The Chronicle of Young Satan by Mark Twain
"The Chronicle of Young Satan" is an unfinished work by Mark Twain that explores the life of a young boy named Theodor Fischer and his interactions with a mysterious angel named Satan, who claims to be a nephew of the traditional figure of Satan. The story begins with Theodor and his friends encountering this handsome stranger on a hillside, where he impresses them with magical abilities, including animating clay figures. The narrative delves into themes of morality, the nature of humanity, and the complexities of social dynamics as Satan's presence creates both wonder and chaos in the village.
As the plot unfolds, the villagers experience a series of strange events tied to Satan's trickster nature. The story highlights the impact of wealth, deceit, and societal pressure through the character of Father Adolf, who falsely accuses a fellow priest of theft, and the mysterious fortune that appears to the village's struggling residents. Twain employs dark humor and satire to critique human behavior, illustrating how fear and conformity often drive people to act against their better judgment.
The narrative raises questions about free will and the intrinsic qualities of human beings, as seen through Theodor's journey and his encounters with moral dilemmas. Ultimately, the story concludes abruptly, leaving the reader with a sense of curiosity about the themes Twain was exploring, particularly as they relate to the human condition and the complexities of societal influence. This work offers a unique perspective on morality, community, and the interplay between good and evil, making it a significant, though incomplete, contribution to Twain's literary legacy.
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The Chronicle of Young Satan by Mark Twain
First published: 1969 (bowdlerized version published in 1916 as "The Mysterious Stranger")
Type of plot: Fantasy
Time of work: 1702
Locale: Imaginary Austrian village of Eseldorf
Principal Characters:
Theodor Fischer , a village boy who narrates the story as an old manSatan , an angel who assumes the name Philip TraumFather Peter , a kindly Roman Catholic priestFather Adolf , an evil priestMarget , Father Peter's adult nieceWilhelm Meidling , Marget's sweetheart, a lawyerNikolaus Baumann , Theodor's friend, a judge's sonSeppi Wohlmeyer , another friend, the son of the village's principal innkeeper
The Story
After a brief prologue, this unfinished story opens with young Theodor Fischer, Nikolaus Baumann, and Seppi Wohlmeyer playing on a hillside, where a handsome young stranger joins them. The stranger, who seems to read Theodor's mind, impresses the boys with amazing tricks, including fashioning miniature people and animals out of clay and bringing them to life. He reveals that he is an angel named "Satan," a nephew of the great Satan, but as he is explaining that angels cannot commit sin, the tiny clay people begin to quarrel, and he quietly crushes them. Shortly after he leaves, the impoverished village priest Father Peter arrives, looking for his lost wallet. He finds it stuffed with gold coins, which the boys correctly guess were put there by young Satan.
Several days later, when another village priest, Father Adolf, learns about Peter's gold, he claims that Peter stole it from him and has him jailed, leaving Peter's niece Marget in financial trouble. One day Theodor and Satan find Marget's housekeeper, Ursula, comforting a stray kitten. Satan says it is a lucky cat that will provide for its owner. Afterward, silver coins regularly materialize in Ursula's pockets. As Marget appears increasingly prosperous, Father Adolf encourages villagers to spy on her. However, when he attends a party that she gives, he is possessed by Satan, who causes him to perform incredible and unnatural stunts and then disappear, leaving the villagers to think that God has deserted them.
Satan—who publicly calls himself Philip Traum—charms the villagers but causes such confusion that Theodor begins to regard his coming as a disaster. However, one night Satan takes him on an instantaneous trip to China and explains his views on human beings, whom he regards as mere machines without free will. Among his predictions is the disheartening revelation that Nikolaus will soon drown while trying to rescue a girl.
Later, Satan explains to Theodor and Seppi the history of human progress, showing them a panorama stretching from Cain's murder of Abel in the Garden of Eden through wars, murders, and massacres extending into the future. Afraid to ask Satan to predict his own future, Theodor instead asks for Seppi's future and gets it in a multivolume book that he will read through the rest of his own life. Theodor later learns that Seppi has a similar book about his (Theodor's) future. The boys often travel with Satan over great distances and times.
When Satan and Theodor witness the hanging of a suspected witch, Theodor joins the crowd in stoning her. Afterward, Satan says that sixty-two of the sixty-eight witnesses at the hanging did not want to throw stones but did so out of fear of being regarded as different. He explains that the human race is made up of sheep governed by minorities.
When Father Peter's trial finally begins, he is too feeble to attend, and Wilhelm Meidling represents him in court. Now back in the village, Father Adolf testifies against Peter, whose case appears hopeless until Satan—invisible to all but Theodor and Seppi—merges into Wilhelm's body and wins the case. Before anyone can reach Father Peter to report the good news, Satan visits him and tells him he has lost the case. The shock unsettles the priest and drives him mad; however, his madness leaves him happy—as Satan predicted he would become.
Afterward, Satan argues that humans live lives of uninterrupted self-deception and have scarcely a single fine quality. He takes Theodor to India, where he shows him a dramatic example of human greed and stupidity: A Portuguese farmer who refuses to share the limitless bounty of a fruit tree that Satan creates on his land. The narrative abruptly stops as Satan is about to expose a magician as a fake.
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