Tragedy Of Pudd Nhead Wilson Summary
“The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson” was written by Mark Twain. The plot takes place around 1830 in a small town called Dawson’s Landing in Missouri. This book emphasizes the hard times of reconstruction in the confederate states. The economy was crashing. Slavery was a huge issue because it was banned in parts of the United States. One of the main characters, David Pudd’nhead Wilson, used his ‘expertise’ to embody reconstruction ideas and especially the ‘Reconstruction Dilemma.’ David Pudd’nhead Wilson got his name from a crazy conversation he had about owning half of a dog. The people at Dawson’s Landing thought he was a nutcase and the nickname Pudd’nhead stuck with him. He claimed to be a lawyer, a palm reader, a surveyor, an accountant, a bookkeeper, and somewhat of a forensic scientist. Wilson moved to Dawson’s Landing to practice law, but he failed
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to do so because the townspeople doubted his intelligence and common sense. He did use his lawyer skills twice throughout the book. Once was when he defended Luigi after Luigi beat up ‘Tom.’ He used his skills a second time when he uncovered evidence that proved ‘Tom’ killed Judge Driscoll.
Pudd’nhead Wilson enjoyed collecting fingerprints from everybody in the town.
He would ask them to run their fingers through their hair and then mark a strip of glass with the natural oils that would be on their fingers. He collected the same prints over the years to study them and look for changes. Pudd’nhead’s use of forensic science led him to the discovery that twins don’t have the same fingerprints but they are similar. His knowledge of law and his passion for fingerprints also helped Pudd’nhead discovered Roxy’s, the previous slave of Percy Driscoll, secret swap of Tom Driscoll (Percy’s Son) and Chambers (Roxy’s Son). Roxy switched the boys because she didn’t want Chambers to be sold “down de river. “ She was able to switch the boys because the children were very close in age and their skin color was the same. Roxy was only sixteen parts black (her complexion was white) which made her son thirty-two parts black. The finger prints not only revealed the swap but also the murder of Judge Driscoll. The real Tom was given the inheritance of Judge Driscoll. The real Chambers went to prison for killing the
judge. Wilson claims to be an expert in palm reading. This quote, "'YOU HAVE KILLED SOMEONE, BUT WHETHER MAN, WOMAN, OR CHILD, I DO NOT MAKE OUT,'" is when he finds out that one of the foreign twins, Luigi, had killed a man to save his brother, Angelo, from being killed. Wilson attempted to read ‘Tom’s’ palm, but he was hesitant because he didn’t want Wilson to know that he was the “woman” in the house next door. Had Wilson read ‘Tom’s’ palm at this time he would have found out that he was actually a Roxy’s son instead of Percy Driscoll’s son and that he was the raider. In the end the truth is revealed. Racism is a big fact in the making of this book because during that time period blacks weren’t even allowed to have a last name much less be raised as a white man. David Wilson’s expertise in many different fields helped solve the hidden secret. Without Pudd’nhead Roxy and “Tom” would’ve gotten away with their plan and the real Tom Driscoll wouldn’t have gotten what he rightly deserved.
to do so because the townspeople doubted his intelligence and common sense. He did use his lawyer skills twice throughout the book. Once was when he defended Luigi after Luigi beat up ‘Tom.’ He used his skills a second time when he uncovered evidence that proved ‘Tom’ killed Judge Driscoll.
Pudd’nhead Wilson enjoyed collecting fingerprints from everybody in the town.
He would ask them to run their fingers through their hair and then mark a strip of glass with the natural oils that would be on their fingers. He collected the same prints over the years to study them and look for changes. Pudd’nhead’s use of forensic science led him to the discovery that twins don’t have the same fingerprints but they are similar. His knowledge of law and his passion for fingerprints also helped Pudd’nhead discovered Roxy’s, the previous slave of Percy Driscoll, secret swap of Tom Driscoll (Percy’s Son) and Chambers (Roxy’s Son). Roxy switched the boys because she didn’t want Chambers to be sold “down de river. “ She was able to switch the boys because the children were very close in age and their skin color was the same. Roxy was only sixteen parts black (her complexion was white) which made her son thirty-two parts black. The finger prints not only revealed the swap but also the murder of Judge Driscoll. The real Tom was given the inheritance of Judge Driscoll. The real Chambers went to prison for killing the
judge. Wilson claims to be an expert in palm reading. This quote, "'YOU HAVE KILLED SOMEONE, BUT WHETHER MAN, WOMAN, OR CHILD, I DO NOT MAKE OUT,'" is when he finds out that one of the foreign twins, Luigi, had killed a man to save his brother, Angelo, from being killed. Wilson attempted to read ‘Tom’s’ palm, but he was hesitant because he didn’t want Wilson to know that he was the “woman” in the house next door. Had Wilson read ‘Tom’s’ palm at this time he would have found out that he was actually a Roxy’s son instead of Percy Driscoll’s son and that he was the raider. In the end the truth is revealed. Racism is a big fact in the making of this book because during that time period blacks weren’t even allowed to have a last name much less be raised as a white man. David Wilson’s expertise in many different fields helped solve the hidden secret. Without Pudd’nhead Roxy and “Tom” would’ve gotten away with their plan and the real Tom Driscoll wouldn’t have gotten what he rightly deserved.