http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62739.opds 2024-11-23T14:39:10Z King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule by Mark Twain Free eBooks since 1971. Project Gutenberg https://www.gutenberg.org webmaster@gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/gutenberg/favicon.ico 25 1 2024-11-23T14:39:10Z King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule

This edition had all images removed.

LoC No.: 05032801

Title: King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule

Note: Reading ease score: 67.7 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Credits: Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at https: //www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive)

Summary: "King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule" by Mark Twain is a satirical commentary that falls under the category of political literature, published in the early 20th century. The book critiques the brutal administration of King Leopold II over the Congo Free State, focusing on issues of imperialism, exploitation, and moral hypocrisy. Twain uses a fictional soliloquy from the perspective of Leopold II to illustrate the king’s justifications for the atrocities committed during his reign in the Congo. In this incisive narrative, Twain presents Leopold as a self-pitying character, desperately attempting to rationalize his excessive greed and inhumane actions in the face of widespread condemnation. Through satirical humor and dark irony, the king bemoans the 'slanders' against his rule that expose the violence and exploitation of the Congo's native population. Twain outlines the systematic abuses inflicted upon the Congolese for rubber extraction and other resources, revealing horrific methods used to maintain control and profit. As tensions rise, the narrative emphasizes the disconnect between the king's self-image as a benevolent ruler and the grim reality of his reign, thus highlighting the moral failures of colonialism and the complexities of power. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Author: Twain, Mark, 1835-1910

EBook No.: 62739

Published: Jul 23, 2020

Downloads: 191

Language: English

Subject: Congo (Democratic Republic)

Subject: Léopold II, King of the Belgians, 1835-1909

LoCC: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Africa

LoCC: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature

Category: Text

Rights: Public domain in the USA.

urn:gutenberg:62739:2 2020-07-23T00:00:00+00:00 Public domain in the USA. Twain, Mark en urn:lccn:05032801 1
2024-11-23T14:39:10Z King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule

This edition has images.

LoC No.: 05032801

Title: King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule

Note: Reading ease score: 67.7 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Credits: Produced by Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at https: //www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive)

Summary: "King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule" by Mark Twain is a satirical commentary that falls under the category of political literature, published in the early 20th century. The book critiques the brutal administration of King Leopold II over the Congo Free State, focusing on issues of imperialism, exploitation, and moral hypocrisy. Twain uses a fictional soliloquy from the perspective of Leopold II to illustrate the king’s justifications for the atrocities committed during his reign in the Congo. In this incisive narrative, Twain presents Leopold as a self-pitying character, desperately attempting to rationalize his excessive greed and inhumane actions in the face of widespread condemnation. Through satirical humor and dark irony, the king bemoans the 'slanders' against his rule that expose the violence and exploitation of the Congo's native population. Twain outlines the systematic abuses inflicted upon the Congolese for rubber extraction and other resources, revealing horrific methods used to maintain control and profit. As tensions rise, the narrative emphasizes the disconnect between the king's self-image as a benevolent ruler and the grim reality of his reign, thus highlighting the moral failures of colonialism and the complexities of power. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Author: Twain, Mark, 1835-1910

EBook No.: 62739

Published: Jul 23, 2020

Downloads: 191

Language: English

Subject: Congo (Democratic Republic)

Subject: Léopold II, King of the Belgians, 1835-1909

LoCC: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Africa

LoCC: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature

Category: Text

Rights: Public domain in the USA.

urn:gutenberg:62739:3 2020-07-23T00:00:00+00:00 Public domain in the USA. Twain, Mark en urn:lccn:05032801 1