English 1001—Great American Authors

Discussion Questions for Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson, pp. 92-128.

  1. What causes Judge Driscoll to faint when fishing with Pembroke Howard?

  2. Why does Judge Driscoll change his mind about disinheriting Tom and rewrite the will after having torn it up?

  3. When arguing with Tom about his cowardice, Roxy tells him he is a descendant of John Smith. What is the gist of Roxy's argument, and what does it tell us about her understanding of the nature vs. nurture argument?

  4. How does Tom use the town's presumptions to his advantage when tarnishing the reputations of the Italian twins?

  5. How does Tom justify selling his own mother "down the river"?


John D. Schwetman
February 13, 2001