To say that Pudd'nhead Wilson focuses a lot on race is kind of like saying that baby pandas in ballerina costumes are cute. It's like, duh. While the novel's emphasis on race and its sinister cousin racism may be easy to spot, this doesn't mean that Twain hands us simple conclusions about race neatly wrapped up with a bow. No way. In fact, we might actually close this novel with more questions than answers, such as, what is it that even makes a person white or black? And, to what extent are these labels useful in understanding ourselves and others? Leave it to Twain to ask the tough ones (luckily they come with a generous helping of humor).
Questions About Race
- How does Tom's discovery that he is partly black affect his self-conception or sense of identity?
- We're told that Tom and Roxy are considered to be black in the eyes of the law despite possessing more "white blood" than black and being so light skinned that they appear white. Are we readers supposed to see these characters as more white than black? How much does their racial status matter? What comment does the novel make on the ways race was thought about in nineteenth-century America?
- Can we understand or explain Roxy's prejudice against blacks (as demonstrated, for instance, through her insistence that it's "the nigger" in Tom that makes him cowardly)?
- How does this novel weigh in on the debate over whether racial differences are the product of nature (i.e. inherent qualities) or nurture (i.e. social or cultural conditioning)?
Chew on This
Race is a crucial part of identity in Pudd'nhead Wilson.
Race is an absurd and meaningless concept in Pudd'nhead Wilson.