitulation 28 5. Divisions of the machine; physical, mental, moral 29 6. The complex machine 30 7* Master Passion, or Conscience 31 C. The machine at work 33 1. The machine at work: physical 33 a* The "body— to house the mental and moral Me 33 "b.- The source Of the matter 34 c. Personal merits of the matter— a moral issue 35 d. Temperament— part of the physical equipment 36 e. law of the physical— tin men cannot "become gold 36 2. The machine at work: mental 36 a. Law of the mental— the mind has no command over itself; its owner has no command over it 36 "b. Early appearance of this theory in Mark Twain's work 37 c. The thinking process 3® d. Definition of thought 39 e. Thought and instinct 40 f . Free Will and Free Choice 1+1 g» The function of the mental in Free Choice 1+2 h. Recapitulation 1+2 3 . The machine at work: moral 4-3 a. The Conscience— definition 1+3 "b. The Consciehce— varieties 1+3 c. Satisfying the Conscience— self-sacrifice 1+3 d. The advantage of Mark «Twain's system 1+5 e. The Admonition 1+7 IV. Summary— man the machine . 1+7 1 CHAPTER II THE THEORY OF EDUCATION I. Prevalence of educational ideas throughout Mark Twain's works 1+9 iv A, Pessimism and his views on education ^9 3 . Freocupation with education 50 1. Miss Brashear's comment— Mark Twain’s neglect of immortality 50 2. Probable reason for this neglect 50 0* Mark Twain’s purpose and appeal in education 51 1. Letter to Lang 51 2. Coincidence between the letter and the theories of What Is Man? 52 D. Mark Twain’s qualifications— testimony of Clemens J. France II. Early interest of Mark Twain in educational matters £ A. 186l— Miss Keziah Clapp's school— a simplified alpha­ bet 54 B. Games for children— "How to Make History Dates Stick*1 55 C. Hatred of conventional pedagogy, as shown by: 56 1. The authorized Biography 57 2. "English As She Is Taught" 51 3. The Gilded Age 59 III, Mark Twain's educational ideals 59 A. Morals— highest and most difficult lessons 60 3. Perdeption— -requisite of learning 60 C. Summary 60 IV, Educational ideas in the works in chronological order 60 A. Psychic rejuvenation 61 B. Moral contrasts 62 1. The Prince and the Pauper 62 2. Life on the Mississippi 66 3 . A Connecticut Yankee 69 Pudd'nhead Wilson 73 C. Association 75 1, Pudd’nhead Wilson 75 2. Joan of Arc 76 D. Self-reliance 77 E. Recapitulation 78 V, Educational features of What Is Man? 79 A. Training the physical 79 1. Grand difference between stone and steel engine s— train ing SO 2. Prejudicial clogging ore SO 3. Importance of outside influences— examples 81 4. Initiatory impulses toward high ideals— association 82 5. Training and temperament— an illustration 82 6 . Application of the Admonition in terms of the physical B, Training the mental II 1. Value of associations 85 2. Shakespeare’s mental machine 86 v Unconscious plagiarism g6 * Change— stimulation— inspiration 87 C. Training the moral— an illustration 88 D. Summary ' 89 CHAPTER III THE THEORY OP ENERGY I. The Energy of the machine 92 A. Control of the machine 92 1. Illustrations 93 2. Mark Twain's laziness 93 3. Mark Twain's energy and morality 95 4. Aid to the needy 98 II. Manifestations of MarkTwain's theory of energy 99 A. A letter of 1853 99 B. Work in Heaven 100 0. His second letter home 101 D. The River notebook— success formula 102 III. The theory of energy 103 A. Explained to Orion 103 3. Tried upon a young reporter 105 C. Tried upon Samuel E. Moffett 108 D. Advised upon a lady lecturer 108 IV. The Pour principles of the Theory of Energy— their appli­ cation 110 A. The Gilded Age 110 B. Pudd'nhead Wilson 111 C. Joan of Arc 111 D. "Concerning the Jews" 112 2. A Connecticut Yankee 113 P. Mark Twain's own experience 113 CHAPTER IV THE THEORY OP SOCIETY I. Man and society ll1*- II. Mark Twain as social analyst 115 A. Attack on cruelties, vanities, arrogancies, mean­ nesses, and hypocrisies ll6 1. Satan's theater of man's progress in civili­ zation ll6 2. The Gilded Age 121 3. Christian Science 122 4. Joan of Arc 122 5. Huckleberry Pinn 122 vi i 6. The Mysterious S tranger 122 7. A Connecticut Yankee 122 B. Majorities and minorities 124 0. The cure 126 D. Recapitulation— Mark Twain*s genuineness— his hatred of sham 128 E. Class distinctions 129 1. In heaven 130 2. Pudd’nhead Wilson 130 In The Frinc a and the Pauper 131 I: In Arthur*s realm 132 5. Views on monarchy 133 6 . Classes in The Gilded Age 135 p. The imperfect operation of certain democratic in­ stitutions 137 1 . The police force 137 . 2.. The jury system 138 3 . Die Washington dignitaries l4o G. Recapitulation 142 III* Mark Twain's social synthesis 1^3 A. Ideal of simplicity 143 B. Mark Twain as a Utopian l44 1. Comparison between Bellamy's Looking Backward and Clemens' Connecticut Yankee l44 2. Raising the proletariat l46 3 . Eight points of similarity between Bellamy's and Clemens' ideals 1^7 4. Chief difference betweenthe two schemes l4g IV. Summary l4g CHAPTER V THE THEORY OP RELIGION I* The institution of religion as a detriment to man's development 151 A. The Christians in history 152 B. The individual versus the institution 152 1. Mark Twain's freedom from religious prejudice 152 2. His analysis of modern Christianity 153 3. Inherited religion 153 C. The charge against the church 154 1. Tolerance 155 2. Private and public morals 156 D. Sir Boss's church— ideal 157 II. Mark Twain's attacks upon religion 158 A. An established church 158 B. Mark Twain's attitude toward Christ l6l C. A conscious, punitive deity l66 vii i D. The efficacy of prayer 170 E.