Pudd’nhead Wilson

1. Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain Click the picture to learn more about Twain

2. Don’t write this down, but… • “His writings – whether humorous and witty, or, as in his later years, pessimistic and cynical – are admired as social commentaries on human nature.” • Sums up Twain in the eyes of most critics

3. Note… • Pudd’nhead Wilson • first published in 1894 • One of the 1st American works to seriously deal w/ slavery • Dialogue and dialect are huge parts of the story…do you know the difference? • Dialogue is conversation between two characters • Dialect is the manner of speaking for a particular area

4. A Whisper to the Reader • Mark Twain’s offhand humor • He addresses us directly • He did this in Huck Finn, too. Remember? • He informs us of his research methods which are…questionable at best

5. Other works by Twain • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (10th) • “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” (11th) • Two Views of the River (11th) • A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court • Maybe you saw a spoof…

6. Chapter 1 • Setting: • Dawson’s Landing, Missouri (on the Mississippi River) in 1830 • What else figures in to setting? • Social climate...a slaveholding town • Characters: • Its “chief citizen,” York Driscoll – a judge, childless, member of the FFV • Percy Driscoll, judge’s brother, wife dies after giving birth

7. Ch. 1 cont’d • David Wilson gets his nickname by making a joke no one understands • Looking back at the calendar entry …. What might it have to do with Pudd’nhead’s nickname?

8. Chapter 2 • Wilson doesn’t get much business after that, so he has hobbies • “palmistry” – reading palms, telling fortunes • Taking fingerprints • Characters • Roxana – “Roxy,” who is 1/16 black • Chambers – Roxy’s son, who is 1/32 black

9. Chambers Check this out… Roxy grandmother great grandmother great great grandmother great great great grandmother

10. Ch. 2 cont’d • PW takes the fingerprints of Roxy, Chambers, and Tom when the boys are 5, 7 and 8 months old • Judge Driscoll has some stolen • Roxy is the only innocent slave because she recently got saved • Roxy realizes that her son could be sold from her • Are both blacks and whites doing the best they can given their situation?

11. Chapter 3 • Roxy decides to drown herself and her son • She puts on beautiful clothes and fixes her hair • She notices that Chambers looks pitiful next to her, so she dresses him up as well • It happens very quickly: • Sees how beautiful Chambers is • Remembers Mr. Driscoll couldn’t tell them apart • Switches their clothes and cribs • Consoles herself b/c white people have done the same

12. Ch. 3 cont’d • She is only afraid of PW • Mr. Driscoll has to go out of town • Roxy goes to see Wilson when the boys are 8 mo. old before she is satisfied

13. Chapter 4 • Nature vs. Nurture…which is stronger? • From this point forward, “Tom” means Chambers and “Chambers” means Tom • Tom compared to Chambers…would they have turned out the same if they hadn’t been switched?

14. Ch. 4 cont’d • Roxy regrets her decision most of the time…why not come forward? • Can’t prove it • Might get sold if people did believe her • Sometimes Tom is kind to her • Percy Driscoll dies • Judge Driscoll had previously purchased Chambers • Tom goes to live w/ Judge & wife • Roxy goes to work on a steamboat

15. Chapter 5 • Judge’s wife dies 2 yrs. after Tom comes • Tom goes away to Yale & comes home • Judge retires • It’s now 1850 (20 years have passed) • Judge is president of the Free Thinkers’ Society • New characters – • Aunt Patsy, who owns a boarding house • Rowena, her romantic daughter • The twins, Angelo and Luigi Capello, who are the highlight of Rowena’s life

16. Chapter 6 • The whole town shows up at Aunt Patsy’s house out of curiosity about the twins • The twins end a glorious day by playing the piano

17. Chapter 7 • The difference between a cat and a lie • Judge Driscoll is the first to show off the twins…sound like Ranburne??? • Graveyard, jail, richest man’s house, Freemason’s hall, his best friend (PW) • While he waits, PW ponders something he saw earlier

18. Chapter 8 • Roxy • is now 35 • has been working on a steamboat for the last 8 years • Put away $4/mo. for retirement in a bank that went bankrupt • Chambers fills her in on Tom

19. Chapter 8 • Roxy goes to see Tom • She hoped things would be different, but he’s mean to her again • She asks for money • He refuses; she says next time he’ll beg her for a chance • She threatens to tell the Judge what she knows • With his reputation, it could be anything • He does beg • She requests a meeting at the haunted house

20. Chapter 9 • Just when you think things can’t get worse… • Roxy tells “Tom” his true heritage, bluffs about having it written down, he believes • Tom’s father was Col. Cecil Burleigh Essex…the one we’ve heard about twice but was “of no consequence”

21. Chapter 10 • Tom finally considers slavery and racism unjust • His attitude and personality change…he is humbler • He steals enough to sell and pay off his gambling debts

22. Chapter 11 • The twins and Tom show up at PW’s house at about the same time • Tom tries to embarrass PW by talking about his hobbies, but it backfires • The twins believe in palmistry • PW reads Luigi’s palm • Accurately describes Luigi’s character • Reveals details about his past • Even that he has killed a man

23. Ch. 11 cont’d • Tom learns that the knife he stole from them is the murder weapon and is quite valuable • Tom refuses to let PW look at his hand • The twins and Tom go to a meeting of men who support the buying, selling and consumption of rum • Angelo doesn’t drink, Tom insults him, Angelo kicks Tom in the butt, in the confusion, the building catches on fire

24. Chapter 12 • Judge finds out through Pembroke Howard that Tom didn’t fight Luigi but took him to court • PW, in his 1st case ver, defended Luigi and lost • Judge is so ashamed that he challenges Luigi to a duel himself

25. Chapter 13 • Wilson is also surprised that Tom went to the court instead of fighting Luigi • PW accidentally reveals part of the plot to get the twins’ knife back to the person who stole it, Tom • The Democratic party asked PW to run for mayor

26. Chapter 14 • Judge Driscoll respects Luigi because he accepts the dual challenge • Judge puts Yom back in the will just in case he gets killed, but he doesn’t tell Tom about it • Tom reads the will and vows to behave from now on • Roxy is also ashamed that Tom wouldn’t fight • She got shot • She sets Tom straight about behaving from now on

27. Chapter 15 • Tom, Constable Blake, and PW meet in the street • Tom gives both a hard time about the case smug because he is a thief • CB even turns on PW • Tom told Roxy about the plan, and her “smarter mind” was able to rfigure out the rest of it: • They advertised the reward for the knife, but they only advertised the reward for the thief to pawn brokers

28. Chapter 15 • Tom suggests that the knife doesn’t exist • Tom confesses to his uncle that Luigi is a murderer • Tom gets on a boat that night to take things he has stolen to sell • The knife is stole from him while he sleeps

29. Chapter 16 • Roxys new plan: • Tom will sell her (even though she is free) • This will pay his gambling debts and he can- put some back to buy her back in a year • He sells her down the river assuming that she wont know the difference • Of course she does because she has been steamboating for 8+ years

30. Chapter 17 • Judge Driscoll and Tom campaign for PW and against the twins • JD gives the closing speech of the campaign in which he refers to the knife • PW wins instantly • The twins withdraw from society , only going out at night

31. Chapter 18 • Tom in St, Louis • Roxy has run away and come bto find him • She’s very angry • Tom has seen the man and helped him print up a reward flyer • She demands that he go straight to the judge and ask for $300 to buy her back

32. Chapter 19 • Plans for another dual have been made – as soon as the judge is rested from the vigorous campaign • Around 11 that night , the twins are walking and Tom comes home for another raid on the townsuspects the twins, who were the first to arrive • PW knows they didn’t do it • Tom plays the devaststed nephew well

33. Chapter 20 • Aunt Patsy Coope4r is the twins’ only friend and supporter • Pembroke Howard is the prosecutor • PW deefends the twins • PW stays up all night, knowing there is some detail he’s overlooked • Tom comes to visit him’ PW takes his final set of prints from Tom and then realizes in a dream…

34. Chapter 21 • He painstakingly makes copies of the fingerprints to use on an overhead projector • “Tom” is handcuffed • Roxy stands and confesses

35. Conclusion • The twins are popular again • “Tom” is sold to pay the Driscoll debtors • “Chambers” is given his rightful place, but he has no idea how to speak, write, or act • Roxy is forever heartbroken