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By Marylynn O’Connor Pudd’nhead Wilson is definitely a quizzical title for Mark Twain’s shortest novel. It catches one’s interest and leaves one curious to know about whom it is speaking. Actually, the title Pudd’nhead Wilson is taken from the name of one of the prominent characters in the book, David Wilson. He is a young lawyer from the East who arrives in Dawson’s Landing, Missouri, only to find himself the chief object of the townspeople’s prejudice for the next twenty or so years. Though his neighbors view him as somewhat of a fool, or a “pudd’nhead,” he is the man who in the end solves the mystery of the tale and becomes the town’s hero. Mark Twain did not write a story about a man named Pudd’nhead Wilson merely to provide captivating reading material for the public—although he did indeed succeed in doing so. He wrote as a social critic touching upon various topics that were relevant to the time period in which he wrote (1890s). Such topics include slavery, immigration, and especially racial and ethnic prejudice. Twain used his pen to bring to light inconsistencies in the way these controversial elements of society were dealt with. He accomplished his purpose by writing a story containing so many plots and subplots, twists and turns, and colorful characters that it would be impossible for me to touch upon them all in this short analysis. Yet, the beginning of the novel is very important in understanding and evaluating the contents of the rest of the book. Eighteen-thirty is the year when the events in the story begin to unfold. The before-mentioned David Wilson makes his appearance in Dawson’s Landing in that year. Around the same time two baby boys are born into one house. One is the son of Percy Driscoll, a slaveholder and leading citizen of the town. The other is the son of Roxana, a young slave woman, who is one-sixteenth black. The two babies look virtually the same—both having fair skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. The baby named Tom is destined to be the heir of a family fortune, while the one named Chambers is doomed to spend his days as slave to his master’s wishes. Roxy wants her son to have the luxuries of life, and she thinks she has the perfect solution. When the boys are several months old, she switches them in their cradles, and for many years no one knows the difference. Consequently, the lads grow up with mistaken identities. The one now called “Tom” grows to be an arrogant young man who reviles all those he deems to be below himself, such as Chambers. “Chambers” soon learns to humbly bow to the desires of his master. Such a commencement to the lives of two men can only lead to tragedy. As the story continues the reader can see that disaster is surely coming. Twenty-odd years pass. As the result of various undesirable circumstances, Roxy tells Tom that he is really her son, a slave, one-thirty-second black. He realizes that he is in fact no different than the black slaves he has been mistreating all his life. Still, he continues in the sinful, deceptive ways that have become habits of his life. This only leads to further complications, and as you may have guessed, Pudd’nhead Wilson’s brilliance is discovered when he discloses to the entire town Tom’s and Chambers’ true identities, while at the same time convicting the unknown committer of several mysterious crimes around town. The end of the tale is meant to leave the reader contemplating the utterly absurd position of these two young men—and it does. The reader sees that the heir of the Driscoll fortune cannot rightly assume his position in society after being treated as an inferior slave all his life. The real son of Roxy, after being reared in comfort, finds himself sold “down the river” to work as a field slave on a large plantation. These fictitious examples of what can happen because of the prejudices inherent in the institution of slavery show the folly of judging people based on outward appearance or social status. Though writing from the viewpoint of a non-Christian, the author reminds us in these poignant examples that we must not allow any form of partiality to characterize our actions toward others. The Lord tells His people in Leviticus 19:15 how they are to judge others: “You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.” Something interesting to consider while reading Pudd’nhead Wilson is the way that Twain treats the subject of religion. While the whole story is a plea for social justice, the author shows that he holds at least one prejudice of his own. His criticism of organized religion is subtly shown in several elements of this work. First of all, Pudd’nhead and Judge Driscoll are the two members of Dawson’s Landing’s “Free Thinkers’ Society.” By designating these respected members of society as atheists, Twain is implying that non-religious men are often virtuous and honorable men, while church members do not necessarily possess such qualities. This point is reinforced in the lives of Roxy and her son Tom. Roxy is an outwardly zealous Methodist, but she proves by her actions that her religion is simply a cloak she puts on at her convenience and readily discards when it is not to her benefit. Tom, the greatest wretch of all the characters, is a member of the Presbyterian Church. His association with this denomination stems from a social obligation and not from a desire to live a godly or even moral life. Though in these examples the author is perhaps showing his favor of atheism, we can glean the biblical truth that mere external religion is displeasing to God. Our religion must be of the heart, accomplished by the Holy Spirit, and visible in our fervent love toward God and obedience to His commands that we might be shown as those who “’…love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart, with all [our] soul, and with all [our] strength.’” (Deut. 6:5). Along with the themes of prejudice and religion, an intriguing courtroom scene, numerous uses of Negro dialect, a fascinating introduction to the initial stages of fingerprinting, and Mark Twain’s succinct but descriptive use of words make this short novel a classic. Let us appreciate the complexities of this work and be thankful that God uses the imperfections of His creatures to teach profound truths. |