A Conneticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

            The actions of human beings are influenced by their periphery and can lead them to demonstrate the traits of a machine. For example, in war, soldiers are caught up in constant chaos and upheaval that they do not have time to process the things they have done. They are programmed to kill the enemy and, therefore, display the traits of a machine. As Mark Twain grew older, he developed negative views of mankind. He converted these views into a deterministic philosophy in which he believed that humans lack free will and are machines controlled by outside forces (Rasmussen). Aspects of this deterministic philosophy are portrayed in the style of Mark Twain's novel, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Hank Morgan believed that human action was determined by causes external to the will and placed an emphasis on training and education. .
             Hank began his story boasting about the responsibilities he had as a superintendent in a giant factory and his ability to virtually make almost any kind of machinery (Twain 9). This foreshadowed his efforts to improve the conditions of the local population while maintaining and establishing personal wealth and power. Once he achieved a position of power, Hank Morgan took on the title of "The Boss " (57). The Boss's speech and practice reflected the hypocrisy of his concern for the well-being of the peasants. One of Hank's most constant criticisms was that the people were irrational and had no sense of reason. "Take a rest, child; the way you are using up all the domestic air, the kingdom will have to go importing it by tomorrow, and it's a low enough treasury without that" " (81). Hank revealed his attitude toward Sandy as a machine that consumed resources. .
             Hank's projection on civilization was based on his belief that he could train the population how to think and thus, how to live. "Training "training is everything; training is all there is to a person we speak of nature; it is folly; there is no such thing as nature; what we call by that misleading name is merely heredity and training.