The Sword in the Stone Introduction

1. The Sword in the StoneIntroduction

2. Post-WWI Britain • The effects of WWI made people ask the questions, “What should Britain be? What should it stand for?” • There was political upheaval—rise of fascism, Nazism, Edward VII’sabdication • This time period led to a number utopian and dystopian novels in response to the political atmosphere • Utopia: An imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect • Dystopia: An imagined place or state of things in which everything is unpleasant or bad

3. This is the golden age of political commentary disguised as children’s books • A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh (1926) • Aldous Huxley, Brave New World (1932) • P. L Travers, Mary Poppins(1934) • J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit (1937) • T. H. White, The Sword in the Stone (1938-39) • George Orwell, Animal Farm (1945)

4. T. H. White • Born in 1906 in Bombay • Educated at British public schools and Cambridge • Became a schoolmaster • Passionate pacifist • Pacifist: A person who believes that any violence, including war, is unjustifiable under any circumstances and that all disputes should be settled peacefully.

5. White’s Major Works • England Have My Bones (1936) • Burke's Steerage or, The Amateur Gentleman's Introduction to Noble Sports and Pastimes (1938-1939) • The Sword in the Stone (1938-1939) • The Queen of Air and Darkness (1939) • The Ill-Made Knight (1940) • Mistress Masham's Repose (1946-1947) • The Book of Beasts, A Translation of a Medieval Bestiary (1954-1955) • The Candle in the Wind (1958) • The Once and Future King (1958) • The Book of Merlyn (1977)

6. Basic Information on The Sword in the Stone • Genre: education novel (a plan of education is set forth for a young person) • Describes the political and emotional development of a young leader • Very formulaic plot: • Loss separates hero from family • Hero undergoes maturation and education • Hero leaves safe haven for “real world” You’ll learn about the hero’s journey in 10th grade! 

7. Basic Plot of The Sword in the Stone • The Wart is left with Sir Ector to be raised • He must be educated in preparation for his future • He must prove his abilities through a series of tests and challenges (under Merlyn’s guidance) • He must grow into leadership • He fulfills his destiny near the end of the novel What do you think the novel’s main motif is?

8. Important Characters • The Wart: Raised by Sir Ector at the Castle of the Forest Sauvage. He undergoes an education at the hands of Merlyn. "The Wart" is a nickname for "Art," and the Wart eventually becomes King Arthur. • Sir Ector: The Wart and Kay's father and a kind, good-humored landowner who is Lord of the Castle of the Forest Sauvage. • Kay: Sir Ector's eldest (and only natural) son. His stubbornness and craving for honor are revealed in many of his words and actions.

9. Important Characters Cont’d. • Merlyn: A wise and sometimes absent-minded magician who oversees the Wart's education. • Archimedes: Merlyn's talking owl, who teaches the Wart to fly. • UtherPendragon: The demanding Norman King of all England. At the end of the novel, the Wart learns that Pendragon is his father. • King Pellinore: A comical figure who hunts after the Questing Beast (or "Beast Glatisant”).