Re is a
de
Es udios No eame icanos,
nº
3 ( 1994),
pp
.
105
-114
PUDD'NHEAD
WILSON:
MARK
TWAIN'S
REJECTION
OF COMEDY
WILL
KAUFMAN
Uni e si y
o
Cen al Lancashi e
Pudd'nhead Wilson was Ma k Twain
's
inal
look
a Ame ican impos u es,
w i en in 18 94 om he dis an an a
ge
poin
o
I al y, nea ly six y- i e yea s a e he
ime
o
i s se ing. The dis ance ac o is impo an ,
no
only in geog aphical and
empo al e ms, bu comedically as well; o i allowed Ma k Twain o explo e om
he dep hs
o
dep ession he igh ening deg ee o which human ela ions depend on
he manipula ions and in e p e a ions
o
ou wa d appea ance. His deba e o e he
sla e y
o men
and women
o
hei own unce ain iden i ies, as we
ll
as o he wo ld
's
pos u ings,
is
o
ag ea ex en a mani es a ion o Samuel Clemen
s's
own p eoccupa ion
wi
h he dual iden i y he sha ed wi h he comedie ab ica ion, Ma k Twain. Al hough
he inal implica ions
o
Pudd'nhead Wilson a e easily
as
g im (i n
o
mo e so) han
hose o , say, A Connec ic
u
Yankee, i is ne e heless he g ea e co nedy; o a he
han employing as ine ec ual a mou hpiece as he blus e ing, ailed con idence man,
Hank Ma gan, Ma k Twain u ilised he deadpan oice
o
a de ached obse e ,
embodied in bo h he o nniscie
n
na a o and he cha ac e
o
he ou cas comedian,
Pudd'nhead Wilson himsel .
The
se
w
o pe sonaecombine in o a mas e y
o
con olled,
i onic dis an
ce
-and decep ion - ha allow Ma k Twain o p e
se
n one
o
bis
bleakes ables as he e ec i e comedy n
o
a ained in his nex and inal wo k
o
ic ion, The Mys e ious S ange . As he ou come
o
Pudd'nhead Wilson sugges s,
howe e , he book is in spi e
o
i s own comic success Samuel Clemens's ul ima e
denial
o
comedy as an ins umen
o
social c i icism o change, and
as
such, bis
ul ima e denial
o
Ma k Twain.
Clemen
s'
s sense
o
imp isonmen by bis ab ica ed
wi
n, he comic ' eak' Ma k
Twain, and
bi
s despai o e i a e well known. Hence bis epea ed ea men
o
wins
as eaks, ei he wi
h
he
join
ed Chang and Eng in 'The
Pe
sonal Habi s o he Siamese
Twins'
o
he joined Capello b o he s in 'Those Ex ao dina y Twin
s',
ou
o
which
g ew his ende ing
o
he sepa a ed Capellos in Pudd'nhead Wilson. Th ough all
o
hese he as much con on s
hi
s own pe sonal ensla emen o wha he saw as he comic
106 Will Kau man.
cxpec a ions
o
hc bu oon, as he me aphysical ques ion
o
human ensla e nen
o
ic ions
o
iden i y. .
Whcn, in Pudd'nhead Wilson, he win Capello b o he s a i e
in
Dawson
's
Landing, Angelo e eals he despai o a m
an
o ced, ou
o
mone a y necessi y,
o
exploi his own see ning eakishness in o d
e
o
ge
a laugh.
The
esul o he b o he s
had been wo yea s
o "s
la e y" among " he a ac ions
o
acheap
museum in Be lin"
.1
As he w o e Pudd'nhead Wilson, Clemens hi nsel was abo
u
o begin a wo ld-wide
lec u e ou
o
egain his lo
s
inances, a e ha ing equen ly ebelled agains
he
necessi y
o
s epping on o he lec
u
e pla o m, each ime owing ne e o do so
again
o any p ice. No able
in
his complain s was
hi
s epugnance o e he possessi eness
o
his audiences, so ha
hi
s imp ession
o
his own ensla emen o he iden i y
o
Ma k
Twain was exace ba ed by he unme ci ul g asp
o
public adula ion.
In
Pudd'nh
ead
Wilson, he wins' i s appea ance a he home
o
he widow
Coo
pe and he daugh e ,
Rowena, culmina es wi h ali he neighbou hood ushing in o see
h
e new, ine, o eign
bi ds, who a e obliged
o
se abou
"w
inning a
pp
o al, c
omp
elling admi a ion a
nd
achie ing a ou om ali".
Th
e widow Coope ollows
"
he conque ing ma ch
wi h
a p oud eye", while Rowena hinks
o
he se
l
, " 'And o hink hey a e ou s - ali
ou s
•
"(
93).
T
he
na a o is i onically dis an enough o p e en
h
e
sa
ne esen men
ha
C
lem
ens o en el owa ds
hi
s audience om appea ing in i s b u al immediacy on
he
page, a esen men which had on
ce
p omp ed ellow lec u e Oli
e
Wendell Holm
es
o w i e o him in commise a ion, "These nega i e aces wi h hei acuous eyes
and
s ony lineamen s pump and suck he wa m soul. They a e wha kili he lec u e
."
2
Al hough Clemens eadily concu ed wi h
hi
s damning opinion, in Pudd'nhead Wilson
he i onic na a o ans o ms his con emp in o play ul condescension o
h
e widow
and
Rowena
as hey bask in he cheap h ills
o
hos ing ' hei ' celeb i ies. Each
o
he
wo
men " ecognised ha she kn
ew
now o he i s ime he eal m
ea
ning
o ha
g ea
wo d Glo y, and pe cei ed he s upendous alue
o
i , and unde s ood why men in
all
ages had been willing
o
h ow away meane happinesses, easu e, li e i sel , o
ge
a
as e
o
i s sublime and su
p
em
ejoy"
(94). Sa cas ic, yes; bu ne e heless ans o
med
and
so
ened
ju
s
enough h ough comedie p e ence o sugges he na a o ' s indulgence.
Simila ly, when Judge D iscoll, wishing o be he
i
s o display he wins in public,
akes hem on a whi lwind showing-o
o he
own
's
mos s ul i ying landma ks -
c
hu
ches, gaol, F eemason' s hall, slaugh e house, and i edepa
men -
he sen i nen
exp essed is an i onica
ll
y so ened echo
o
man y i iolic desc ip ions in Clemens' s
l .Ma k Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson, ed. Malcolm B adbu y (Ha mondswo h: Penguin,
1981 ), p. 91. Ali quo a ions
a e
om his edi ion.
2.Quo ed in Jus in Kaplan, M . Clemens and Ma k Twain (London: Jona han
Ca
p
e,
1967), p. 13.
Pudd'nhead Wilson:
Ma k
Twain's Rejec i
on
o
Comedy 107
le e s w i en du ing his exhaus ing lec u e ou s.
The
bi e
e
signa ion wi h which
he
had o ing a ia e himsel
o
well-meaning, hough less
ho
s s-w
hen a imes ali he
wan ed was a good nigh ' s sleep a e a g uelling lec u e wi hou bene i
o
mic ophones
and sound sys ems - is comedically ans o med
in o
he win
s'
esponses
o
he
judge's
a en ions. Spoken, hey "admi ed his admi a ion, and paid him back
h
e bes
hey could"; unspoken, " hey could
ha
e done be e i s
o ne
i een
o
six een hund ed
housand p e ious expe iences o his so in
a
ious
co
un i
es had no al eady ubb
ed
o
a conside able pa
o
he no el y
o
i " ( 96-96).
Tha
Clemens did eel a sla e o his comedie iden i y, and a so
o
eak o
bu oon as well, is pa icula ly e iden in Je e s w i en
in
he a igue
o
his globe-
spanning lec u e ou s,
o
a o he imes when
'be
ing unny' seemed a mons ously
inhuman expec a ion. As ea ly as 1871, when his inancia! oubles we e nowhe e nea
hei magni ude as du ing he w i ing
o
Pudd'nhead Wilson, Clemens had despai ed
o his b o he abou he necessi y
o
"seeing my ha ed
nom
de plume ( o
Ido
loa he
he e y sigh
o
i ) in p in again e e y mon h. "3 His
o he
su e ings had also piled
on, i espec i e
o
he public demands u pon he genial comedian. When
h
ey became
oo hea y, he esigned as a egula con ibu o o Galaxy Magazine wi h he public
admission ha a e eigh mon hs
o
dea hbed igils and sickbed wa ches, wi h wo
o
his amily aken and wo o he s nea ly so, he was s ill "unde con ae! o u nish
"humo ous" ma e once a mon h" -so ne
o
which
"could
ha e been inj
ec
ed in o
a une al se non wi hou dis u bing he solemni y
o
he occasion."4 One
o
hose
une eal pieces had been "Ma k Twain
's
(Bu lesque) Au obiog aphy", in which
Clemens assigns
hi
s "ha ed nom
de
plume" o a di ec ances y o his o y's mos
amous c iminals and ou cas s, om Guy Fawkes o Nebuchadnezza o Baalam' s Ass.
The hos ili y and ha ed o Ma k Twain ha so pe ades he ske ch mus ha
e
in o ned Pudd'nhead Wilson
's
la e specula ion -in
one
o
his cy
ni
cal apho ism
s-
ha ,
as
hea en is wi hou so ow, i mus also be wi hou humou .
As
he w o e Pudd'nhead Wilson wi h he conscious in en
o
s a ing
o
bank up cy, Clemens aced he ealisa ion
h
a he mus again exploi
hi
s so ow in he
name
o
an al e -ego whose iden i y o e e h ea ened o eclipse his own. We e he
ques ion
o
hi
s own
id
en i y he
so
le inspi a ion o he book, he migh no ha e been
able o ex end he dilemma in o me aphysical, social, poli i
ca
l,
economic and mo al
sp
he es; bu his he did do upon ecognising ha his
own
in e na! s u
gg
le migh be
embodied
in
he impos u es
o
ci ilisa ion -no only
in
Ame ica bu he wo ld a
la ge; no only
in
he nine een h cen u y bu , possibly, since he dawn
o
human
mo ali y.
Clemens's ago
ni
es abou his own iden i y we e embodied on a uni e sal scale
3.Ibid.
4.Ma k Twain's Con ibu ions o The Ga!axy. ed. B uce McElde y (Gaines i
ll
e:
Sc
hola s' Rep in s, 1961), p. 131.
108
Wi
ll Kau man
du ing he 1890s
in
he ques ions
o
he edi y and en i onmenl whe e o m
e
ly
eligious -and hus mo al -ce ain ies had held secu e g ound. In Ame ica a l
eas
,
along wi h he inc easing mo al and spi i ual
un
ce ain ies a e Da win ca ne a
seemingly heigh ened suscep ibili y and s
en
si i
i
y o manipula
i
ons by
co
n ide
nc
e
men, poli icians, Robbe Ba ons, ca pe bagge s and land sp
ec
ula o s -ali
o
whom
lou ished o a la ge ex en h ough he exploi a ion
o
a p e ailing mo al insecu i y,
as Ma k Twain and Cha les Dudley Wa ne had al eady shown in
Th
e GildedAge.
Tha
was
in
1876; eigh een
yea
s la e , Clemens's ambi al
enceo e w
he he mo ali y i
sel
was no
jus
ano he socially acqui ed p e ence
ca
used Pudd 'nhead Wilson o
emain
as un esol ed as Clemens himsel du ing his amous dea hbed a ings abou
dual
iden i y and " he laws
o
men ali y."5 As a comedie decep ion which se s ou o
damn
impos u e,
Pu
dd'nhead Wilson is a once an apology
o
and condemna ion
o
manipula ions
o
appea ance, mo ali y and belie . The g im conclusion, howe e , is
ha such manipula ions a e inescapable, based as hey a e on sla e y o bo h he edi y
and en i onmen .
Thus could Pudd'nhead Wilson o e wo equally
ca
us ic apho isms in his
calenda ,
one
p esen ing
he
i
ckleness
o
he en i o
nmen -
''T aining is e e y hing.
The
peach was once a bi e almond; cauli lowe is no hing
bu
cabbage wi h a co
lle
ge
educa ion" (84) - and he o he lamen ing he
in
cu able inhe i ance
o
human
co up ion: "Adam was
bu
human - his explains i ali.
He
did nol wan he apple
o he apple's sake; he wan ed i only because i
wa
s o bidden.
The
mis ake
wa
s
in
n
o
o bidding he
se
pen ; hen he would
ha
e
ea en
he
se pen " (
61
).
Fo his
ea
so
n,
wha e e dep a i y
Tom
D iscoll be ays is due as much o his "na i e iciousnes
s"
as o he una oidable ci cums ances in which he has been placed. Thus he unde lying
i ony
o
he book places a hopeless de e minism
in
a pa adoxical alliance wi h
ha
" aining" which "is e e y hing". The unmaking
o
Tom D iscoll hinges on he
one
pi
ece
o
e idence ha all his p e ences - hemsel es beyond his co
n ol-
could
no
disguise: his inge p in s.
Ma k Twain' s
con
ic ion ha
"
he skin
o
e e y human being
co
n ains a sla e"6
mo i a es a plo as o u ed as he conclusion h
a
is d awn om i .
Tom
D iscoll is,
on he one hand, a sla e by i ue
o
his inhe i ed, hough minuscule, po ion
o
A ican
blood, while on he o he hand he is designa ed a sla e becau
se
his socie y had been
ained in o accep ing he mo al alidi y
o
sla e
y
. Thus is he cas by an inescapable
inhe i ed condi ion in o a bondage ha is a bi a ily, because en i onmen ally,
imposed.
The
pa adox is u he ep esen ed
by
he ac ha he only gi en depic ion
o Tom
as a culpable being is as an impos o ,
si
n
ce
e e y hing he ead
e
knows
abou
his cha ac e comes a e Roxy has exchanged hi n in he c adle;
bu
und
e
lying ali is
5.Kaplan. p. 388.
6.Quo edinJames Cox, Ma k Twain: The Fa e
o
Humo (P ince on: P ince on Uni e si y
P
ess, 1966), p. 245.
Pudd'nhead Wi/son: Ma k Twain 's Rejec ion
o
Comedy 109
he eade
's
knowledge hal he is no in acl he "whi e"
Tom
D iscoll bu he "black"
Vale de Chamb e. Then, in a u he pa adox, he
eade
is eminded ha he s anda d
designa ing he babies
as
"black"
o
"whi e" by i ue
o
he blood in he
i
eins is
me ely"a ic ion
o
law and cus om" (64) since in all
ou wa d
appea ance Tom, Roxy,
and Vale
de
Chamb e a e whi e-skinned.
In Pudd'nhead Wilson he aining is no
Jess
sinis e han
h
e inhe i ance
o
"na i e iciousness." Roxy,
Tom's
mo he , ha ing exchanged him in he c adle o
his mas e , ul i na ely con inces he sel as well as hose a ound he ha she is no longe
his mo he , bu his sla e: " he mock e e ence became
ea
l e e ence; he mock
obsequiousness eal obsequiousness
...
and in he wo ship o him she o go who she
was and wha she had been," ( 77). Thus " he dupe
o he
own
dec
ep ions," she displays
an una oidable suscep ibili y o imp essions equal
o
ha
o
Tom, who himsel
unde goes a change
o
mo al landscape o emigh when an ou aged Roxy e eals o
him his ue A ican he i age. "So ne
o his
low places
he
ound li ed o ideals, so ne
o
his ideals had sunk
o
a
Uey
s, and lay he e wi h he
sac
kclo h and as hes
o
pumice-
s one and sulphu on hei uined heads" (
118
).
Wi h
su
ch al e a ions
o
cha ac e
exposed by -and
o
-Roxy and Tom, Ma k Twain c ea es a oubling ambigui y by
depic ing humans as hopelessly suspended in a hall
o
mi o s, hei iden i ies
impe ec ly de ined by con lic ing a ibu es
o
appea ance and inhe enc
e.
Thus he
eade mus ask whe he Tom's eac ions a e hose
o
a man bom black,
o a
man la e
pe suaded in o hinking he is black: "i was he "nigge " in him asse ing i s humili y,
and he blushed and was abashed. And he "nigge " in him was su p ised when he
whi e iend pu ou his hand o a shake wi h him.
He
ound
h
e "nigge " in him
in olun a ily gi ing he oad,
on
he sidewalk,
o
he whi e owdy and loa e "
(1
18-
19). The inabili y
o
conclude he sou ce
o
ou
imp essions,
e
sul ing in a plo
depending equally
on
he p e-o dained and he a bi a ily imposed, es ablishes he one
inescapable ce ain y
o
he book, ha judgemen s based on ou wa d appea ance a e
bo h uná oidable and un us wo hy. This is demons a ed by he appea ances
o
ge
n ili y in he Vi ginian a is oc a s, in con as wi h he ba ba ism ha inspi es hem;
simila ly, he imp essions
o
he owns olk ha ea n
Da
i
d Wilson he name
"Pudd'nhead" a e coun e ed wi h he cle emess he e eals as he end; and he
appea ances
o
Roxy and Tom as whi e canno p e en hem om alling p ey o he
" ic ion
o
law and cus om" designa ing hem as black sla es.
Bu
i
Ma k Twain' s in en ion
is
o a ack he gullibili y wi h which people
depend on appea ances, he implies
no
al ema i e lying be ween hose
o
shee
c eduli y and cynical mis
us -
a bleak p ospec , alida ing he comed
y'
s seemingly
i onic designa ion as The T agedy
o
Pudd'nhead Wilson. Pudd'nhead Wilson's
Calenda wa ns
o
h
e dange
o
elying on he e idence be o e ou eyes: "Take he
case
o
any pencil, sha pened by any woman;
i
you ha e wi nesses, you will ind ha
she did i wi h a kni e; bu
i
you ake simply he aspec
o
he pencil, you will say she

110
Will K
au man
did
i
wi h he ee h" (202). Looking beyond he sexism
o he
example, one s ill
inds
no ecou se o
do
o h
e
han ake " he aspec
o
h
e pen
ci
I
";
o e en he iewpoin
o
ano he wi ness is n
o
conclusi e, as shown in he wins' opposing isual pe cep ions
o
Tom
a
hei i s mee ing.
To
Angelo, he
ha
s "a good
eye"
; o Luigi he e is
"some hing eiled and sly abou i ." To Angel o,
hi
s manne
o
speech is 'pleasan
'
and
" ee-and-easy"; o Luigi i is "mo e so han
...
ag eeable".
An
gelo hinks he is
"a
su icien ly ni
ce
young man"; Luigi isn' su e (123-24 ). Tom
in
ac displays all
hese
quali ies
in
he cou se
o
he no el, so ne o which a e calcula ed, so ne
o
which s
how
hemsel es in spi e
o
bis p e ences. The ouble
o
he wins comes no
in
de e mining he exis e
nc
e
o
such in
co
ng uous a ibu es, bu in de
e
mining which
a e
genuine and which a e no . While he eade is o en p i y o he omniscien na
a o '
s
guidance in making a judgemen , he implica ion emains ha
in
li e we a e wi
hou
such guidance.
Fo his eason con
cem
is
ju
s i ied o e he gullibili y o he owns olk in
hei
blind e e ence
o
Yo k D iscoll, Pemb oke Howa d, and he a is oc a ic code
o
he
Vi ginian Fi s Families. The eligion
o
hese aus e e igu es is ha
o
poli e gen y
"w
i hou s ain
o
blemish," and so he communi y deems hem. The na a o
can
i oni
ca
ll
y e ea! how a om
h
e u h hei imp essions a e as
he
depic s Pemb
oke
Howa d's eadiness o
"ex
plain"
hi
s hono
u
and cou esy "wi h any weapon you
migh
p e e om b ad-awls o a ille y
"(
58). Thus in he same manne in w
hi
ch he ea ed
Colonel G ange o d in Hucklebe y Finn, Ma k Twain p esen s he con adi
c ions
be ween Yo k D iscoll's blood-lus and his ou w
a
d show
o
gen ili y. Some imes he
does his solely h ough i onies inhe en in
h
e dialogue, as when D iscoll, himsel a
judge, en s his age
on
Tom
o se ling an assaull case
o
he duelling g ound
:"
'Yo
u
cu ! You scum! You e mi
n!
Do you mean o ell me
h
a he blood
o
my ace h
as
su e ed a blow and c awled o a cou
o
law abou
i ?'
"(
141
). And,
ju
s
as
Colonel
G ange o d i onically e ealed his ba ba i y by chiding his son o shoo ing om
behind a bush ins ead
o
in
he open oad, heJud
ge
e eals he same by lamen ing
o e
he shame
o
his ha ing me
a
con essed assassin
in
a duel
:"
'Tha his assassin should
ha e pu he a on u pon me
o
le ing
me
mee him on he ield
o
honou as
i
he
we e
a gen leman is a ma e which 1 will p csen ly se lc - bu no now. 1 will n
o
sh
oo
him un il a e he elec ion
'"
(171).
Ano he desc ip
i
on
o
he a is oc a s e eals a pa icula ly impo an example
o Ma k
Twain'
s na a i e decep ions - impo a
n
no only because i is u pon his
so
o i ony ha a alid in e p e a
i
on
o
he book equen ly es s, bu also because
i
sugges s Ma k T
wain's
di icul y in comedically dis ancing himse
l
om he objec s
o
h
is sco n.
In
a ma ked
di
e ence om his handling
o
h
ea
is oc a s in Hucklebe y
Finn, he na a o employs bla an sa casm in a
de
sc ip ion
o
Pe cy D iscoll,
who
esol es o sell h ee sla es down he i e o an unsol ed pe y he .
Fi
s
desc ibed
as
"a
ai ly humane man owa ds sla es and o h
e
animals" and
"a
n exceed
in
gly
humane man owa d he e ing
o
hi
s own ace," D iscoll elen s a he las mome
n
Pudd'nhead Wílson: Ma k Twain 's Rejec ion
o
Comedy
111
when ali h ee, in e o , con ess. He wi hd aws
in
p i a e
o
e lec upon his
magnanimi y and he "noble and g acious hing" he
had
jus done; "and ha nigh
he
se
he inciden down
in
his dia y,
so
ha his son
migh
ead
i
in a e yea s, and
be he eby mo ed o deeds
o
gen leness and humani y
himsel
' (68). This is no he
only ins ance
o
he na a o 's sa casm
a
he
expense
o
he pe y a is oc acy
o
Dawson'
s Landing; and James Cox has no ed ha he ailu e
o
ecognise his is he
ailu e o unde s and he i ony
o
he en i e no el,
as
F.R.
Lea is appa en ly did
in
saying. ha "Ma k Twain unmis akenly admi es
Judge
D iscoll and Pemb oke
Howa d."
7 Sa casm,
o
cou se, b ings he na a o
close
o he objec
o
desc ip ion,
and as such indica es Ma k
Twain's
g owing impa ience wi h he demands
o
dis ance
and
he comic mask.
Bu
o a deg ee such con usion is unde s andable, o ano he p oblem
in
g asping Ma k Twain's comedie ea men
o
he co up eli e -and one wi h
unhappy implica ions -is ha he o e s no opposing ac ion o model
o
good o he
eade 's app oba ion. Al hough idiculing he a is oc a s and hei p epos e ous code
o
honou ,
i
is no wo se han he bigo y
o
he ownspeople hemsel es.
I
is an
indic men
o
he en i e communi y when he local newspape epo s he unwi nessed
mu de
o
Judge D iscoll, known
o
be an enemy
o
he Capello wins, hough in ac
kílled by his own "nephew,"
Tom:"
'Judge D iscoll, an old and espec ed ci izen, was
assassina ed he e abou midnigh by a p o liga e I alian nobleman
o
ba be , on
accoun
o
a qua el g owing ou
o
he ecen elec ion.
The
assassin wíll p obably be
lynched'
";
( 197). The "qua el" be ween he Judge and he wins is ac ually he duel
o e Luigi's assaul on Tom. The ownspeople a e c i icised o hei admi a ion
o
he duel as much as he a is oc acy a e condemned o hei pa icipa ion in i . The
communi y' s subsequen a cical democ acy is no al ema i e o he emnan s
o
he
a is oc acy's eudal code; no only a e he pa icipan s dei ied by he communi y
on
he mo ning a e he duel, bu so a e hei seconds: "whe e o e Pudd'nhead Wil
so
n
was suddenly beco
me
a man
o
consequence" (163). I is no complimen o
Pudd' nhead Wilson ha he ownspeople choose him as mayo al candi da e, o
i
is no
due o his me i s, bu a he
o
his oolha dy pa icipa ion in a ba ba ous i ual. So
Pudd'nhead Wilson's alue lies no in his capaci y o s and
asan
al e na i e wo hy
o
p aise. He is gene ally aloo om he happenings in own h oughou he book,
wi hd awn unde he epu a ion o a ool because
o
his obscu e joke y. While
he
mi
gh be he mos a ional and good na u ed cha ac e in he book -and e y much
he comedian
i
gu e -he none heless akes no pains
o
dismiss ei he he absu d
democ acy
o
h
e eudal code; his bes iend is in ac Judge D iscoll. Pudd'nhead
's
main ole is as
h
e agen who exposes he alse iden i y
o Tom
h ough his mas e y a
Iaw and inge p in de ec ion;
h
e eby does he e
ea
l he sla e y o humani y
o
p cde e mina ion
in
h
e o m
o
a inge p in , and
o
en i onmen in he o m
o Tom'
s
7.Ibid., p. 237.
112 Will Kau man
legal s a us as a sla e.
Hi
s cou oom e ela
i
on exposes bo h he un us wo hin
ess
o appea an
ce
and he inescapable dependence upon i . This mo e han any hing else
jus i ies he naming
o
he book a
e him, e en
i
his
ju
s i i
ca
i
on is comp omised
by
he ac
h
a Pudd'nhead no ices To n
's
inge p in s only h
o
ugh a luc
ky
acciden
in
a mo nen
o
dis
ac ion.
On
e
n
ig
h
hink ha he cha ac
e
o a ac he g
ea
es
na
a i e sy
mpa h
y
would be Roxy. H
e
ac ions a e a leas unde s ood, unde
h
e ci cums ances: "W
as
she bad? Was shc wo se han
h
e gene al un o he ace? No.
Th
ey had an
un
ai sh
ow
in
he ba le
o
li e, and h
ey
he
ld
i no sin o ake mili a y
a
d
~
_
a
n
age
o he enem
y"
(
67).
Ro
xy
embodi
es
he only clea po en ial o h e
a
o
h
e
co
mpl
acency o
Daw
son' s
Landin
g,
desc ibed as " he
hei o wo
cen u ies o una oned
in
sul and ou age"( 109).
Ye
o all h
e
po en ial
o
ac ing as an oppos
in
g o ce o a d
eca
den socie y,
Ma k
Twain a aches o he he same mindless condi ioning as o he
co
mmuni y i se
l
,
hu
s
again
co
mpounding he s
la
e
y
o
blood wi h
h
a
o
en i onmen .
In
he s
ea
ch
o
jus i ica
i
on
in
commi ing he decep ions on beha
l
o he son, she epea e
dly
emula es he a
i
s
oc
a
i
c mas e s. I beg
in
s he momen she
de
ba
es
he decision o
exchange he babi
es
in he c adle, ecalling an old able abo
u
suc
h a ick by he qu
ee
n
o
En
gland
:"
'Dah, n
ow
- de p eache
sa
id
i his own sel , en i
ai
n' no sin, '
ca
'
se
whi e olks done
i
.
..
en
no on
'y
ji
s'
common whi e olks nu he , bu de big
ges
quali y
<l
ey is in de whole
bi
lin!'
"(73).
Roxy la e shows a idículous inhumani y
equal o ha o he Judge
o
Colonel G an
ge
o d when she be a
es
he only son o
e using o isk his li e in he duel
wi
h Luigi. Tom is he
p
oduc
o
an a ai be
we
en
Roxy and
Co
lonel Cecil Bu leigh Essex, a he i age which R
oxy
in la
es
in o including
Cap ain John Smi h, Pocahon as, and an A ican king- "
'e
n yi he e you is a-s
linkin'
ou en a duel en di
sg
acin'
ou
whole line like a
ome
y l
ow
-d
ow
n houn
d!
Yes, i
's
de
ni
gge
in
you!' '' (158).
Rox
y's
p
e ensions and bogus p ide
a
being one
o
"de Smi h-
Pocahon ases " educe he
om being a po en ially powe ul ad e sa y and e
p
esen a i
e
o
ju
s
i
ce
o
h
e demeaned s a us
o
a da ky mins el. He emula ion
o
h
e co
up
whi e a is oc acy gi es alidi y o he
wo
ds o D iscoll
's
ea
l hei , exchan
ge
d in o
sla e y, who esponds o Roxy' s ang y aun
o
being an "imi a
i
on
ni
gge
":
" '
I
I'
s
imi a ion, wha is
yo
u? Bo
e
o us is imi a ion whi e
...
we don' amoun o no h'n
as imi a
i
on nigge s'
"(
10
3)
.
Wi h no one in he wo ld e
p
esen ed by
Da
wson' s Landing o
ac as
he so
o
model al e
n
a i e p eca
i
o
usl
y embodied in Huck
Finn
,
i
is appa en ha Ma k
Twa
in
had succumbed o p o ound disillusionmen o e he i econcilable a
nd
unchan
gea
ble
o c
es
o hum
an na u e ha mani es he
n
se
l es as
g
eed in mo al e ms and
's
u i al
o
he i es ' in social Da winis e
m
s. E en Roxy's appa en ly unsel ish mo i es in
sac i icing a
li
o
h
e
son a ac a c i ica) eye when one conside s h
e
obsession, a he
possible isk
o
he son
's
li e, wi h k
ee
ping al
i e
he dubious a
i
s oc a ic he i age.
Each majo cha ac e ca ies ou his o he plans wi h no
se
n
se
o
in e
n
a! di ision o
con lic , wi h no li le space o unde o med mo ali y, as Huck Finn had, in which an
Pudd'nhead Wilson: Ma k Twain 's Rejec ion
o
Comedy 113
al e na i e migh ge mina e.
Ma k
Twain's appa en lack
o
ai h in he hopes
o
al e ing his inescapable s a e gi es a caus ic ing o
he
blanke p onouncemen
in
Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calenda o e all displays
o
ai h: "Ap il
l.
-This
is he day
u pon which we a e eminded
o
wha we a e
on
he o he h ee hund ed and six y- ou "
(211
).
Ma k
Twain'
s ai hlessness is cas
in
ano he way, besides hese maxims wo hy
o
an embi e ed Poo Richa d; he also demons a es i in he a e
o
he wo
changelings. Ha ing usu ped his mas e 's iden i y so
as
no o be sold down he i e ,
he alse
Tom
D iscoll is con ic ed
o
his
'un
ele' Judge D iscoll' s mu de and exposed
as a sla e. Sen enced o be hanged, he
is
sa ed because
he
c edi o s
o his
os ensible
a he 's es a e a gue ha , had his ue iden i y been known, he would
ha
e been sold
wi h he o he sla es. "E e ybody g an ed ha
i
"To o" we e whi e and ee i would
be unques ionably igh o punish him -i would
be
no loss o anybody; bu o
shu
upa
aluable sla e o li e- ha was ano he ma e " (226). So Tom is pa doned and
sold down he i e . lndica i e as i is
o
a me aphysical absu di y om which he e
is no escape, his inal i onic e e sa!
o Tom's
o une migh no seem
so
unjus since
all along he had been shown ac ing wi h his "na i e iciousness"; he implica ions
o
he b ai nwashed socie y ha ansmu ed his sen ence could concei ably be camou laged
by he imp ession ha Tom go his
jus
dese s (uncha i ably assuming ha na i e
any hing is a
jus
cause o punishmen ). Ye in p esen ing he a e
o
he eal
Tom
D iscoll, consigned since in ancy o he iden i y
o
Vale de Chamb e, Ma k
Twain
depic s he same i onic bondage
o
hose who ha e done no hing in pa icula o
dese e i .
I
is
no an
exp ession
o
judgemen
o
jus ice, bu me ely he p esen a ion
o
a c uelly indi e en cali y, when he a emp is made o es o e he innocen
man'
s
iden i y a e decades
o
condi ioning:
"The
poo ellow could no endu e he c o s
o
hc whi e man' s pa lou , and el a home and a peace nowhe e
bu
in he ki chen.
Thc
amily pcw was a mise y o him, yc he could ne c mo c en c in o hc solacing
c uge o hc "niggc galle y" - ha was closed o him o good and all" (225).
Thus he eal Tom D iscoll is s ill a sla e.
As
he one mos agically duped by
Roxy's con idence game
andan
inescapable me aphysical pa adox, The T agedy
o
Pudd'nhead Wilson pe ains mo e o him han o anybody, o his a c exp csses he
knowledge ha
he
samc absu di y will bind he undcse ing as well
as
he dcse ing.
The
ques ion emains
o
how hc i edeemably cynical Ma k Twain could depic such
a hopeless conclusion in an undeniable comic success.
He
does go o he ex en
o
including isola ed comic e ec s as
i
o emind he eade ha his is a comedy
in
spi e
o i s ille. Va ious bi s
o
slaps ick and di e sion, he bu lesque appendix
o
'
Thosc
Ex ao dina y Twins" and Ma k
Twain's
own admission hc ein
o
being
"ajac
kleg
no elisl'' almos! beg he eade o ake
i
ali
as
a joke. Bu he no el succeeds as
comedy in spi e
o hese
e o s, depending o he mos pa on a calcula ed na a i e
dis ance and he e usal o p onounce judgemen . In choosing he pe spec i e
o
an
un u led, impa ía! obse e , he na a o is in he ele a ed posi ion
o
iewing
as
a