The One and Future King :: Once and Future King Essays

The nonpareil and Future King   In The One and Future King by T.H. White the main character, Arthur, learns many historic lessons. He is taught many of these lessons by animals. For instance, he learns that might is right (White 47) from a fish (which turns out to be false), that ants live dictated lives devoted to strugglefare (121), that owls only kill another animal if they are starving (69), and a badger teaches him the story of mans creation (168). One of the most important lessons Arthur learns is from a goose, who tells him of a perfect society.   When Merlyn turns wart (Arthurs nickname) into a goose, another goose named Lyok Lyok teaches him nearly the lives of geese. Wart migrates with the geese and talks to them. He finds out that geese are very passive animals they do not fight with each other, they share any sustenance that they acquire, and each bird only has one nest (172).   This greatly affects Wart because it is so different from hu mans. He still thinks that he likes war, but thence begins to notice how many bad effects war has. Wart starts to point his initial gut-feeling that war is right and necessary. This also allows Arthur to have a more than open mind towards other animals lifestyles.   This lesson is also important to me, the reader, because it makes me feel that war is not necessary. If other animals have the ability to live peacefully, so should humans. It enforces the conceit that people should be kind to one another. It also opens the eyes of readers by letting them get to know the lifestyle habits of other animals and causing them to be accepting.