A Thesis Update

I had a meeting with my Thesis Advisor this week, and I have now narrowed my thesis a great deal in preparation for research and writing over the next several months. As many of you know, I was interested in doing a sort of sociological analysis which would involve looking at the before and after of English and Scottish society during Scott’s life. However, that idea is a bit broad for 80 pages, so we narrowed things down a bit… waay down.

So this is the working thesis idea:

The first third of my thesis will involve an analysis of Scott’s Ivanhoe, discussing the various themes which Scott injects into the story, dealing with the ideas of romanticism and heritage and legacy which Scott is so famous for.

The second third of my thesis will focus on the reaction to what Scott wrote, particularly reactions to Ivanhoe, dealing primarily with Mark Twain’s despise for Scott and his hierarchies and courtly ideas. This means that I will deal with Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court a good bit.

The final third of my thesis will contain my opinions of what Scott and Twain were both championing, coming in the end to a conclusion of whose philosophy was right. I’m not sure what all that will entail, or who will be right in the end. I like Scott, but there’s something to say for Twain’s issues with him.

So there you have it. I’ll more to say on this over the weeks to come, I’m sure.