About "Puddn'nhead Wilson" by Mark Twain

     The story describes the racism of the antebellum south, even as to seemingly white people with minute traces of African ancestry, and the acceptance of that state of affairs by all involved, including the black population. Furthermore, the reader can know from the beginning who committed the murder, and the story foreshadows how the crime will be solved. The male character, David Wilson, is a lawyer who came to Dawson's landing to practice law, only to find himself, and he unable to set up a profitable law practice due to the townsfolk's low opinion of his intelligence and common sense. He nevertheless settles down to a comfortable life in town, acting as a book-keeper and pursuing his hobby of collecting fingerprints. Although the title character, he remains in the background of the novel until he becomes prominent in the final chapters. In this story, Mark Twain tries to establish enough credibility to make people believe fingerprints.





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