In Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain both Tom and Chambers are raised in the other’s societal role. The kid that was suppose to be a slave is raised as a slave owner and the slave owner is raised as a slave. Each kid ends up filling the role they were raised into and their birth doesn’t change anything. Even though this is fiction, I can’t help but wonder what if an event like this actually happened? Could it have changed people’s perception of slavery or could the Civil War have been avoided. Genetics do play a significant part on a human’s mind and personality but what plays an even bigger role is how they were brought up and the experienced that they have had.
I also keep asking myself how Roxy actually feels about her decision in flipping the babies. Her son, “Tom”, does get to be privileged with opportunities and less suffering but it also comes at the cost of his character. “Chambers” on the other hand doesn’t have those opportunities but learns from his suffering and failures and develops what would be considered good character. The question of the morality of sacrificing character for opportunity is something that I think Twain wants the reader to reflect on and is definitely a major them in the novel.
Great American Novels 2020 