As Puddnhead Wilson begins, it seems as though Twain is making an argument about nature and nurture, about how the circumstances of ones life influence (or do not influence) ones intelligence and moral character, all in the context of American slavery. By the end of the novel, however, Twain seems to be suggesting something much bleaker about the American Identity and human nature. What, in your opinion, is the takeaway from Puddnhead Wilson? Is the book a critique of slavery or the ignorance of the masses or human nature or something else? What is Twain saying in this novel about the American Identity? Choose two or three specific moments to support your reading. These should not all be from the first fifty pages.
