Analysis Of The Book ' Pudd ' By Mark Twain

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One of the most debated topics in human history is whether people are born with certain irreversible characteristics or if such traits are due to a person’s environment. This is one of the many important questions raised by Mark Twain in his novel entitled Pudd’nhead Wilson. The novel takes place in the fictional Missouri slave town of Dawson 's Landing, on the banks of the Mississippi, during the 1830s. Mark Twain uses this town and characters within it to argue that while race has some effect on development it is ultimately ones upbringing and environment that determines character. When a light skinned slave named Roxy has a child the same age as her Master’s son and who is as equally fair skinned; she makes the decision to switch the…show more content…
Twain uses this passage to portray that she is not what society expects of black people at this time. It wasn’t her genetic blackness that made her who she was. She technically is a negro and, but her actions do not reflect that. Twain overrides the assertion that nature is the key instigator of behavior by advocating that an individual 's background and upbringing, or nurture, determines mannerisms. Twain uses her to demonstrate internalized stereotypes that favor nature over nurture. When Tom tells Roxy that he is not dueling with the judge she is disappointed. She states, “En you refuse to fight a man dat kicked you… Its de nigger in you” (84). In this scene Roxy characterized black people as lazy people who give up easily. This scene is almost ironic because Roxy herself is the living counter that being born black does not make you one way or another. Roxy is more black than Tom yet does not possess the trait of giving up. Twain wants the reader to be aware of the stereotypes however by characterizing Roxy as such a strong, fiery woman he immediately contradicts himself. Twain uses Roxy as a vessel to say these things which were considered common ideas during this time, but is apparent in his characterization of Roxy that these traits in black people are not due to the color
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