Dreams and the Imagination
In "The Mysterious Stranger," Twain employs magic as a symbol for the universe of dreams and imagination. He suggests that in this realm of our fantasies, we have the potential to achieve and become anything, as if by magic.
Twain's narrative is filled with magical occurrences. Several aspects of "The Mysterious Stranger" are closely tied to the dream realm. For example, the Duplicates who appear in the castle one evening are actually the Dream-Selves of the individuals they resemble. August’s Duplicate, named Emil Schwarz, reveals that he is August’s Dream-Self, originating from the Dream-World. Emil further explains that the Dream-Self is only active when the Waking-Self is asleep. Unlike the Waking-Self, the Dream-Self has no physical form and can move freely through time and space. However, the Dream-Self depends on the physical existence of the Waking-Self—it is born and perishes with the individual. Twain thus distinguishes between the Waking-Self, or Day-Self, which is the physical entity involved in daily activities, and the Dream-Self, which emerges during sleep and operates without the constraints of physical existence.
Number 44 displays magical abilities like mind-reading, flying, invisibility, time travel, and numerous other extraordinary feats. These powers represent the immense potential of human imagination, reaching far beyond what people can accomplish in their conscious, waking lives. Through Number 44, August gains a new perspective on reality, expanding his mind to possibilities he had never considered before. At the story's end, Number 44 asserts that everything in the universe is a creation of the human imagination: "Nothing exists; all is a dream. God—man—the world—the sun, the moon, the wilderness of stars: a dream, all a dream."
Thought
Thought is a central theme in "The Mysterious Stranger." The story unfolds in a print shop during the early printing days in medieval Europe. Historians regard the emergence of the print era as a vital turning point in the development of modern thought. The breakthroughs that made mass publishing possible allowed books to reach a much broader audience, greatly enhancing the spread of knowledge and ideas throughout Europe.
The print shop where August works is a humble establishment in an isolated Austrian village, yet it serves as a beacon of enlightenment in a community steeped in superstition and ignorance. As August observes, in 1490, printing was still a relatively new craft and "almost unknown in Austria."
Very few individuals in our remote area had ever seen a printed page. Few had a clear understanding of the printing process, and even fewer showed any curiosity or interest in it.
August finds himself at the crossroads of two distinct eras in the progression of human thought. Growing up in the village, he shares the medieval superstitions and narrow worldview of the townspeople. However, his role in the print shop, where he publishes books on subjects like mathematics, science, and philosophy, exposes him to the latest developments in knowledge and ideas.
The appearance of Number 44 further expands August’s understanding of the world. Number 44 often speaks of the future and offers August food from times and cultures that do not yet exist. Additionally, Number 44 takes August on journeys back in time, giving him a comprehensive view of human history. This broader perspective on human civilization helps August open his mind to ideas beyond the limits of his remote and backward village.
As the story approaches its end, Number 44 reveals to August that he is purely Thought, highlighting that Thought is the true essence of human existence.
Solipsism
The best way to approach this posthumous novella is to define “solipsism”—solus meaning “alone,” ipse denoting “self,” in Latin. The psychology of solipsism contends...
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that the self can be aware of nothing but its own experiences and states. The philosophy of solipsism argues that, therefore, the only existence of which one can be absolutely sure is the self.
In this remarkably radical story, Mark Twain actually goes beyond the philosophy of solipsism. He does not simply say that nothing but the self can be known by the self. He says that nothing but the self exists. Thus, at the end, Theodor finds himself—and this discovery of self is customary in the Bildungsroman (psychological novel)—but at a staggering price. The self he discovers is only a thought, and the universe with which he was dealing is only his imaginative dream.
Satan and the Absence of God
In addition to this major argument of the novella, there are several minor themes. Satan was an angel before his fall, but since God figures nowhere in the narrative, Satan rules the world of the story. Satan is immortal and as different from Theodor as an elephant from a small red spider; he is indifferent to the plight of humanity and totally without moral scruples.
Critique of Human History and Utopian Dreams
The negative summary of human history was achieved before in the Genesis story of the Flood and in William Godwin’s Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and Its Influence on General Virtue and Happiness (1793). Absolutely no Utopian dreams such as those in Plato’s Republic (fourth century B.C.), Thomas More’s Utopia (1516), or Samuel Butler’s Erewhon (1872) are offered here by Twain. Indeed,this savage diatribe has only two objects of praise: animals and laughter.
