History 371Hon
Devine
Fall 2014
Pudd’nhead Wilson Study Guide
Though Mark Twain’s
novella, Pudd’nhead Wilson (1894), is
set in the antebellum [pre-Civil War] South, Twain is satirizing not only the
Old South, but leveling a withering critique of his own society’s obsession
with race, racial categories, and policing racial boundaries. (within two years of the book’s publication, the Supreme
Court would endorse the principle of “separate but equal” in Plessy v Ferguson.)
As
you read the book, it will be useful to keep the following questions and issues
in mind:
First off, don’t
ignore the quotes from Pudd’nhead’s calendar that
begin each chapter.
Read them closely, since they offer some clues as to Twain’s own world
view. How would you characterize the
sentiments expressed in these quotes?
What does Twain think of the people in
Why do you think Twain has Puddn’head tell the joke
about the “half a dog”? One critic has argued that the “dog” is essentially a
metaphor for society itself. Why would he say this?
What position does
Twain seem to take on the age-old “nature vs nurture” debate? How does Twain seem
to explain the various characters’ behavior?
Are they shaped more by their “blood” or their environment?
How does society (and
his mother, Roxy) view Tom? Are his character flaws a result of his upbringing,
his “black blood,” his “First Family of Virginia white blood,” both, or
neither?
Do you think Twain
the author agrees with Roxy the character that Tom is a bad person because he
has black blood in him (if only 1/32 part)?
Though the book is
obviously challenging social attitudes regarding race, the author also mocks
class pretensions and notions of “Southern honor.” In what specific episodes does Twain target “Southern honor” and those who adhere to its
“code”?
As an author, Twain loved dualities and juxtaposing contradictory
ideas. How does he do this in Pudd’nhead Wilson? What are some of these dualities? [Hint: “Pudd’nhead” is the smartest person in town; the Judge is shocked that Tom would
do something so dishonorable as to avoid a duel and instead take his complaint
against the Twins to a court of law.]
What does Twain seem to think of the law and the legal process? Are
“justice” and “the law” one and the same?
The novel ends with
Tom being sent down the river. Is this a “happy ending” in the sense that
“order” has been restored – everything is put back in its “proper” place? What do you make of the ending?
What is the
relationship between the law, honor, and race in Pudd’nhead Wilson? What makes someone an “honorable” person in Dawson’s Landing? Do racial attitudes influence notions of honor and
how the law is applied?
What, if any, lessons
or messages do you believe Twain is trying to convey
in this book?
How might an audience
in 1894 respond differently to this book than a 2014 audience?
The
quiz will be based on the plot
rather than a critical reading of the novel. Questions might include something
like “Does Pudd’nhead