Who is More Responsible?

Twain’s novel Pudd’nhead Wilson is filled with many colorful, different and interesting male characters. While this piece lacks many female characters in large roles, Roxana, the most prominent female character, uses deception to try to free her child from the bonds of slavery. Specifically, she switches her son with her master’s son in an attempt to prevent him from being sold into slavery. As a result, the switch leads to murder, mistreatment, and is an overall disaster. I find it interesting that Twain seems to limit the amount of female characters that have large speaking roles in this particular piece. It is almost as if Twain’s motive is to make his central female character responsible for the actions that follow her deception. Roxana, however, seems aware that the switch has caused incredible conflict and many problems. Her son’s actions are downright deplorable and while Roxana feels responsible, she does not go through with revealing her son’s true identity before it is too late.

            Roxana’s actual son is the most immoral character in this story and is actually responsible for all the negative happenings. Surely one could argue that Roxana is responsible for her son’s actions after making the switch. Yet, I would argue that Chambres’ actions are completely unjustifiable and he has nobody to blame but himself. While his most atrocious act was murdering Judge Driscoll, other immoral acts include knowingly selling his own birth mother into slavery. I do believe that Roxy tries to instill values into her son. She scolds him after escaping slavery a second time, and yells, “You could be Judas to yo’ own mother to save yo’ wuthless hide! Would anybody b’lieve it? No- a dog couldn’t! You is de low-downest orneriest hound dat was ever pup’d into dis worl’ en I’s ‘sponsible for it! (Twain, 96). Clearly, Roxana feels responsible for her son’s actions, but inevitably it is Chsmbres who is unable to recognize his flaws. As a result, his actions become increasingly more criminal. In my opinion, Chambres is lucky to be sold into slavery at the end of the story, as I believe he should spend the rest of his life in a jail cell.