Reading Puddnhead

Although Puddnhead Wilson was one of the easiest reads that I have encountered thus far at Amherst College, it left me feeling just as confused as any sociology article. This is partly because I wasn’t sure how to interpret the story. We have already discussed that it was the first crime/mystery novel of its time, but the element of passing complicates the story in other ways. As I read, I found myself interpretating it as some sort of allegory. With each new development in the plot I found myself “moralizing”; constantly wondering whether Roxy actions were supposed to be taken as good or bad. And whether or not Tom’s demeanor is a result of nature or nurture. When I was finished, I found myself wondering if Mark Twain had written a cautionary tale against passing? Considering his audience, is he warning other White people about the possibility of blacks successfully passing for white?
The ironic element of this story, however, is that Tom was not conciously passing. He is not trying to hide his true identity in order to assume a new one. He is simply being the person he was raised to be. It isn’t until he finds out that he (supposedly) black that he begins to think of his identity as a performance.