Time Travel [ Edited ]

[ConnieAnnKirk]

CONNECTICUT YANKEE is thought to be one of the first novels to deal with the concept of traveling through time. What do you think of Twain's use of the time device in the story? Is it an effective strategy to go back in time in order to make commentary about the present time? Why or why not?

Message Edited by ConnieK on 10-27-2007 09:48 AM

[thinker]

Though the book is most adventurous and humorous. I dont think the time travelling method is effective, mainly because the individual has no control over his goings, as compared to lets say "The Time Machine" where the time traveller could have gone back and forth as he pleased.


Thinker

---

ConnieK wrote:
CONNECTICUT YANKEE is thought to be one of the first novels to deal with the concept of traveling through time. What do you think of Twain's use of the time device in the story? Is it an effective strategy to go back in time in order to make commentary about the present time? Why or why not?

Message Edited by ConnieK on 10-27-2007 09:48 AM

---

[Everyman]

To me, it isn't so much a matter of time travel, since Morgan doesn't choose to travel through time, or even know that he is doing it until it's done. It's more a matter of time displacement. Interesting and enjoyable, but to me a somewhat different thing.

In a way, Don Quixote was a sort of precursor to Connecticut Yankee, since Don Quixote really traveled in his mind and actions back to the days of knights and chivalry and believed himself living then.

{Grammar question: should it be precursor to or precursor of? I debated but wasn't sure. Any grammarians here willing to jump in? Or is either one acceptable?)

---

ConnieK wrote:
CONNECTICUT YANKEE is thought to be one of the first novels to deal with the concept of traveling through time. What do you think of Twain's use of the time device in the story? Is it an effective strategy to go back in time in order to make commentary about the present time? Why or why not?

Message Edited by ConnieK on 10-27-2007 09:48 AM

---

[Laurel]

I kept thinking of Don Quixote, too, and I think he's mentioned somewhere in Twain's book. I also kept thinking of Twain's space-travel (on Earth) book, The Innocents Abroad. And yes, I think displacing the character(s) and giving their reactions to the new situation tells more about them and their world than about the new world. Very effective!

Grammar: The example sentences I found all use 'of.' Here are two from the Oxford Concise Thesaurus:

1. a three-stringed precursor of the guitar: FORERUNNER, predecessor, forefather, father, antecedent, ancestor, forebear.
2. a precursor of disasters to come: HARBINGER, herald, sign, indication, portent, omen.

---

Everyman wrote:
To me, it isn't so much a matter of time travel, since Morgan doesn't choose to travel through time, or even know that he is doing it until it's done. It's more a matter of time displacement. Interesting and enjoyable, but to me a somewhat different thing.

In a way, Don Quixote was a sort of precursor to Connecticut Yankee, since Don Quixote really traveled in his mind and actions back to the days of knights and chivalry and believed himself living then.

{Grammar question: should it be precursor to or precursor of? I debated but wasn't sure. Any grammarians here willing to jump in? Or is either one acceptable?)

---

ConnieK wrote:
CONNECTICUT YANKEE is thought to be one of the first novels to deal with the concept of traveling through time. What do you think of Twain's use of the time device in the story? Is it an effective strategy to go back in time in order to make commentary about the present time? Why or why not?

Message Edited by ConnieK on 10-27-2007 09:48 AM

---

---

Grammar: The example sentences I found all use 'of.' Here are two from the Oxford Concise Thesaurus:

1. a three-stringed precursor of the guitar: FORERUNNER, predecessor, forefather, father, antecedent, ancestor, forebear.
2. a precursor of disasters to come: HARBINGER, herald, sign, indication, portent, omen.

Message Edited by Laurel on 10-30-2007 09:26 AM

[bentley]

---

Everyman wrote:
To me, it isn't so much a matter of time travel, since Morgan doesn't choose to travel through time, or even know that he is doing it until it's done. It's more a matter of time displacement. Interesting and enjoyable, but to me a somewhat different thing.

In a way, Don Quixote was a sort of precursor to Connecticut Yankee, since Don Quixote really traveled in his mind and actions back to the days of knights and chivalry and believed himself living then.

{Grammar question: should it be precursor to or precursor of? I debated but wasn't sure. Any grammarians here willing to jump in? Or is either one acceptable?)

---

ConnieK wrote:
CONNECTICUT YANKEE is thought to be one of the first novels to deal with the concept of traveling through time. What do you think of Twain's use of the time device in the story? Is it an effective strategy to go back in time in order to make commentary about the present time? Why or why not?

Message Edited by ConnieK on 10-27-2007 09:48 AM

---

---

Since I am actually reading this classic for the first time and yet loved books and movies with time travel in them, I have to agree with Everyman that this is not time travel where the protagonist had a choice or even knew that he was involved with time travel until he discovered his predicament. I surmise that his real body was knocked unconscious and this is what happened to him during that time period (real or not). He somehow found himself in a different time and place (not the 1800s and not Connecticut). You have to love how he strategizes right away how he is going to succeed and survive in this displacement (not yet how he is going to return).

[thinker]

Yes Bentley
he seems to only concern himself with survival now and forgets all about returning to his time,
PS. you've just started reading, so I wont be a spoiler, but you'll see a much better example of this later on