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Chapter 1-2 Summary
Dawson's Landing, Missouri, is in 1830 a bucolic little town on the Mississippi River, complete with white picket fences, perfectly groomed yards, and a cat asleep in the front window of every house. Behind the town stretches the countryside, the town's means of economic support; there, slaves raise pigs and grow grain. Although the rate of economic growth has slowed, Dawson's Landing is still a thriving, if sleepy, town. York Leicester Driscoll (Judge Driscoll) is its chief citizen, a judge and a member of an old Virginia family, a heritage of which he is very proud. He lives with his wife and his sister, Mrs. Rachel Pratt. Neither the judge and his wife nor Mrs. Pratt have any children; this is the chief sorrow of their otherwise happy lives.
Pembroke Howard, a lawyer and another Virginian, is another leading citizen and Judge Driscoll's closest friend. Percy Northumberland Driscoll is the judge's brother. He is a wealthy speculator who has seen all of his children die from various ailments which the town's old-fashioned doctors were not able to treat. On February 1, 1830, both Percy Driscoll's wife and one of his slaves, a woman named Roxana, give birth to baby boys. Mrs. Driscoll dies a few days afterwards, and Roxana, or "Roxy," is left to raise both babies.
Also in February of 1830, a young man named David Wilson comes to Dawson's Landing. He is a lawyer from upstate New York who has come to seek his fortune. On his first day in the town, he makes a clever, sarcastic comment about owning half a dog that goes over the heads of the townspeople, who think he's an idiot and not in his right mind. The mistake dooms his law practice and earns him the nickname "Pudd'nhead," a name that sticks for the next twenty years. Since he has no clients, Pudd'nhead busies himself with small surveying and accounting jobs. He also engages in experiments of a more or less scientific nature. One of these is fingerprinting: Pudd'nhead Wilson collects the fingerprints of nearly everyone in town. One day he is in his study when he overhears Roxy flirting with another slave outside his window. She dismisses the man because she considers him "too black." Pudd'nhead looks out the window and notes that, although her speech marks her as black, Roxy appears to be white. She is only one-sixteenth black, but she is nevertheless a slave. Roxy has both her infant son, whom she has named Valet de Chambre after a phrase she overheard, and Percy Driscoll's son, who has been named Thomas a Becket Driscoll, with her when she stops outside Pudd'nhead's house. Chambers and Tom, as the infants are called, are identical in appearance. They are only distinguishable from one another by their clothing: Chambers wears rough garments, while Tom wears a fine gown and a coral necklace. Pudd'nhead goes outside to talk to Roxy and takes the fingerprints of both boys. Roxy tells him that she is the only one who can tell the two infants apart when they are not dressed.
Two months later, Pudd'nhead again takes sets of fingerprints from the two babies. The day after Pudd'nhead takes the prints, Percy Driscoll finds that some money has been stolen from him. This has happened several times recently, and he erupts in anger. Summoning his slaves, he demands that they identify the guilty party. That individual, he says, will be sold "down the river" to one of the Southern plantations, where they will suffer much more than they have under Driscoll. Roxy is glad that she has recently undergone a religious conversion at a local revival, and that it was not she who stole the money, although she acknowledges to herself that under normal circumstances she would have taken it. The narrator digresses for a moment to note that Roxy's way of thinking is average for a slave: anyone subject to such treatment, he implies, has the right to steal from their enslaver. All three of Driscoll's other slaves confess to the theft and beg for mercy. He tells them that they will be sold locally, and they are quite relieved. Going to bed that night, Percy Driscoll congratulates himself on his magnanimity and records the event in his diary for his infant son to read in the future.
Study Guide
Chapter 1 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 2 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 3-4 Summary
Roxy, thinking about Percy Driscoll's recent fit of rage, realizes that her son Chambers could some day be sold "down the river" and away from her. She decides to murder her child and commit suicide, rationalizing that the baby will be much better off in heaven. She changes into a new dress and picks up Chambers. Ashamed at his shabby gown, she puts him in one of Tom's beautiful white ones. Suddenly she is struck by his resemblance to the other baby, and she has an idea: she will switch the infants so that if anyone is sold down the river, it will not be her biological child. She remembers hearing a story about a similar switch in church; since that switch was perpetrated by a white woman, Roxy decides that her own action is acceptable. She quickly swaps the babies' clothing and practices speaking harshly to "Chambers" while coddling "Tom". No one will notice the switch, she is certain, particularly since Percy Driscoll's other slaves are going to be sold. The only man who worries her is Pudd'nhead Wilson, with his fingerprints project. Roxy knows that Pudd'nhead is not a fool, but actually the smartest man in town. She figures that if he doesn't notice the switch nobody will. To test this, she takes the children to be fingerprinted again. He takes the prints and files them without looking at them, then admires the babies. He does not notice the switch.
"Tom" grows into a terrible brat. He is fussy, sickly, and abusive to "Chambers", who is his exact opposite: healthy, mild, and obedient. "Chambers" is beaten by Percy Driscoll whenever he fights back, so he soon learns to check himself. He becomes the cowardly "Tom"'s bodyguard, fighting bullies at school for him and even saving his life once when "Tom" nearly drowns. "Tom" is mortified at being saved by a slave and claims he was only pretending to struggle in the water. A crowd of boys jeers at him and so "Tom" orders "Chambers" to fight them. Vastly outnumbered, "Chambers" protests but "Tom" insists, and then attacks "Chambers" with a knife, nearly killing him. "Tom" has also become exceedingly cruel to Roxy. She is disappointed but also secretly happy to see her son, legally a black man, in a position of such power.
In 1845 Percy Driscoll dies. On his deathbed he frees Roxy and names his brother, Judge Driscoll, "Tom"'s guardian. The judge has secretly bought "Chambers" from Percy because he knows that "Tom" would have tried to sell him "down the river" after Percy's death. This would have caused a public scandal, for it is not the way to treat a "family servant." Shortly after Percy's death, his fortune, built on speculation, disappears, but the judge reassures "Tom", telling him that he will be the heir to the judge's fortune. A free woman now, Roxy decides to take a job on a steamboat. Going around to say her goodbyes, she runs into Pudd'nhead Wilson, who teases her about leaving her boys and offers to copy their fingerprints for her. She wonders if he suspects anything, and, seeing the panic on her face, he wonders why his experiments have always bothered her. Not knowing the truth, he attributes it to superstition.
Study Guide
Chapter 3 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 4 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 5-7 Summary
Judge Driscoll and his wife are ecstatic to have "Tom" as a foster son. Not long after Percy Driscoll's death, though, the judge's wife dies, and the judge's sister, Mrs. Pratt, becomes another surrogate parent to "Tom." "Tom" is sent to Yale, where he does poorly. He returns home after two years and generates even more resentment than before, thanks to his newly acquired smarmy manner and gentrified clothes. He soon gives up the clothes but not the attitude. He begins to take trips to St. Louis, where he gets into some trouble. It is hinted that this trouble involves gambling.
The judge, now retired, spends most of his time with Pudd'nhead Wilson, who is the other member of the judge's "Freethinkers' Society." The judge publicly supports his friend, but the rest of the town still finds Pudd'nhead odd. This is not helped by the judge's public promotion of Pudd'nhead's "Calendar," a collection of aphorisms and quips. The public reacts much the same way it did to Pudd'nhead's remark about the half of a dog so many years earlier. This is apparently the same "Calendar" from which the maxims at the beginnings of the book's chapters are taken. Although they find them crazy, the townspeople don't bother Pudd'nhead and the judge: the judge is the most prominent man in town and Pudd'nhead is socially meaningless.
The Widow Cooper, better known as Aunt Patsy, and her daughter Rowena, who live in a small cottage in Dawson's Landing, have advertised that they have a room to rent. One day they receive a letter from St. Louis from a set of twins, Luigi and Angelo Capello, who are interested in the room. The twins' exotic names and their graciously written letter excite the townspeople, who speculate on their noble personalities and potential connections to royalty. Several days later, the twins arrive. They are handsome young men who are absolutely identical, except that one is a bit fairer than the other. They quickly charm the townspeople with their graces. They tell Aunt Patsy that they are the sons of a Florentine nobleman who had to flee following a war. They were sold to a sideshow after being orphaned, but eventually escaped and traveled the world, promoting themselves. As they tell Aunt Patsy this story, a crowd gathers outside her house, eager to see the visitors. Rowena is beside herself with excitement at being connected with such celebrities. Many hours later, everyone in Dawson's Landing has met them, and Rowena is suddenly depressed that the "most splendid episode of her life" is nearly over. Downstairs, though, the twins begin playing a four-handed piece on the piano and she realizes that there is more excitement to come. The villagers are astounded at the twins' abilities, and think that, for the first time, they are in the presence of "masters."
Study Guide
Chapter 5 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 6 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 7 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 8-10 Summary
The twins quickly become the most popular people in town. Judge Driscoll exercises his prerogative and is the first to take them driving, to show them off in public. He takes them to meet Pudd'nhead Wilson, with whom they become fast friends. Pudd'nhead has spent his day wondering about a strange thing he has seen: looking out his window at about dawn, he saw what appeared to be a young woman in "Tom"'s room in the judge's house. She seemed to be practicing artful feminine gestures. Pudd'nhead was not able to see her face. A few hours later Pudd'nhead paid a visit to Mrs. Pratt, by which he learned, without mentioning his sighting, that "Tom" was supposedly out of town and there were no newcomers to the house whose presence could account for the young woman he had seen.
While "Tom" has been away at Yale, Roxy has been working on steamboats as a chambermaid. She has been popular with the boats' crews, and has saved up a good deal of money. Shortly before the twins' appearance in Dawson's Landing, her arthritis becomes severe enough that she decides to retire and live off her savings. Disembarking in New Orleans, she finds that the bank in which her savings were deposited has failed, and her money is gone. Crushed, she decides to go back to Dawson's Landing, where she has friends. She also resolves to approach her biological son, "Tom," whom she hopes has been mellowed by time and maturity. She secretly hopes he will give her a small stipend. Her friends in Dawson's Landing, who are still slaves, take her in and feed her, and "Chambers" gives her an update on "Tom," who has been gambling heavily and has gotten in trouble with the judge because of his debts. Roxy is distressed for her own sake to hear that "Tom" has in fact been disinherited. "Chambers" gives her new hope, though, by telling her that a new will has been made, once again making "Tom" the heir to the judge's estate.
Roxy sends "Chambers" to request an audience for her with "Tom." "Tom" beats "Chambers," then agrees to see Roxy. When she asks him for a dollar he is furious. She is shocked by his cruelty and tells him that the next time she gives him a chance to do good for her he will fall down on his knees and beg to take it. Something in her expression scares "Tom," who figures she somehow knows about his recent activities. He offers her a dollar, but she tells him that he must beg her not to go to his uncle. She is, of course, referring to his true parentage, although he doesn't know this. She manages to scare him enough that, despite the indignity of kneeling before a black woman, he begs her not to ruin him and gives her five dollars. She tells him that she will let him in on the disastrous secret that threatens him if he'll come to the "haunted house" that night. Before she leaves she also demands a bottle of whiskey from him.
"Tom" does come to the "haunted house" that night, and Roxy tells him the story of his parentage. He threatens her, but she tells him that someone else, a man, has the information in writing, so killing her would do "Tom" no good (she is bluffing, not referring to Pudd'nhead's fingerprints). Roxy demands that "Tom" call her mother, which, after some difficulty, he does. She also demands that he turn over a part of his allowance to her. He tells her that he is deeply in debt, and that he has been breaking into houses to service the debt. Roxy approves of this action, and offers to help, but he refuses and asks her to leave town. She agrees, providing that he gives her money regularly. Then she breaks down, talking to him of the emotional trials he has put her through. "Tom" is confused and reminds her that he didn't know she was his mother. Then he asks her who his father is. She tells him that it was Colonel Cecil Burleigh Essex, another town leader of old Virginian stock.
The next morning "Tom" awakens after a night of dreams about his racial background. He is wondering why people were made "black" and "white," and why blacks are treated so badly, and why he has never wondered about these things before, when "Chambers" comes in to call him to breakfast. "Tom" is immediately ashamed that he, technically a black man, is being waited on by a white man. The next few days are difficult for "Tom," as he is forced to rethink his relations with everyone he knows. He finds himself acting the stereotypically submissive part of the black man. But after a week or so, he relapses into his old ways. He and Roxy meet occasionally, and have begun to forge a relationship, although each resents the other: she dominates him, while he admires her commanding presence. "Tom"'s gambling debts begin to mount up again, and he decides to undertake another round of robberies in the town. He breaks into houses only in Dawson's Landing because he would not chance breaking into a house thats layout was unfamiliar. He disguises himself as a girl, but then one day notices Pudd'nhead Wilson staring at him through his window. He switches into an old dress of Roxy's and robs the houses of those who have gone to see the twins on the day of their arrival at Aunt Patsy's. His raid is successful, and the only loose end is Pudd'nhead, who is still wondering about the girl he saw in "Tom"'s window.
Study Guide
Chapter 8 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 9 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 10 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 11-14 Summary
Judge Driscoll, Pudd'nhead Wilson, and the twins have a pleasant conversation. The twins ask to see Pudd'nhead's "Calendar," and compliment him on it. "Tom" comes over to Wilson's house to join the gathering. Though he has seen the twins before, while he was robbing houses, he pretends to be seeing them for the first time. For their part, the twins find "Tom" an interesting study: Angelo thinks he is pleasant and attractive, while Luigi is suspicious and thinks that "Tom" is a little too polished. "Tom" begins to harass Pudd'nhead about his failed law practice and his fingerprinting hobby. Pudd'nhead takes advantage of the occasion to take prints from "Tom," Luigi, and Angelo. "Tom" laughs at Pudd'nhead, telling him that twins have the same prints and so he has wasted a piece of glass. Pudd'nhead ignores him and files away the prints.
"Tom" then begins to mock Pudd'nhead's interest in palmistry. The twins interrupt him, mentioning that their palms were read several years ago and that most of what the palm reader had to say has come true. "Tom" is surprised, and Pudd'nhead is asked to read the twins' palms. Luigi records the previous palmreader's predictions on a piece of paper that is not shown to Pudd'nhead. To everyone's surprise, Pudd'nhead's reading matches what Luigi has written down: Luigi has killed a man. Angelo quickly tells the group that Luigi did it to save his brother's life, and draws a picture of the weapon Luigi used, a magnificent Indian dagger covered in symbols. He still has the knife in his possession, he tells the men, and its sheath is covered with precious gems. "Tom" is secretly thankful for this information: he has stolen the knife, but thought that the jewels were just glass and had been ready to sell it for a pittance. Pudd'nhead takes "Tom"'s hand and offers to read it, but "Tom" jerks it away defensively. He says that he has nothing to be afraid of, since he isn't a murderer. He then quickly begs Luigi's pardon for his hasty comment.
Just then a member of the town's anti-temperance league comes to the door to invite the twins to a pro-rum meeting. Although Angelo professes a dislike for strong drink, he and Luigi, accompanied by "Tom," go to the gathering. The twins are immediately elected to membership in the society. Angelo refuses the drink he is offered, and the crowd is offended, but Angelo's graceful refusal and his explanation of his principles soothes them and they begin to sing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." "Tom" gets rather drunk and insults the twins by suggesting they do a ventriloquist act. Luigi is offended and kicks "Tom" in the rear, sending him flying into the audience. A riot ensues, during which someone calls out, "Fire!" The crowd stampedes out of the hall and the town fire company arrives, nearly destroying the building with a flood of water.
The next morning Judge Driscoll and Pembroke Howard, the lawyer, go fishing. They encounter another man, who tells the judge about "Tom"'s encounter with Luigi and mentions that "Tom" had Luigi brought before the town court for assault and battery. The judge is mortified that "Tom" has compromised the family honor by not fighting back, as the son of an old Virginia family should. When the judge encounters "Tom" that night he orders him to challenge Luigi to a duel. "Tom" seems afraid of Luigi and refuses, causing the judge to disinherit him once again. The judge then issues a challenge of his own to Luigi. "Tom" is distraught and begins making plans to pay off his debts and regain his uncle's favor. He goes to see Pudd'nhead Wilson, who tells him that his uncle's desire to behave honorably is correct. Pudd'nhead berates "Tom" for not consulting his uncle about the matter immediately after the offending kick.
Pudd'nhead then changes the subject and tells "Tom" there has been another round of thefts in the town. "Tom" pretends that he is missing some items too. The town constable and the justice of the peace arrive and mention that a stooped old black woman has been seen behaving suspiciously, and they are sure she is the thief. Pudd'nhead says that Luigi's magnificent dagger has been stolen, and that a reward of five hundred dollars has been issued for it. All the pawnbrokers in the area have been alerted. "Tom" panics, realizing that if he cannot sell the dagger, the rest of what he's stolen won't be enough to cover his debts. Pudd'nhead tells the men that he's sure the dagger will turn up, and that when it does, it will reveal the thief's identity. He refuses to reveal how this will happen. Before the constable and the justice leave they ask Pudd'nhead to run for mayor of Dawson's Landing, which is incorporating itself as a city. Pudd'nhead agrees.
Luigi accepts the judge's challenge to a duel. The judge is pleased and comments on Luigi's admirable behavior. He notes that it is a shame to be fighting for such an unworthy figure as "Tom", but "Tom" is family (the judge thinks). The judge decides to redraw his will, making "Tom" heir once again. After the judge and Pembroke Howard leave for the duel, "Tom" enters his uncle's study and finds the new will. He is ecstatic at first and resolves to reform, but then realizes again that he cannot pay his debts now that it has become impossible to pawn Luigi's dagger. He goes to see Roxy, who tells him of the duel and insults him for refusing to fight himself. It must be his black blood, she says, that makes him act so cowardly. He notices that Roxy's face is bleeding and asks her what happened. She says she was grazed by a bullet from the duel and reports that Luigi was hit three times, in the shoulder, hand, and cheekbone. He fills Roxy in on his financial problem. She tells him to make arrangements with his creditors to pay heavy interest for the next couple months, in anticipation of the judge's death. She also tells him that she will check in on him every day, and if he fails to do as he is told, she will reveal the secret of his birth. Frightened and worn down, "Tom" agrees.
Study Guide
Chapter 11 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 12 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 13 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 14 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 15-17 Summary
Dawson's Landing is in a state of excitement from the recent events. The twins are heroes, the duel a success in the public opinion, and Pudd'nhead Wilson, thanks to his friendship with the twins, is the favorite to become mayor. "Tom" encounters the constable and Pudd'nhead on the street and rather unkindly asks the constable if he's caught the old woman responsible for the robberies yet. He asks Pudd'nhead, equally snidely, if his trap to catch the thief has worked yet. He then tells the men what he has guessed about the trap (which is actually Roxy's supposition): that the reward for the knife is public knowledge while the reward for the thief isn't, and that they are expecting the thief to turn in the knife for the reward, claiming he found it or bought it. "Tom" then claims that there is no knife, that the twins made up the knife in order to offer a reward that will never have to be paid. Their generosity and the exotic story would then make them even more popular in the town. The constable is convinced by "Tom"'s theory, and even Pudd'nhead begins to wonder about the twins.
"Tom" makes amends with Judge Driscoll by telling him that he had not wanted to duel with Luigi because he knew that Luigi was a murderer. He tells him that he would have stopped the judge from making the challenge if he had known, and the judge thanks him for respecting the family's honor by not wanting to fight with a criminal. The judge vows to embarrass the twins and shoot Luigi. Both the judge and Roxy are happy with "Tom"'s good behavior. He departs for St. Louis to sell some of the stolen goods, but is robbed of them aboard the riverboat. Roxy follows him to St. Louis and, upon finding out what has happened, is so concerned about her son's fate that she tells him to sell her as a slave to someone in the area. "Tom" sells her instead to a planter from Arkansas, lying to her that she's going to a nearby farm and that he will buy her back in a year. He pays off his debts and soon feels at ease about what he's done. Roxy, having worked on riverboats for many years, soon realizes when she sets out with her new owner that she has been sold "down the river" by her own son. She is distraught.
Back in Dawson's Landing, political campaigns have begun. The twins are running for seats as councilmen. Judge Driscoll and "Tom" work against them, and the judge is so happy with "Tom"'s improved behavior that he even gives him the combination to the safe and responsibility for buying votes. In the last speech of the campaign the judge slams the twins as con-artists, sideshow freaks, and criminals. He airs the accusation about the non-existent knife, and hints at Luigi's murderous past. The crowd is impressed. The twins lose the election, but Pudd'nhead is still elected mayor. Rumors soon spread that Luigi will challenge the judge to another duel once the judge has recovered from the election. "Tom" returns to St. Louis happy with his efforts.
Study Guide
Chapter 15 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 16 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 17 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 18-19 Summary
"Tom" finds an old man in his room in St. Louis when he returns one night. To his surprise, the old man turns out to be Roxy, who is in disguise. He stammers out an apology for selling her "down the river" and she begins to cry, telling him that he has treated her worse than anyone would treat a dog. She tells him that she was treated well at first, until the plantation owner's wife became jealous of her. Then she was sent out to work in the fields and abused horribly at the wife's insistence. Finally, after seeing the overseer beat an orphan girl who had tried to sneak Roxy some food, Roxy attacked the overseer and stole his horse. She made her way to the river, and eventually on board a steamboat, the Grand Mogul, on which she had once worked. The crew, old friends of hers, found her new clothes and gave her some money. She has been waiting in St. Louis for "Tom." Not long after her arrival in St. Louis, though, she saw her new master, posting runaway slave bills offering a reward for her return. "Tom" is frantic. Roxy's master has written him, saying that he suspects that something was not right about the sale and letting "Tom" know that he has heard that Roxy is in St. Louis. The man threatens "Tom" in the letter, telling him that he had better return Roxy to him or there will be trouble. "Tom" cannot believe Roxy would jeopardize him by coming to see him.
As it turns out, "Tom" has actually set a trap for Roxy, knowing she would come. Roxy outsmarts him, though, telling him that he must buy her back in her own name by giving her master all the money he has and begging the rest from Judge Driscoll; otherwise she will reveal his true identity and have him sold "down the river." After demanding that her new bill of sale be sent to Pudd'nhead Wilson, Roxy forces "Tom" to escort her back to her hiding place. She shows him a knife and tells him that she will kill herself if she's caught and that she will kill him if he signals to anyone. After dropping Roxy off, "Tom" walks home dejected. He decides, though, that he will rob his uncle rather than ask him for money.
Luigi issues a challenge to Judge Driscoll, who refuses it, saying that it would damage his honor to duel with an assassin. Pudd'nhead tries to convince the judge that Luigi killed only out of self-defense, and that to duel with him would be no shame, but the judge stands firm. Pudd'nhead tells Luigi that the "law" of the region requires him now to try to kill the judge on sight, and for the judge to try to kill him; he warns Luigi to be careful. That night the twins go out for a walk.
"Tom" returns to Dawson's Landing that night as well. He enters the judge's house and finds him asleep in his study with his money spread before him. Grasping the twins' Indian knife, "Tom" moves toward the money. He accidentally drops the knife sheath and the judge wakes. He seizes "Tom" and cries for help. "Tom" stabs the judge, who falls dead. He throws the knife down and rushes to his room upstairs. Quickly he changes into girls' clothes. The twins, who have been out walking, burst into the house and find the judge dead. Other neighbors arrive and "Tom" sneaks out the back way, encountering a few neighbor ladies, who do not recognize him in his disguise. He returns to St. Louis, and the next morning sees a notice in the paper about the judge's death which also informs him that one of the twins has been blamed (the motive is given as the election) and will probably be lynched. "Tom," now the heir to his uncle's money, pays off Roxy's master and mails the bill of sale to Pudd'nhead, as Roxy has requested. He is thankful that Pudd'nhead had made it impossible for him to sell the knife, which has been the instrument of his freedom. "Tom" heads back to Dawson's Landing, feigning shock at the judge's death.
Pudd'nhead takes charge of the murder scene, securing it for the constable. He also detains the twins, although they assure him that they found the judge dead. They also point out that they have no blood on them. Pudd'nhead tells them he will do what he can for them. He has noticed some fingerprints on the knife. The coroner's jury indicts the twins, who are put in prison. Pudd'nhead remembers the woman who has been blamed for the earlier robberies, and wonders if she might be responsible. The bloody fingerprints on the knife are not either of the twins', so Pudd'nhead compares them to all the female prints he has in his files; none match. Pudd'nhead does not believe the twins are guilty, but he also refuses to suspect "Tom," since he believes that "Tom" did not know that the judge's will had been renewed. He also believes that "Tom" was in St. Louis when the murder was committed. Pudd'nhead knows he must find the killer by matching the fingerprints on the knife; the twins will be executed if he does not. "Tom" pretends to be grief-stricken, although in reality he is haunted by his last glimpse of the dead man. Everyone believes his emotion to be genuine.
Study Guide
Chapter 18 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 19 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 20-21 (and Conclusion) Summary
The day of the twins' trial arrives. Pudd'nhead Wilson, who is their attorney, and Aunt Patsy, their landlady, are their only allies, although even Pudd'nhead is starting to doubt their innocence. Everyone is present at the trial, including Roxy, who carries her bill of sale with her, and "Tom", who has angered Roxy by suggesting that the twins did them a favor by killing Judge Driscoll (Roxy has no reason to think "Tom" has been involved). "Tom" has been giving Roxy a substantial stipend. Pembroke Howard is prosecuting the case. He establishes a motive for the crime--the lost election and the refused challenge to a duel--and reminds the court that the judge had said in public that the twins would be able to find their knife the next time they needed to assassinate someone. Things are looking bad for the twins. Pudd'nhead calls three witnesses: the women who saw "Tom" disguised as a woman leaving the judge's house. He tells the court that their story suggests that another party is involved, who must be found in order for the twins to get a fair trial.
The court adjourns for the day, and "Tom" leaves congratulating himself on his clever disguise and his care in destroying all the evidence. Pudd'nhead returns home and once more looks over all the fingerprints in his collection from females. "Tom" stops by to mock him, and handles a few of the slides with the prints on them, including an old one from Roxy. He notes that he and "Chambers" were only seven months old when that set was taken, and then asks Pudd'nhead a question about a line on Roxy's prints. Pudd'nhead holds up the prints to the light, and is suddenly startled by something he sees. "Tom" asks him what has affected him, and Pudd'nhead assures him he is just tired. After "Tom" leaves, Pudd'nhead pulls "Tom"'s old prints from his collection. The print that "Tom" had left on the slide with Roxy's prints matches the prints on the knife perfectly, as do more recent sets of "Tom"'s prints. Pudd'nhead also looks at "Tom"'s prints from his infancy and is startled to see that they don't match the others. Confused, he goes to sleep. A dream suggests a reason for the discrepancy to him, and he rushes to check more of his collection. Pudd'nhead has apparently figured out Roxy's secret.
Pudd'nhead prepares a series of displays for the court. The next morning he arrives at the trial and informs the judge that he has new evidence. Proceeding dramatically and incorporating a few careful guesses, Pudd'nhead lays out his case for the twins' innocence, explaining the theory behind fingerprinting to the audience, who had laughed upon seeing him produce his slides. He gives a brief demonstration of the process, identifying a series of prints that members of the audience have provided. The twins are released from suspicion, but Pudd'nhead delays naming the murderer. Instead, he produces evidence of Roxy's baby switch. Finally he names "Tom" as not only the murderer but as in reality a black slave named Chambers. "Tom", or Chambers, faints, and is arrested. Roxy begs God for mercy.
The town immediately revises its opinion of Pudd'nhead and the twins. The twins, tired of their notoriety, depart for Europe. "Chambers", now known as Tom, becomes a free man and the heir to the judge's estate. Having been raised as a slave, and speaking in a black dialect, he can't bring himself to inhabit "the white man's parlor." The slave quarters are no longer an option for him either, and he spends his time alone and unhappy. Tom continues Roxy's stipend. She is now a meek creature who spends most of her time in church seeking to redeem herself. Chambers, formerly known as "Tom," confesses to the crime and is sentenced to life imprisonment. The creditors who had been only partially compensated at Percy Driscoll's (Tom's father) death reappear, however, claiming that Chambers, in reality a slave, should have been sold years ago to pay them. By a convoluted logic, they claim that, had he been sold, the judge would not have been murdered, and therefore it is not Chambers, but the mistake surrounding his identity, which is responsible for the murder. The governor of Missouri agrees and pardons Chambers/"Tom," who is then immediately sold "down the river."
Study Guide
Chapter 20 (.pdf format) (word format)
Chapter 21 (.pdf format) (word format)
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