Pudd Nhead Wilson Character Analysis
Set in a southern town on the banks of the Mississippi River in the antebellum period, a period before the Civil war, “Pudd’nhead Wilson” shows the troubles that follow a slave girl after she swaps the identity of her own light skinned baby and her master’s white skinned baby. Mark Twain showed in “Pudd’nhead Wilson” that race determined your status in the period before the civil war, betrayal can come from anyone, and that betrayal can lead to murder.
Race
Race determined the status that you had during the periods before the civil war. For example, Roxy, who to the unknowing eye appeared white, but due to a black ancestor four generations past, Roxy was still condemned to life as a slave. Roxy was a beautiful, strong, and incredibly clever girl. She also lay claim to being a descendant from the first families in Virginia, which to any full white person would guarantee success and make the person an …show more content…
Tom is a perfect example of the betrayal shown in this book. Roxy, who was now a freed slave, willingly gives up her freedom for her son in order for him to pay off his gambling debts. Twain really emphasizes Roxy’s sacrifice for her son stating, “slavery -- slavery of any kind, mild, or severe, or of any duration, brief or long -- was making a sacrifice for him compared with which death would have been a poor and commonplace one.” (chapters 16 page 88 in Pudd’nhead Wilson)
Tom was quick to betray Roxy even though he was very thankful initially of her generosity. When she offered herself to be sold as a slave again she had two conditions that she gave Tom. The first condition was that she was sold North and not South because in the North slaves were treated much kinder. The second request was that Tom was to buy back her freedom in one years time. But Tom being the selfish person that he was and who cared more about his own gain instead of his mother’s well-being sent her down the
Race
Race determined the status that you had during the periods before the civil war. For example, Roxy, who to the unknowing eye appeared white, but due to a black ancestor four generations past, Roxy was still condemned to life as a slave. Roxy was a beautiful, strong, and incredibly clever girl. She also lay claim to being a descendant from the first families in Virginia, which to any full white person would guarantee success and make the person an …show more content…
Tom is a perfect example of the betrayal shown in this book. Roxy, who was now a freed slave, willingly gives up her freedom for her son in order for him to pay off his gambling debts. Twain really emphasizes Roxy’s sacrifice for her son stating, “slavery -- slavery of any kind, mild, or severe, or of any duration, brief or long -- was making a sacrifice for him compared with which death would have been a poor and commonplace one.” (chapters 16 page 88 in Pudd’nhead Wilson)
Tom was quick to betray Roxy even though he was very thankful initially of her generosity. When she offered herself to be sold as a slave again she had two conditions that she gave Tom. The first condition was that she was sold North and not South because in the North slaves were treated much kinder. The second request was that Tom was to buy back her freedom in one years time. But Tom being the selfish person that he was and who cared more about his own gain instead of his mother’s well-being sent her down the