A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court · Chapter
XIII: Freemen! explained
Hank Morgan reflects on the oppressive taxation and feudal exploitation suffered by the 'freemen' of Arthurian England, drawing a stark comparison to the French Revolution.
What happens
Hank Morgan reflects on the oppressive taxation and feudal exploitation suffered by the 'freemen' of Arthurian England, drawing a stark comparison to the French Revolution. He engages the peasants in a discussion about democracy and voting rights, revealing their ignorance of self-governance. Meanwhile, he endures a miserable night in his armor, plagued by insects and cold, while the noble Sandy sleeps soundly. He later recruits a peasant for his 'Man-factory,' insisting that no priest or Church bondslave may enter, and promises to teach him to read.
Themes in this chapter
Social Class and Aristocracy
The chapter vividly depicts the exploitation of 'freemen' by the nobility, clergy, and monarchy, with taxes and forced labor imposed on the poor while the rich are exempt.
Progress and Modernization
Hank's Man-factory and his offer to teach reading represent the introduction of modern education and industry, challenging the feudal order.
Religion and Hypocrisy
The Church is portrayed as a greedy institution that takes a 'fat tenth' of the harvest and condemns suicides to eternal fire, while the peasant shows suspicion of a priest in the Man-factory.
Characters to notice
- Hank Morgan
The narrator and protagonist, who critiques feudal society, suffers in his armor, and recruits a peasant for his Man-factory.
- Sandy
The Demoiselle Alisande la Carteloise, who sleeps comfortably through the storm while Hank suffers.
- Clarence
Mentioned as the one who will 'fix you all right' for the new recruit, indicating his role in Hank's operations.
Key passages
“Why, it was like reading about France and the French, before the ever memorable and blessed Revolution, which swept a thousand years of such villany away in one swift tidal-wave of blood”
The situation reminded Hank of pre-revolutionary France, where the French Revolution violently ended centuries of feudal oppression.
Hank compares the exploitation of Arthurian peasants to the ancien régime in France, justifying the Revolution's bloodshed as a necessary reckoning.
“I said I had seen one—and that it would last until it had an Established Church.”
Hank claims to have seen a nation where every man has a vote, but warns that such a system would fail if it adopted an official state church.
Hank expresses his belief that democracy is incompatible with an established church, reflecting his anti-clerical and secular views.
“Measured by modern standards, they were merely modified savages, those people.”
By 19th-century standards, the people of Arthurian England were little more than primitive savages with some refinements.
Hank's condescending view of medieval society underscores his belief in technological and social progress.