Pudd’nhead Wilsonby Mark Twain

Click the picture to learn more about Twain

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

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

A Whisper to the ReaderA Whisper to the Reader

Mark Twain’s offhand humorMark Twain’s offhand humor

He addresses us directlyHe addresses us directly He did this in He did this in Huck FinnHuck Finn, too. Remember? , too. Remember?

He informs us of his research methods He informs us of his research methods which are…questionable at bestwhich are…questionable at best

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…

Chapter 1Chapter 1 Setting: Setting:

Dawson’s Landing, Missouri (on the Dawson’s Landing, Missouri (on the Mississippi River) in 1830Mississippi River) in 1830

What else figures in to setting? What else figures in to setting? Social climate...a slaveholding townSocial climate...a slaveholding town

Characters: Characters: Its “chief citizen,” York Driscoll – a judge, Its “chief citizen,” York Driscoll – a judge,

childless, member of the FFVchildless, member of the FFV Percy Driscoll, judge’s brother, wife dies Percy Driscoll, judge’s brother, wife dies

after giving birthafter giving birth

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?

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

Check this out…1-

32

1-

16

1-8

1-4

1-2

1

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?

Chapter 3Chapter 3 Roxy decides to drown herself and her sonRoxy decides to drown herself and her son She puts on beautiful clothes and fixes her She puts on beautiful clothes and fixes her

hairhair She notices that Chambers looks pitiful She notices that Chambers looks pitiful

next to her, so she dresses him up as wellnext to her, so she dresses him up as well It happens very quickly: It happens very quickly:

Sees how beautiful Chambers isSees how beautiful Chambers is Remembers Mr. Driscoll couldn’t tell them Remembers Mr. Driscoll couldn’t tell them

apartapart Switches their clothes and cribsSwitches their clothes and cribs Consoles herself b/c white people have done Consoles herself b/c white people have done

the samethe same

Ch. 3 cont’dCh. 3 cont’d

She is only afraid of PWShe is only afraid of PW

Mr. Driscoll has to go out of townMr. Driscoll has to go out of town

Roxy goes to see Wilson when the Roxy goes to see Wilson when the boys are 8 mo. old before she is boys are 8 mo. old before she is satisfiedsatisfied

Chapter 4Chapter 4

Nature vs. Nurture…which is stronger? Nature vs. Nurture…which is stronger?

From this point forward, “Tom” means From this point forward, “Tom” means Chambers and “Chambers” means TomChambers and “Chambers” means Tom

Tom compared to Chambers…would Tom compared to Chambers…would they have turned out the same if they they have turned out the same if they hadn’t been switched?hadn’t been switched?

Ch. 4 cont’dCh. 4 cont’d Roxy regrets her decision most of the Roxy regrets her decision most of the

time…why not come forward? time…why not come forward? Can’t prove itCan’t prove it Might get sold if people did believe herMight get sold if people did believe her Sometimes Tom is kind to herSometimes Tom is kind to her

Percy Driscoll diesPercy Driscoll dies Judge Driscoll had previously Judge Driscoll had previously

purchased Chamberspurchased Chambers Tom goes to live w/ Judge & wifeTom goes to live w/ Judge & wife Roxy goes to work on a steamboatRoxy goes to work on a steamboat

Chapter 5Chapter 5 Judge’s wife dies 2 yrs. after Tom comesJudge’s wife dies 2 yrs. after Tom comes Tom goes away to Yale & comes homeTom goes away to Yale & comes home Judge retiresJudge retires It’s now 1850 (20 years have passed)It’s now 1850 (20 years have passed) Judge is president of the Free Thinkers’ Judge is president of the Free Thinkers’

SocietySociety New characters – New characters –

Aunt Patsy, who owns a boarding houseAunt Patsy, who owns a boarding house Rowena, her romantic daughterRowena, her romantic daughter The twins, Angelo and Luigi Capello, who are The twins, Angelo and Luigi Capello, who are

the highlight of Rowena’s lifethe highlight of Rowena’s life

Chapter 6Chapter 6

The whole town shows up at Aunt The whole town shows up at Aunt Patsy’s house out of curiosity about Patsy’s house out of curiosity about the twinsthe twins

The twins end a glorious day by The twins end a glorious day by playing the pianoplaying the piano

Chapter 7Chapter 7 The difference between a cat and a The difference between a cat and a

lielie Judge Driscoll is the first to show off Judge Driscoll is the first to show off

the twins…sound like Ranburne???the twins…sound like Ranburne??? Graveyard, jail, richest man’s Graveyard, jail, richest man’s

house, Freemason’s hall, his best house, Freemason’s hall, his best friend (PW)friend (PW)While he waits, PW ponders While he waits, PW ponders something he saw earliersomething he saw earlier

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

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

Chapter 9Chapter 9

Just when you think things can’t Just when you think things can’t get worse…get worse…

Roxy tells “Tom” his true Roxy tells “Tom” his true heritage, bluffs about having it heritage, bluffs about having it written down, he believeswritten down, he believes Tom’s father was Col. Cecil Burleigh Tom’s father was Col. Cecil Burleigh

Essex…the one we’ve heard about Essex…the one we’ve heard about twice but was “of no consequence” twice but was “of no consequence”

Chapter 10Chapter 10

Tom finally considers slavery and Tom finally considers slavery and racism unjustracism unjust

His attitude and personality change…His attitude and personality change…he is humblerhe is humbler

He steals enough to sell and pay off He steals enough to sell and pay off his gambling debtshis gambling debts

Chapter 11Chapter 11

The twins and Tom show up at PW’s The twins and Tom show up at PW’s house at about the same timehouse at about the same time

Tom tries to embarrass PW by talking Tom tries to embarrass PW by talking about his hobbies, but it backfiresabout his hobbies, but it backfires The twins believe in palmistryThe twins believe in palmistry

PW reads Luigi’s palmPW reads Luigi’s palm Accurately describes Luigi’s characterAccurately describes Luigi’s character Reveals details about his pastReveals details about his past Even that he has killed a manEven that he has killed a man

Ch. 11 cont’dCh. 11 cont’d

Tom learns that the knife he stole from Tom learns that the knife he stole from them is the murder weapon and is quite them is the murder weapon and is quite valuablevaluable

Tom refuses to let PW look at his handTom refuses to let PW look at his hand The twins and Tom go to a meeting of men The twins and Tom go to a meeting of men

who support the buying, selling and who support the buying, selling and consumption of rumconsumption of rum

Angelo doesn’t drink, Tom insults him, Angelo doesn’t drink, Tom insults him, Angelo kicks Tom in the butt, in the Angelo kicks Tom in the butt, in the confusion, the building catches on fireconfusion, the building catches on fire

Chapter 12Chapter 12

Judge finds out through Pembroke Judge finds out through Pembroke Howard that Tom didn’t fight Luigi Howard that Tom didn’t fight Luigi but took him to courtbut took him to court

PW, in his 1PW, in his 1stst case ver, defended case ver, defended Luigi and lostLuigi and lost

Judge is so ashamed that he Judge is so ashamed that he challenges Luigi to a duel himselfchallenges Luigi to a duel himself

Chapter 13Chapter 13

Wilson is also surprised that Tom Wilson is also surprised that Tom went to the court instead of fighting went to the court instead of fighting LuigiLuigi

PW accidentally reveals part of the PW accidentally reveals part of the plot to get the twins’ knife back to plot to get the twins’ knife back to the person who stole it, Tomthe person who stole it, Tom

The Democratic party asked PW to The Democratic party asked PW to run for mayorrun for mayor

Chapter 14Chapter 14

Judge Driscoll respects Luigi because he Judge Driscoll respects Luigi because he accepts the dual challengeaccepts the dual challenge

Judge puts Yom back in the will just in case he Judge puts Yom back in the will just in case he gets killed, but he doesn’t tell Tom about itgets killed, but he doesn’t tell Tom about it

Tom reads the will and vows to behave from Tom reads the will and vows to behave from now onnow on

Roxy is also ashamed that Tom wouldn’t fightRoxy is also ashamed that Tom wouldn’t fight She got shotShe got shot She sets Tom straight about behaving from She sets Tom straight about behaving from

now onnow on

Chapter 15Chapter 15

Tom, Constable Blake, and PW meet in the Tom, Constable Blake, and PW meet in the streetstreet

Tom gives both a hard time about the case Tom gives both a hard time about the case smug because he is a thiefsmug because he is a thief

CB even turns on PWCB even turns on PW Tom told Roxy about the plan, and her Tom told Roxy about the plan, and her

“smarter mind” was able to rfigure out the “smarter mind” was able to rfigure out the rest of it:rest of it:

They advertised the reward for the knife, They advertised the reward for the knife, but they only advertised the reward for the but they only advertised the reward for the thief to pawn brokersthief to pawn brokers

Chapter 15Chapter 15

Tom suggests that the knife doesn’t Tom suggests that the knife doesn’t existexist

Tom confesses to his uncle that Luigi Tom confesses to his uncle that Luigi is a murdereris a murderer

Tom gets on a boat that night to take Tom gets on a boat that night to take things he has stolen to sellthings he has stolen to sell

The knife is stole from him while he The knife is stole from him while he sleepssleeps

Chapter 16Chapter 16

Roxys new plan:Roxys new plan: Tom will sell her (even though she is free)Tom will sell her (even though she is free) This will pay his gambling debts and he This will pay his gambling debts and he

can- put some back to buy her back in a can- put some back to buy her back in a yearyear

He sells her down the river assuming that He sells her down the river assuming that she wont know the differenceshe wont know the difference

Of course she does because she has been Of course she does because she has been steamboating for 8+ yearssteamboating for 8+ years

Chapter 17Chapter 17

Judge Driscoll and Tom campaign for Judge Driscoll and Tom campaign for PW and against the twinsPW and against the twins

JD gives the closing speech of the JD gives the closing speech of the campaign in which he refers to the campaign in which he refers to the knifeknife

PW wins instantly PW wins instantly The twins withdraw from society , The twins withdraw from society ,

only going out at night only going out at night

Chapter 18Chapter 18

Tom in St, Louis Tom in St, Louis Roxy has run away and come bto find Roxy has run away and come bto find

him him She’s very angryShe’s very angry Tom has seen the man and helped him Tom has seen the man and helped him

print up a reward flyerprint up a reward flyer She demands that he go straight to She demands that he go straight to

the judge and ask for $300 to buy her the judge and ask for $300 to buy her backback

Chapter 19Chapter 19

Plans for another dual have been Plans for another dual have been made – as soon as the judge is rested made – as soon as the judge is rested from the vigorous campaignfrom the vigorous campaign

Around 11 that night , the twins are Around 11 that night , the twins are walking and Tom comes home for walking and Tom comes home for another raid on the townsuspects the another raid on the townsuspects the twins, who were the first to arrivetwins, who were the first to arrive

PW knows they didn’t do itPW knows they didn’t do it Tom plays the devaststed nephew wellTom plays the devaststed nephew well

Chapter 20Chapter 20

Aunt Patsy Coope4r is the twins’ only Aunt Patsy Coope4r is the twins’ only friend and supporterfriend and supporter

Pembroke Howard is the prosecutorPembroke Howard is the prosecutor PW deefends the twinsPW deefends the twins PW stays up all night, knowing there PW stays up all night, knowing there

is some detail he’s overlookedis some detail he’s overlooked Tom comes to visit him’ PW takes his Tom comes to visit him’ PW takes his

final set of prints from Tom and then final set of prints from Tom and then realizes in a dream…realizes in a dream…

Chapter 21Chapter 21

He painstakingly makes copies of the He painstakingly makes copies of the fingerprints to use on an overhead fingerprints to use on an overhead projectorprojector

““Tom” is handcuffedTom” is handcuffed Roxy stands and confessesRoxy stands and confesses

ConclusionConclusion

The twins are popular againThe twins are popular again ““Tom” is sold to pay the Driscoll Tom” is sold to pay the Driscoll

debtorsdebtors ““Chambers” is given his rightful Chambers” is given his rightful

place, but he has no idea how to place, but he has no idea how to speak, write, or act speak, write, or act

Roxy is forever heartbrokenRoxy is forever heartbroken