What Constitutes a Criminal? Name a criminal – what kind of criminal comes to mind? What are the characteristics of this criminal? Name a criminal – what kind of criminal comes to mind? What are the characteristics of this criminal?

What Constitutes a Criminal? Mark Twain’s Perception: –Society –Religion –Race –Outside Appearance / Physical Disposition Mark Twain’s Perception: –Society –Religion –Race –Outside Appearance / Physical Disposition

Summary Wilson comes to town to be a lawyer but a misunderstood comment makes him a ‘Pudd’nhead’. –Can’t get legal work –One hobby is fingerprinting. Makes records of entire town. Roxy is 1/16th black and Percy Driscoll’s slave. –Has son, Chambers, the same day her master’s son Tom is born –Switches children one night to keep Chambers from being sold down-river –Set free when Driscoll dies. Leaves town but returns after losing all her money in order to blackmail ‘Tom’ Wilson comes to town to be a lawyer but a misunderstood comment makes him a ‘Pudd’nhead’. –Can’t get legal work –One hobby is fingerprinting. Makes records of entire town. Roxy is 1/16th black and Percy Driscoll’s slave. –Has son, Chambers, the same day her master’s son Tom is born –Switches children one night to keep Chambers from being sold down-river –Set free when Driscoll dies. Leaves town but returns after losing all her money in order to blackmail ‘Tom’

The new ‘Tom’ is cowardly and cruel. –Has large gambling debts. Steals to get the money. Two Italian twins, Luigi and Angelo, come to town. ‘Tom’ finds out Luigi has killed a man. The new ‘Tom’ is cowardly and cruel. –Has large gambling debts. Steals to get the money. Two Italian twins, Luigi and Angelo, come to town. ‘Tom’ finds out Luigi has killed a man.

Luigi kicks ‘Tom’ at a meeting, ‘Tom’ takes Luigi to court. ‘Tom’s’ uncle, Judge Driscoll, finds out. Rips up his will naming ‘Tom’ the heir. ‘Tom’ finds out the Judge secretly put ‘Tom’ back in the will before the duel. Luigi kicks ‘Tom’ at a meeting, ‘Tom’ takes Luigi to court. ‘Tom’s’ uncle, Judge Driscoll, finds out. Rips up his will naming ‘Tom’ the heir. ‘Tom’ finds out the Judge secretly put ‘Tom’ back in the will before the duel.

‘Tom’ tells Judge that Luigi is an assassin to explain why ‘Tom’ refused to duel. ‘Tom’ sells Roxy down the river to pay his gambling debts. Roxy escapes and finds ‘Tom’. ‘Tom’ has to buy her freedom but doesn’t have the money. ‘Tom’ tells Judge that Luigi is an assassin to explain why ‘Tom’ refused to duel. ‘Tom’ sells Roxy down the river to pay his gambling debts. Roxy escapes and finds ‘Tom’. ‘Tom’ has to buy her freedom but doesn’t have the money.

‘Tom’ tries to rob the Judge but ends up killing the Judge with a knife ‘Tom’ stole from the Twins. Wilson defends the Twins and finds a fingerprint on the knife. He discovers the print belongs to ‘Tom’. Using previous prints Wilson also discovers ‘Tom’ is really Chambers and that Roxy had made the switch ‘Tom’ tries to rob the Judge but ends up killing the Judge with a knife ‘Tom’ stole from the Twins. Wilson defends the Twins and finds a fingerprint on the knife. He discovers the print belongs to ‘Tom’. Using previous prints Wilson also discovers ‘Tom’ is really Chambers and that Roxy had made the switch

The Twins are cleared of the charge and go back to Europe. ‘Tom’ is sold down the river. ‘Chambers’ is restored to his proper place, but doesn’t fit in because he was raised as a black man. Pudd’nhead Wilson’s law career finally takes off and the name Pudd’nhead is removed. The Twins are cleared of the charge and go back to Europe. ‘Tom’ is sold down the river. ‘Chambers’ is restored to his proper place, but doesn’t fit in because he was raised as a black man. Pudd’nhead Wilson’s law career finally takes off and the name Pudd’nhead is removed.

Fingerprinting “Fingerprints offer an infallible means of personal identification.” -Greg Moore The science of fingerprint identification stands out among all other forensic sciences for many reasons, including the following: –Has had world wide use for the past 100 years. –It is the most common form of forensic identification –Outperforms even DNA identification because of the simplicity of fingerprinting “Fingerprints offer an infallible means of personal identification.” -Greg Moore The science of fingerprint identification stands out among all other forensic sciences for many reasons, including the following: –Has had world wide use for the past 100 years. –It is the most common form of forensic identification –Outperforms even DNA identification because of the simplicity of fingerprinting

Fingerprinting and Twain “Pudd'nhead Wilson” was not the only of Twain’s works to include the use of fingerprint identification. In “Life on the Mississippi", a murderer was also identified by its use.

Twain and Twins Twain had two brothers –Orion (older) –Henry (younger) No real connection with his fascination with twins and twin-ship. –Used to dramatize psychological and identity conflicts. Twain had two brothers –Orion (older) –Henry (younger) No real connection with his fascination with twins and twin-ship. –Used to dramatize psychological and identity conflicts. Source:

How are Criminals Created? Crimes of Necessity: –Roxana, Slaves Crimes of Honor: –Luigi Wanton Crimes / Fun: –“Tom” Crimes of Necessity: –Roxana, Slaves Crimes of Honor: –Luigi Wanton Crimes / Fun: –“Tom”

Examples: “…they held it no sin to take military advantage of the enemy – in a small way; in a small way…” p. 32 “I’ll tell you why he did it, since he won’t say himself,… He did it to save my life…” “To do such a thing to save a brother’s life is a great and fine action.” p. 85 “…they held it no sin to take military advantage of the enemy – in a small way; in a small way…” p. 32 “I’ll tell you why he did it, since he won’t say himself,… He did it to save my life…” “To do such a thing to save a brother’s life is a great and fine action.” p. 85

Examples: “In summer the pet pastime of the boys of Dawson’s Landing was to steal… from the farmer’s fruit wagons – mainly on account of the risk they ran…” p. 42

Are Some Crimes More Acceptable Than Others? What determines the “acceptability” of a crime? Who committed “acceptable” crimes? Who committed “unacceptable” crimes? What determines the “acceptability” of a crime? Who committed “acceptable” crimes? Who committed “unacceptable” crimes?

Examples: Luigi’s Self-Defense (p. 85) Slave thefts –“…for even the colored deacon himself could not resist a ham when Providence showed him in a dream…” p. 32 Luigi’s Self-Defense (p. 85) Slave thefts –“…for even the colored deacon himself could not resist a ham when Providence showed him in a dream…” p. 32

“Everybody granted that if ‘Tom’ were white and free it would be unquestionably right to punish him – it would be no loss to anybody; but to shut up a valuable slave for life – that was quite another matter.” p “Everybody granted that if ‘Tom’ were white and free it would be unquestionably right to punish him – it would be no loss to anybody; but to shut up a valuable slave for life – that was quite another matter.” p

Examples: Duels of Honor: –“…he thought he might get killed… The old man tried to get me to fight [a duel] with Count Luigi…” p. 108 –“The people took more pride in the duel than in all the other events put together... It was a glory to have such a thing happen there… summit of human honor.” p. 114 Duels of Honor: –“…he thought he might get killed… The old man tried to get me to fight [a duel] with Count Luigi…” p. 108 –“The people took more pride in the duel than in all the other events put together... It was a glory to have such a thing happen there… summit of human honor.” p. 114

The Significance of Twins “In ‘Those Extraordinary Twins,’ …the trope of the twin serves to dramatize psychological conflict: the mysteries of an individual's identity. On the other hand, the swapped babies in Pudd'nhead Wilson, like the twinned but unrelated Prince and Pauper, use the figure of the double to explore the socially constructed identities of race and class.” Source:

Discussion: As far as socially constructed identities, does the fear of the unknown or foreign identities lead to the premature suspicions of criminality? (ex: Luigi) Does the social status of a person change the severity of their crime, or does it make them more (or less) likely to be implicated as a conspirator in a crime? As far as socially constructed identities, does the fear of the unknown or foreign identities lead to the premature suspicions of criminality? (ex: Luigi) Does the social status of a person change the severity of their crime, or does it make them more (or less) likely to be implicated as a conspirator in a crime?