The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson

The story is set in the fictional town of Dawson''s Landing Missouri and revolves around the lives of two infants Tom Driscoll and Valet de Chambre. Tom is the son of the town''s leading citizens while Valet known as Chambers is the child of a slave woman. The central conceit of the novel is a switch of the babies by the slave woman Roxy who fears her own child will face a life of servitude. The main character David Wilson nicknamed Pudd''nhead due to his eccentric habits is a lawyer who arrives in Dawson''s Landing. Pudd''nhead becomes fascinated by the science of fingerprints which plays a significant role in the plot. He ends up using this newfound knowledge to solve a complex mystery involving the switched babies murder and the true identities of the characters. The novel examines the effects of race and social status on identity with a central theme being the concept of pudd''nhead versus judge. Twain contrasts the arbitrary nature of social perception with the more objective and scientific concept of fingerprints. The novel''s title itself suggests a tragic disconnect between how people perceive each other and the underlying reality. Pudd''nhead Wilson is noteworthy for its exploration of racial identity and its critique of racial stereotypes prevalent at the time. Twain uses satire to highlight the absurdity and injustices of slavery and the caste system that persisted after the Civil War.