My Mark Twain Chapter 18

In which the narrator recalls a memorable dinner in New York that revealed Mark Twain’s deepening scepticism towards human nature, manifesting in his mordant humour and the quaint invention of the Human Race Luncheon Club. This episode further delves into their philosophical debates on the selfishness underlying all human motives and Twain’s complex feelings towards monarchy and republicanism, illustrated by his poetic admiration of English kings and a playful game devised for children.