Article #364-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Mad King, by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Barney drew himself painfully and slowly to one elbow. The man was
rapidly nearing the true Leopold. In another moment he would shoot. The
American raised his revolver and, taking careful aim, fired. The
soldier shrieked, covered his face with his hands, spun around once,
and dropped at the king’s feet.

The troopers under Butzow were forcing the men of Blentz toward the far
end of the courtyard. Two of the Blentz faction were standing a little
apart, backing slowly away and at the same time deliberately firing at
the king. Barney seemed the only one who noticed them. Once again he
raised his revolver and fired. One of the men sat down suddenly, looked
vacantly about him, and then rolled over upon his side. The other fired
once more at the king and the same instant Barney fired at the soldier.
Soldier and king—would-be assassin and his victim—fell simultaneously.
Barney grimaced. The wound in his breast was painful. He had done his
best to save the king. It was no fault of his that he had failed. It
was a long way to Beatrice. He wondered if Emma von der Tann would be
on the station platform, awaiting him—then he swooned.

Butzow and his seventeen had it all their own way in the courtyard and
castle of Blentz. After the first resistance the soldiery of Peter fled
to the guardroom. Butzow followed them, and there they laid down their
arms. Then the lieutenant returned to the courtyard to look for the
king and Barney Custer. He found them both, and both were wounded. He
had them carried to the royal apartments in the north tower. When
Barney regained consciousness he found the scowling portrait of the
Blentz princess frowning down upon him. He lay upon a great bed where
the soldiers, thinking him king, had placed him. Opposite him, against
the farther wall, the real king lay upon a cot. Butzow was working over
him.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Mad King by Edgar Rice Burroughs**

Context of the Source

The Mad King (1914) is an adventure novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, best known for creating Tarzan and John Carter of Mars. Set in the fictional European kingdom of Lutha, the story follows Bernard "Barney" Custer, an American who bears a striking resemblance to the deposed King Leopold of Lutha. Due to this resemblance, Barney is mistaken for the king and becomes entangled in a political conspiracy involving rival factions vying for the throne.

The excerpt takes place during a violent coup attempt in the castle of Prince Peter of Blentz, a usurper who has imprisoned the real king. Barney, despite being wounded, fights to protect Leopold, believing him to be the rightful ruler. The scene is fast-paced, action-packed, and emotionally charged, blending adventure, political intrigue, and personal sacrifice.

Themes in the Excerpt

Loyalty and Sacrifice
- Barney, though not the real king, risks his life to protect Leopold, demonstrating selfless loyalty to a cause he believes in.
- His internal monologue—"He had done his best to save the king. It was no fault of his that he had failed."—shows his acceptance of duty, even in failure.
- The wound in his breast symbolizes his physical and emotional suffering for a kingdom that is not his own.
Identity and Mistaken Identity
- The confusion between Barney and Leopold is central to the plot. Soldiers mistake Barney for the king, placing him in the royal bed while the real king lies wounded nearby.
- The portrait of Princess Emma von der Tann (a key love interest) frowning over Barney reinforces the irony of his false identity—he is treated as royalty but remains an outsider.
Violence and Chaos in Power Struggles
- The brutal, rapid-fire action (soldiers shooting, men falling) reflects the instability of political power.
- The factional conflict (Butzow’s men vs. Blentz’s soldiers) mirrors real-world coups and civil wars, where loyalty shifts quickly.
Fate and Uncertainty
- Barney’s final thoughts before fainting—"It was a long way to Beatrice. He wondered if Emma von der Tann would be on the station platform, awaiting him"—suggest a longing for escape and a fragile hope amid chaos.
- His swoon (fainting) marks a moment of surrender, leaving his fate (and the king’s) uncertain.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

Pacing & Action Sequencing
- Burroughs uses short, punchy sentences to create urgency:
  - "The soldier shrieked, covered his face with his hands, spun around once, and dropped at the king’s feet."
  - The rapid succession of actions (shooting, falling, spinning) immerses the reader in the chaos.
- Parallel structure in the second shooting:
  - "Soldier and king—would-be assassin and his victim—fell simultaneously."
  - This mirroring emphasizes the tragic irony that Barney’s effort to save the king results in both being wounded.
Irony & Dramatic Twists
- Situational Irony: Barney, an American impostor, is more committed to saving the king than some of the king’s own subjects.
- Dramatic Irony: The reader knows Barney is not the real king, but the soldiers treat him as such, placing him in the royal bed while the actual king lies nearby.
Imagery & Symbolism
- The Wound in Barney’s Breast:
  - Physical pain = his emotional burden of responsibility.
  - The wound mirrors the king’s suffering, reinforcing their shared fate.
- The Frowning Portrait of Princess Emma:
  - Represents judgment, disapproval, or unrequited love.
  - Contrasts with Barney’s hopeful thought of her waiting for him, adding tragic tension.
Point of View & Internal Monologue
- The third-person limited perspective focuses on Barney’s thoughts and sensations, making the reader sympathize with his struggle.
- His final thoughts before fainting reveal his vulnerability—he thinks of home (Beatrice, possibly a U.S. town) and love (Emma), not glory or power.
Foreshadowing
- The uncertainty of Barney’s fate (will he survive? Will Emma be there?) hooks the reader for the next chapter.
- The king’s simultaneous fall suggests further complications—is he dead? Will Barney have to continue impersonating him?

Significance of the Excerpt

Character Development for Barney
- This scene solidifies Barney as a hero—not because he is royal, but because he acts selflessly.
- His willingness to die for a stranger (Leopold) contrasts with the self-interest of the nobles (like Blentz).
Political Commentary
- The violent power struggle reflects real-world monarchical conflicts (e.g., European revolutions, coups).
- Burroughs critiques blind loyalty to authority—Barney, an outsider, is more honorable than the king’s own subjects.
Adventure Genre Tropes
- Impostor protagonist (a common Burroughs trope, seen also in The Prisoner of Zenda).
- High-stakes action with last-minute heroics.
- Romantic subplot (Emma’s potential role in Barney’s future).
Moral Ambiguity
- The real king is weak (he is a passive victim), while Barney, the fake, is the true leader.
- This raises questions: What makes a king? Bloodline or action?

Line-by-Line Breakdown of Key Moments

"Barney drew himself painfully and slowly to one elbow."
- Physical struggle = mental determination. Despite pain, he forces himself to act.
"The American raised his revolver and, taking careful aim, fired."
- Precision under pressure—Barney is not a reckless hero; he calculates his shots.
"Soldier and king—would-be assassin and his victim—fell simultaneously."
- Tragic symmetry: The attempted murderer and the target fall together, emphasizing fate’s cruelty.
"It was no fault of his that he had failed."
- Barney’s self-absolution—he accepts his limits, a humanizing moment.
"He wondered if Emma von der Tann would be on the station platform, awaiting him—then he swooned."
- Hope vs. reality: His last conscious thought is of love and escape, not battle.
- The swoon is cinematic—a cliffhanger leaving his fate uncertain.

Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters

This passage is a microcosm of The Mad King’s central themes:

Identity (Who is the real king?)
Sacrifice (Barney’s willingness to die for a cause)
Chaos in power (The brutal, shifting loyalties of the soldiers)
Love vs. duty (Barney’s thoughts of Emma amid battle)

Burroughs blends pulp adventure with deeper questions about leadership, impostor syndrome, and the cost of honor. The fast-paced action keeps readers engaged, while the emotional weight (Barney’s pain, his longing for Emma) humanizes the hero.

Ultimately, this scene sets up the novel’s climax: Will Barney continue to impersonate the king? Will the real Leopold reclaim his throne? And will Emma recognize Barney’s worth, impostor or not? The excerpt leaves these questions dangling, compelling the reader to continue.

Final Thought: Burroughs was a master of adventure storytelling, and this passage exemplifies why—it’s visceral, thematically rich, and structurally tight, balancing action, emotion, and intrigue in just a few paragraphs.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s depiction of Barney’s final conscious thoughts—"It was a long way to Beatrice. He wondered if Emma von der Tann would be on the station platform, awaiting him"—primarily serves to:

A. underscore the futility of his efforts by juxtaposing his heroic actions with a mundane, impossible longing.
B. highlight the psychological detachment of a man resigned to death, using geographic and romantic distance as metaphors for his alienation.
C. humanize a figure defined by violent action by revealing vulnerability, nostalgia, and a yearning for personal connection amid chaos.
D. critique the romanticization of war by exposing how soldiers cling to domestic fantasies to cope with the brutality of combat.
E. foreshadow his eventual survival and reunion with Emma, framing his swoon as a narrative device to suspend tension rather than resolve it.

Question 2

The structural parallelism in "Soldier and king—would-be assassin and his victim—fell simultaneously" functions most significantly to:

A. emphasize the moral equivalence between the attacker and the attacked, suggesting both are victims of a corrupt system.
B. create a moment of dark humor by underscoring the absurdity of Barney’s failed intervention through rhythmic symmetry.
C. reinforce the theme of intertwined fates, where the actions of one character inextricably bind him to the consequences endured by another.
D. highlight Barney’s strategic failure, as the simultaneity of their falls implies his shot was as responsible for the king’s collapse as the assassin’s.
E. subvert the expectation of heroic rescue, using syntactic balance to underscore the inevitability of tragedy in political conflict.

Question 3

The portrait of the Blentz princess frowning over Barney as he lies in the king’s bed is least effectively interpreted as:

A. a visual manifestation of the disapproval Barney faces from the nobility, despite his sacrificial actions.
B. an ironic contrast between his assumed royal status and the reality of his outsider position, emphasized by her silent judgment.
C. a subtle indication that the princess is complicit in the coup, her frown symbolizing her allegiance to the Blentz faction.
D. a narrative device to reinforce the theme of mistaken identity, as the portrait’s gaze misrecognizes him as the king.
E. an embodiment of the emotional and political tensions Barney navigates, where even inanimate objects seem to reject his presence.

Question 4

Barney’s internal assertion—"He had done his best to save the king. It was no fault of his that he had failed"—is primarily characterized by:

A. defiant self-justification, revealing his refusal to accept responsibility for the king’s fate.
B. stoic acceptance of limitations, blending self-absolution with an acknowledgment of the unpredictability of violence.
C. passive-aggressive resentment toward the king, whose weakness he implicitly blames for the outcome.
D. a delusional sense of heroism, as his "best" was objectively inadequate given the king’s near-assassination.
E. an attempt to rationalize his survival instinct, masking his relief at having an excuse to withdraw from the conflict.

Question 5

The passage’s treatment of the wound in Barney’s breast is most thematically resonant with which of the following ideas?

A. The physical toll of combat as a metaphor for the moral corruption inherent in political power struggles.
B. The inevitability of suffering as a prerequisite for heroic status, aligning Barney with archetypal martyr figures.
C. The literal and symbolic penetration of Barney’s identity, as his American self is eroded by his immersion in Lutha’s violence.
D. The duality of pain as both a personal burden and a shared experience, linking him to the king’s vulnerability.
E. The ironic contrast between his external wounds and his internal resilience, underscoring his superiority to the wounded king.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: The passage’s shift from Barney’s violent actions to his introspective, vulnerable thoughts serves to humanize him by revealing his nostalgia ("Beatrice") and yearning for connection ("Emma"). This contrast between his heroic exterior and fragile interior deepens his character, aligning with the adventurous yet emotionally grounded tone of Burroughs’ work. The detail is not merely decorative but thematically central, emphasizing that even in chaos, personal longing persists.