This is the second post in this series where we discover ways to introduce Twain in engaging, relevant ways without relying solely on Huckleberry Finn.
“A Medieval Romance”, The Buffalo Express, 1870.
Lessons: Tone, Voice, Plot, Irony, Conflict, Character Stakes and Motivation, Pronoun Usage, Gender Identity, Women’s Rights, Destiny
Students truly enjoy this one. It’s the story of a young man, Conrad, who is actually a young woman. His/Her father lied about his/her sex from birth in order that Conrad might secure the throne on the death of the uncle and current Duke who had no male heir to the throne. At age twenty-eight, Conrad reluctantly accepts the duties of being the Duke of Brandonburgh. Although he rules the land with mercy and justice, his guilty secret weighs on him. The stakes increase when his cousin falls in love with him. You see, she is the rightful heir to the throne, for if no male heir was born to either brother, the female heir of the elder brother (the uncle, in this case) would inherit the crown.
So Conrad’s guilt doubles. Not only has he stolen his cousin’s crown, he now must shun her romantic advances and disappoint the kingdom and the uncle who had come to expect a royal wedding. The twists don’t stop there. A few months earlier, the cousin had been duped into a brief dalliance with a handsome rogue as a secondary assurance that she would never reign. Only virtuous female heirs could ascend the throne. When the cousin gives birth to an illegitimate child, she stands trial before Conrad whom she still hates for having scorned her affections. If the cousin will not name the father, by law, Conrad must order her to be put to death. Conrad, who desperately wants to spare his cousin’s life, is saved when she relents and names the father. Sort of. In a vengeful act against her former crush, the cousin points an accusatory finger at Conrad and names him as the father.
So how does the story end? Actually, we never know. Twain explains it like this:
[The remainder of this thrilling and eventful story will NOT be found in this or any other publication, either now or at any future time.]
The truth is, I have got my hero (or heroine) into such a particularly close place, that I do not see how I am ever going to get him (or her) out of it again–and therefore I will wash my hands of the whole business, and leave that person to get out the best way that offers–or else stay there. I thought it was going to be easy enough to straighten out that little difficulty, but it looks different now.
Okay, there is so much goodness in the story, I almost don’t know where to start. First, it’s set in 1222. Twain’s ability to switch up his voice to make this story sound like a Medieval story is a study in itself. It is far, far removed from Huck Finn, for sure. Comparing/contrasting this story to Twain’s other pieces highlights his gift for changing his voice to fit the needs of a story. In addition, it helps students understand voice, which is sometimes a difficult concept.
Let me warn you, though, you might have a tough time getting to the discussion on voice. If your students are like mine, they will immediately jump on the women’s rights angle.
Why can women reign only if there is no male heir and only if they’re virgins? Do the male heirs have to be virgins? Why doesn’t Conrad simply admit her true identity? How come she has to pretend to be something she’s not just so her father gets what he wants? What about the mom? Doesn’t she have a say in whether or not her daughter has to be raised as a boy?
When the questions start coming, it’s a good idea to have a couple of supplement pieces handy. Essays like “Think Pink” by Lynn Peril and Michael Ian Black’s New York Times’ Op Ed piece, “The Boys are Not All Right” are good reads. At this point, you don’t even have to cajole students into reading non-fiction. They want it. They have all these opinions and thoughts stirring around inside them. They are hungry for more words on this topic. Don’t worry, you’ll get back to analyzing the original story, but often you have to ride the wave of emotion and interest to gain optimal engagement. Learning is circular, after all. So is reading. So is analysis.
And guess what else? Not only do you have engagement, you suddenly have relevance, too–relevance for students in the 2020s on a piece published in 1870 and set in 1222.
If you’ve successfully facilitated the discussion so far, you might be ready for the next heady lesson–the appropriate use of the pronoun. The narrator initially introduces Conrad as a young man, but two lines later, the father calls Conrad his daughter. The narrator switches between masculine and feminine use of the personal pronoun in reference to Conrad. It’s not a haphazard switch. It’s strategic. Think of the conversations you can foster when studying Twain’s strategic use of the most effective pronoun to communicate the most appropriate meaning. Talk about relevancy!
Bonus: The writing prompt. If you assign the reading of this story and don’t use the end as a writing prompt, you are missing a great opportunity. I suggest you do more than simply ask them to finish the story, though. After the in-depth cultural discussion they’ve experienced, ask them to finish the story in a culturally relevant way, in a way that expresses the lesson they’d like a reader to learn.
Here’s one more nugget to chew on. How does Twain’s inability to find a suitable ending for his story mirror our own confusion with finding a one-size-fits-all remedy for the ills of current social issues? Now, that sounds like an intriguing literary analysis lens from which to write a truly meaningful essay.
“A Medieval Romance” is so jam-packed with all sorts of lessons, I’d almost nominate it for required reading. In the comments below, share the short stories and/or essays you might nominate. Also, if you choose to use this piece, please let us know how it goes. We are here to learn from each other.
Read well. Be well.
