Essay Analyzing PuddNhead Wilson - 881 Words

Anthony Spinthourakis Due: 9/7/12 APUS/Mr. Donovan Pudd’nhead Wilson Essay In literature, slavery and the African American race are often analyzed and interpreted by numerous authors. Mark Twain reveals numerous hitches and aspects of society’s view towards different races throughout many of his novels. In Pudd’nhead Wilson Twain describes the status of African Americans in society, as well as how they are portrayed or believed to act in the eyes of other townsfolk. The portrayal of Roxy and the status of Tom and Chambers both help Twain show the wrongs of the†¦show more content†¦Dawson’s Landing sees no difference in someone that is 100% black compared to someone that is 3% black. Tom, being the son of the high ranking Driscoll family, lives an easy and privileged life in Dawson’s Landing. Mark Twain uses these three characters to show that status in society was not obtained by a person’s accomplishments or personality, but rather their lineage and race, as seen with Roxy and Chambers. Throughout Pudd’nh ead Wilson the primary characteristics of the different races are shown by Mark Twain. Twain’s constant use of black dialect showcases that many believed that blacks were uneducated fools who were only good at working in the fields. For example, Roxy says â€Å"Bofe de same age, sir-five months. Bawn de fust o’ Feb’uary† (Twain 9), which showcases her lack of grammar and overall speaking quality. The use of the black dialect throughout the novel by the African Americans is probably due to the fact that they could not attend school, as many of them were forced to work in the fields all day by their masters. After being switched with Chambers, the once proper and upper class Tom was now speaking black dialect due to his time spent with Roxy and other African Americans. Also, blacks were known for being devious and trying to steal from their masters or other upper-class citizens. For example,Show MoreRelatedCriticism And Analysis Of Puddn Head Wilson 800 W ords   |  4 Pages Criticism and Analysis of Puddn’head Wilson In American history, we have good authors, great authors and some bad. One of the most famous authors and probably the greatest that everyone has heard of is Mark Twain. Twain was an American author and humorist in American Literature. Twain was born in Florida, Missouri, on November 30, 1835. In his first writing, he adopted his pen-name from a well-known call of the man sounding the river in shallow places. In 1861 he went to Carson City, Nevada,Read MoreAmerican Literature11652 Words   |  47 Pagesemotion-provoking humorous irony storytelling emphasized autobiographical essays Effect: ï‚ · too soon to tell Historical Context: ï‚ · ï‚ · people beginning a new century and a new millennium media culture interprets values Analyzing Poetry: Poetry Tips Analyzing Poetry What is poetry? How is it analyzed? What are the elements of poetry? Good questions! This web page provides a quick overview of poetry analysis. Please note that this handout discusses the basics of poetry; there is much more