pudd'nhead wilson themes

Copyright © 1999 - 2020 GradeSaver LLC. In the end, however, his fingerprints give him away, and his true identity is revealed to the town. Tom similarly betrays his benefactor, Judge Driscoll, who had taken Tom in and given him a home when Tom's father died. This is likely the view that Twain himself would have embraced.

Indeed, as the novel progresses, Angelo seems to wane in importance and simply becomes an accessory to Luigi. Course Hero. In Course Hero. just create an account. While Twain debunks the notion of blood 'corruption' that is used to exclude the progeny of slaves from the benefits of white society, he makes very clear that slavery and patronage are the truly corruptible influences on American society. However, just the opposite occurs, suggesting that his upbringing as a slave trumps any inherent qualities.

All rights reserved. Is Tom a man who can be punished for a crime, or is he property that cannot be held accountable? Early in Pudd'nhead Wilson, David Wilson makes a joke about an annoying dog, saying he wished he owned half of the dog because he would kill his half. ', Twain also challenges notions of race as an innate set of traits with a simple plot device: he has the Driscoll's servant, Roxy, switch her 'black' child, Chambers, with the aristocratic Driscoll's 'white' child, Tom, by simply exchanging their clothing and addressing them as if they were the other. This becomes an important plot device, but it also emphasizes the emergence of a modern world where scientific advancements would produce ways to positively identify people by their physical traces. By making Roxy one of strongest, most resourceful, and most likeable characters in the novel, Twain highlights the irrationality of relegating her to the lowest trenches of society. When offering to give up her liberty, Roxy only makes two requests of her son: that he buy back her freedom a year later, and that he sell her up north, where slave conditions are not too harsh. Anyone can earn One is white, and one is technically black because his mother, who looks white, is 1/16 African and a slave.

Summary Read a Plot Overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter Summary and Analysis. We see this demonstrated when Wilson first arrives in Dawson's Landing and makes his fateful remark about owning half a dog. We can look at this as the great theory of nature vs nurture. © copyright 2003-2020 Study.com. and career path that can help you find the school that's right for you.

For example, when Judge Driscoll and Luigi Capello engage in a duel, a fight in the name of honor, the townspeople celebrate them as heroes. After being confronted by Roxy with his true identity, Tom Driscoll wrestles with the question of who he is.

. He highlights the arbitrariness of racial classifications and distinctions, by showing how easily Roxy (a slave) is able to switch her own child with her Master's offspring. Given this perspective, it seems unlikely that Twain believes Tom's African American blood is the cause of his character flaws.

Justice has been done, and a wrong has be righted. From a young age, his every desire is attended to and a sense of entitlement is fostered in him. To Twain, acts of thievery by black slaves are justified acts of rebellion against their white oppressors. The novel's original intended duo, conjoined twins, are retained by the author, but are separated now. The tangle of contradictions exposes the unstable foundation of society in Dawson's Landing.

Some states had a one-drop rule; that is, a person with "any known degree of black ancestry was legally considered a Negro."

In contrast, her master's son, Tom, is ensured a life of luxury by fortune of his birth. What determines the type of person an individual will become? During his burglaries, Tom often dresses in women's clothing, including his mother's. This fact is evidenced in the cases of Roxy and her child, both of whom appear white and have very little black blood, but are considered slaves nonetheless. But creditors of the estate of Percy Driscoll, who owned Roxy and her son, claim they have been deprived of "his services" because he was not properly listed in the inventory of Driscoll's "property." In doing so Wilson maintains the status quo in Dawson's Landing.

credit-by-exam regardless of age or education level. The American judicial system has been constructed precisely for the purpose of resolving these types of conflicts. Web. To landowners in the antebellum South, acknowledgment of the frequent rape of women slaves by white owners by claiming the resulting children as their own would mean a breakdown of social divisions, a threat to the proper transfer of wealth from one generation to the next.

The influence of science, the fallacies of race, and the prevalence of political corruption are central themes in Mark Twain's Puddn'head Wilson. The novel is set in 1830, a time when slavery was firmly established in the southern states. Not only did the Judge adopt Tom and treat him like a son, he also promised him an inheritance and provided him with an income. Issues of identity are prevalent throughout the novel and appear in a variety of forms. They are presented by the author in opposition to a pair of honorable older gentlemen, the judge and his friend.

This reversal not only determines the behavior of the children, but even Roxy, who knows the children's 'true' identity, begins to behave as if Chambers is her superior.

It sets the stage for a novel of dualities on several levels, from family relationships to social distinctions. Roxy, on the other hand, when fleeing the planter to whom her son sold her, dresses in men's clothing. When gambling debts leave Tom facing a desperate situation, Roxy decides to make the ultimate sacrifice for her son. Accessed November 5, 2020. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Puddnhead-Wilson/. A descent rule had long determined that all descendants of a mixed union are classified as black. This lesson will identify some major themes in Mark Twain's 1894 novel ''Puddn'head Wilson''. We will also provide a brief analysis of how each functions in a historical context.