Mark Twain's Joan of Arc - (Recovering Political Philosophy) by Bernard J Dobski (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book is about the political wisdom embodied in Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain, the self-declared best book by arguably America's greatest author. More precisely, this study illuminates Twain's political wisdom by examining his approach to the theological-political problem; it takes up Twain's handling of the question of whether a providential deity intervenes in human affairs so as to effectuate divine justice on earth and it does this through a commentary on his last complete novel. Through this investigation, Twain prompts his audience to explore the natural, conventional, or divine basis for justice in political life. Such a study is critical for understanding Twain's corpus, concerned as it is with the tension between material determinism and moral agency. Dobski argues that Twain's last novel prepares his readers to adopt a "new" understanding of man and his relationship to God, his country, and his fellow man.

Review Quotes

"It is true that Paine revered Mark Twain. He thought him superhuman, and he loved him. He meant to convey the life of that superhuman being in its glorious fullness to his readers. The qualities and achievements for which Paine revered Mark Twain were real and worthy of reverence. ... If I understand Dobski ... he does discover that at his deepest depths the author of Joan of Arc is, indeed, as much a philosopher as a humorist." (Christopher Flannery, Claremont Review of Books, Vol. 25 (2), 2025)

About the Author

Bernard Dobski is Professor of Political Science at Assumption University, USA. He is the coeditor of Shakespeare and the Body Politic (2013) and Souls with Longing: Representations of Honor and Love in Shakespeare (2011).