| No Modern Camelot Essay, Research Paper
No Modern Camelot
Kennedy was a man obsessed with his image while Arthur was a man obsessed with ideas he had to make his society grow.
I.Camelot was a place of lofty ideas that fell short because of human imperfection.
A. Illusion of perfection
B. Calling Kennedy’s administration Camelot is a Stretch
II. People praise Kennedy for advancing civil rights greatly, which he did.
A. Civil Rights
B. Round Table
III. During Kennedy’s time in office and even before he had affairs with numerous women.
A. Kennedy’s mistresses
B. John Kennedy comparable to Guinevere
IV. Mrs. Kennedy seems to have been the one person at the white House while her husband was in office that didn’t have a darker side.
A. Cultivation of the arts
B. Guinevere’s affair
V. Kennedy’s administration was destroyed by a lone gunman perched in a building waiting.
A. Assassination
B. Mordrid
VI. Kennedy and Arthur had some in common but not enough to consider Kennedy’s administration Camelot.
A. Negative Similarities
B. Arthur insulted
Mike Ramsey
Mrs. Larson
Eng. 113
12/14/98
No modern Camelot
Camelot was a place of lofty ideas that fell short because of human imperfection. The administration of John F. Kennedy was a time when our leaders tried to cover their actions with a cloak to give the illusion of perfection. Giving Kennedy’s administration the designation of Camelot is a stretch to say the least. Kennedy was a man obsessed with his image while Arthur was a man obsessed with ideas he had to make his society grow.
People praise Kennedy for advancing civil rights greatly, which he did. However this feat was accomplished after his use of the military to force it on the people. Arthur united his people as well, not by force but by making it seem like the right thing to do. His round table was a key tool in this accomplishment. The round table was an elite club for knights from all over Briton that knights wanted to join. It was made a great honor to become a knight of the round table. Ancient writings tell us of a king how did unite almost all of Briton. By making the round table something knights from all over wanted to join Arthur united his land to a point that was not reached again until modern times.
During Kennedy’s time in office and even before he had affairs with numerous women. Some of the more famous were; Marilyn Monroe, Jane Mansfield, and Judith Campbell. Judith Campbell was more than just another mistress to Kennedy. Campbell was also Kennedy’s link to mob boss Sam Giancana. Giancana was a vital part in Kennedy’s election to the White House. Giancana controlled the mob in Chicago which at the time was the most powerful Mafia in the country. If we compare Kennedy to anyone in Camelot perhaps, it should be Guinevere instead of Arthur.
Mrs. Kennedy seems to have been the one person at the white House while her husband was in office that didn’t have a darker side. She seemed to have been interested in cultivating the arts and society of America. Guinevere however carried on an affair for years with Lancelot, one of Arthur’s most legendary knights. This affair eventually resulted in the downfall of Arthur’s Camelot. Perhaps Jacqueline Kennedy Would have been a better match for Arthur since they seemed to share ideas about wanting to advance society.
Kennedy’s administration was destroyed by a lone gunman perched in a building waiting. The sniper who took Kennedy’s life was killed himself by a man in the crowd watching him be dragged away by police. We may never know why Lee Harvey Oswald shot but the fact remains, Kennedy is still dead. Unlike Kennedy Arthur was brought down by his son/nephew Mordrid. Mordrid was the result of Arthur sleeping his sister by mistake. As a result Arthur disowned Mordrid and forgot about him until his return to Camelot. His arrival coincided with Arthur’s discovery of the affair between Lancelot and Guinevere. Arthur chased the two back to Lancelot’s castle in France. Meanwhile Mordrid used this opening to take Arthur’s crown and destroy everything Arthur had accomplished much like Oswald did Kennedy.
Kennedy and Arthur had some in common but not enough to consider Kennedy’s administration Camelot. What similarities there were between the two are negative. If I were Arthur, I would be insulted that the great society I tried to achieve would be compared with a leader who was corrupt as my inbred son. I think anyone who does give Kennedy’s administration the designation of Camelot should rethink their words before saying them.
Works Cited
Arthur. Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. 1993-1998. Microsoft Corporation.
Arthurian Legend. Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. 1993-1998. Microsoft Corporation.
Brinkley, Douglas. “Trading in a Hard-Won Reputation. The Dark Side of Camelot”. The New Leader 29 December 1997: 7-9 EBSCOHOST. CD-ROM. Information Access. Nov.1998.
Chomsky, Noam. Rethinking Camelot. Chapter Two.1993. South End Press.
Kerrison, Ray. “Secret Service Has History Of Covering For President: High Noon for Clinton, Day of Reckoning for Agents”. Human Events. 31 July 1998: 21 EBSCOHOST. CD-ROM. Information Access. Nov. 1998.
Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail. Dir. Terry Gillian and Terry Jones. National Film Trustee Commission. 1977
Sidey, Hugh. “Once in Camelot…”. Time 30 May 1992: 36. EBSCOHOST. CD-ROM. Information Access. Nov. 1998.
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