Tom Driscoll has a whole lot in common with the characters in The Wizard of Oz. He totally seems to lack a heart and he could use some more brain power. He's probably most similar, though, to the Cowardly Lion—at least according to some of Pudd'nhead Wilson's other characters. Roxy and Judge Driscoll, for instance, are appalled to be related to the guy, as they both consider him a disgrace to their respective super honorable family lines. But what's truly courageous and truly cowardly isn't always so cut and dried in this novel. And if we look closely, we can find both courage and cowardice in some pretty unexpected places.
Questions About Courage
- A lot of the characters condemn Tom for being a scaredy-cat, coward, cry-baby—take your pick. To play devil's advocate, though, does he have valid reasons for acting in ways that others deem cowardly?
- One of the entries in Pudd'nhead's calendar states, "Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear." Do any of the characters demonstrate this idea?
- Several of the characters suggest that the duel provides the ultimate test of a person's bravery. Do you think the narrator agrees with their judgment that physical courage is the height of honor?
Chew on This
In Pudd'nhead Wilson, characters who seem the weakest and most powerless are the bravest.
This novel pokes fun at the notion that courage is an inherited trait.