![]() ![]() ![]() Like all anthropomorphic fables, the moral of Arthur’s story has to do with people, not animals. But what Arthur finds in his imagination is human life recast-specifically, its relationship to power and violence. One can’t scientifically study birds-the mechanics of flight, the social life of the flock, etc.-without first imagining what it’s actually like to be a bird. Merlyn privileges a particular kind of learning-ruled, on one hand, by inquiry, and informed, on the other, by leaps of imagination. Sick of looking at his long face, Arthur’s stepfather shoos him away to Merlyn’s study for advice and a little cheering up, and Merlyn tells his pupil, “The best thing for being sad … is to learn something.” But his teacher Merlyn believes differently he knows Arthur is so very much more than he appears. ![]() After all, he’s a foster boy, a child of little importance-or so he thinks-and the world will surely pass him by. ![]() Armor is donned, adult responsibilities are assumed, and Arthur is left behind. His brother Kay isn’t interested in horsing around and hawking with him anymore. White’s Arthurian saga The Once and Future King, published in 1938 -a young Arthur is feeling restless and sulky. In The Sword in the Stone-the first book of T. ![]()
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