Pudd'nhead Wilson

Pure Mark Twain, Hence Great Read

Who doesn't love Mark Twain? The Tragedy of Puddin'head Wilson is another reason the answer to this question is almost nobody. Of course the time and place of this story means that Twain uses language that some today would find offensive, because many people these days ignore the historical context of any story.. The narrative is laced with the N-word which is used by both blacks and whites as a matter of course. In the context of when and where Twain is writing about, readers shouldn't let it bother them. The tale is a fascinating depiction of how a person is socialized depending on the environment he or she was born into and grew up in. The two baby boys of the tale, one white and the other almost white (only a minute fraction of colored blood in his veins who is nonetheless "black") were switched by the (also) nearly white mother of one shortly after birth each grows up reflecting a slave environment for the white boy and a white environment for the near-white boy. The mother who serves in the white household is the only one who knows the truth. Unfortunately, things don't work out the way she planned and hoped. The ultimate hero, of course is Puddin'head Wilson. The story is funny, but it is also very telling of the white-black relationship of the time. b b Read more