Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Lesson Plan

How does Sandy's reaction to the pigsty in chapter 20 tie into the theme of superstition's power over people?

Begin by reminding students that the power of superstition is a major theme throughout Connecticut Yankee, and it may be brought into no sharper focus than during chapter 20. Ask the class to try and make sense of how Sandy acts during this sequence. Up until this point, she may appear to be somewhat flighty, but there is no reason to call her sanity into question. Nonetheless, Sandy insists that she sees a massive castle with beautiful maidens and menacing ogres in front of her.

We can assume, then, that Sandy's delusions are caused by her powerful...