puddnhead

Rationale

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Rationale

Pudd'nhead Wilson was a fun read. That was the first reason that it came up as an option for this project while we were brainstorming what we were going to do. Twain's writing is imaginative and comical, painting pictures for his readers in ways that many others fail to do, while still being able to bring it all back for the serious moments, and really leave you standing in the shoes of the characters about whom you're reading. Having read books like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, we had high expectations for another book from Twain.

Racism and human nature are distinct themes throughout this book. The relationship between Roxy and not only her son, but the world around her as well demonstrated many interesting and ironic scenarios in light of the racism of the time. Her strong personality and cunning nature was very counter to what prejudices of the time taught people. This intriguing relationship was a large part of the attraction to Pudd'nhead Wilson. We found ourselves talking most about the scenes with Roxy in them, such as when she is debating how to kill her baby and herself so as to make the best impression on the angels in heaven when they arrived there. Her level of foresight and planning showed her to be both compassionate and thoughtful, but also intelligent and meditative. Her many interactions with her boy as an adult show her to be a patient compassionate mother, but stern and wise as well. She wants to help her child succeed, but she learns how selfish she can be and becomes careful to watch her step when dealing with him.

David "Pudd'nhead" Wilson himself, though not the most prevalent character in the book, embodied a very significant ideal. From his very first scene in the book, in which he earns his nickname, the one man serves as a foil to the masses of the town. The images of the cookie-cutter yards with white-washed fences, and the simple townsfolk gossiping about him contrasts with his innovative, modern ways of thinking and practicing science. Before each chapter, we are given a note from Wilson's calendar with a seemingly unrelated comment. These simple notes do serve a purpose however, reminding us that is important not to get too wrapped up in mainstream thinking, or to let thought become stagnant. Just like Wilson, its important to remain fresh, and be willing to look at things from new angles. The comical idea of the smartest, best-educated man in town having the nickname "Pudd'nhead" was an irony too rich to pass up.

Throughout the book, Tom's self-serving attitude was a significant point of interest. It was just painful how he digs his own grave the whole time. His mother puts herself on the line to give him a good life and he spends his new life making life hard for everyone else. He beats up on "Chambers," is cruel to Roxy before he knows she is his mother, fails out of school, gambles away his fortune, sells Roxy down the river even though he know she is his own mother, and even murders his own uncle. When Roxy is telling him how he can save himself from his monetary troubles by telling the truth to his uncle, he can only think of the fact that he will be removed from the will.

While we were reading, a small detail came to light. One of the most significant things that Grace noticed is the name of the Roxana's boy Chambers. His full name is Valet de Chambre, a name she picked out in an effort to choose something beautiful and exotic sounding. Ironically, it means Servant in french. It was a nice attempt, but a little sad.

Upon reading the ending of the book, I was happy to see Tom get sold down the river. It was a little ironic because of all the effort Roxy went through to keep him safe, but he asked for it throughout the entire book. Also, a subtle but, in our opinion, important detail was how the people perception of him changed when they learned he was black. Had he been a white man, he would have been tried and punished for his crime. However, because he was black, he was pardoned of his crime because the judge could see no good reason in letting a perfectly good slave go to waste. Its an interesting take on subject, because even though he'd been raised a white man, the instant he was found to be black, all his value as a human was lost.