Criminals – Pudd'nhead Wilson
Presented by:
Syl Bartos
Brandon Carpenter
Scott Chapman
Jacob Cowan
Bradley Dolphyn
Criminals – Pudd'nhead Wilson
Elements of Criminality in Pudd’nhead Wilson
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Stealing
Dueling/Murder
Gambling
Fingerprinting
Pudd'nhead Wilson - Stealing
In Pudd'nhead Wilson:
Theft – the taking of another's possessions without
the approval of the victim.
Pudd'nhead Wilson - Stealing
There are multiple elements of theft:
The actus reus of theft is the taking,
keeping, or using of another's
possessions withoug approval.
● The Mens rea of dishonesty is the
decision to permanently
keep the possessions
from the rightful owner.
●
Pudd'nhead Wilson - Stealing
The English system breaks stealing down into
elements as well, but they are slightly different.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Dishonesty – the intentions
Appropriation – physical taking
Property – whatever is being stolen
Belonging to another – not your own
Not planning to give back
Pudd'nhead Wilson - Stealing
“I will not ask for the money and ruin myself; I will
rob the old skinflint.” (146, last lines of chapter 18)
More comfortable stealing than asking for money.
Pudd'nhead Wilson - Stealing
Why?
“One theory explains three required
conditions generally be present before
theft can occur: motive/justification,
opportunity/access, and low perception
of risk.”
-Security At Your Command
http://www.security.com.ph/stealing.htm
Pudd'nhead Wilson - Stealing
Gambling – Stealing
Working – Stealing
Uneasy (during and after)
Pudd'nhead Wilson – Dueling and Murder
http://www.pbs.com/wgbh/amex/duel/sfeature/dueling.html
Pudd'nhead Wilson – Dueling and Murder
Dueling:
● Usually gun or sword fights.
● Between two people in an attempt to regain honor.
● Code Duello (1777)
● Opposed to Dueling: George Washington and Benjamin Franklin
Murder:
The wilful and intentional killing of
another person.
● Seen as immoral and illegal for
thousands of years
●Documents such as the Ten
Commandments
●
Pudd'nhead Wilson – Dueling and Murder
“Sunday came, and Luigi insisted on having his challenge conveyed.
Wilson carried it. Judge Driscoll declined to fight with an assassin 'that is,'
he added significantly, 'in the field of honor.'” (139)
Honor
Difference between
murderer and hero
●Social code of honor
●Cowardice
●
Pudd'nhead Wilson - Gambling
Pudd'nhead Wilson - Gambling
History
Gambling – a risk, or a bet placed on an uncertain outcome
●Examples:
●Lotteries
●Horse Racing
●Card Games
●Slot Machines
●Sports Betting
●
http://www.library.ca.gov/CRB/97/03/Chapt2.html
Pudd'nhead Wilson - Gambling
Effect on the character Tom
Addiction
●Enormous Sums of Debt
●Inspires thievery
●Sells own mother as a slave
●Becomes disinherited from the
Driscoll family
●
Pudd'nhead Wilson - Gambling
“Roxy's pet castle – an occasional dollar from Tom's pocket – was
tumbling to ruin before her eyes. She could not abide such a disaster
as that; she couldn't endure the thought of it. Her remark amused
Chambers.” (62)
Roxy realizes she will not receive
any money.
●Pet castle – Roxy's desire or
dream.
●Disapproved of
gambling...because it left her less
of a chance of revenue.
●Approves of later theft
●
Pudd’nhead Wilson - Fingerprinting
Mark Twain - ahead of his time?
•
•
•
1st documented use of fingerprints as
identification, 1880.
Pudd’nhead Wilson written in 1893
Twain contributed to forensic research by
involving fingerprinting.
Pudd’nhead Wilson - Fingerprinting
“The murderer of your friend and min -- York Driscoll of the generous
hand and the kindly spirit -- sits in among you. Valet de Chambre, Negro
and slave -- falsely called Thomas a Becket Driscoll -- make upon the
window the fingerprints that will hang you!” (163)
Pudd’nhead Wilson - Fingerprinting
“The most accurate fingerprint systems far outperform the most accurate
face recognition systems, the National Instituee of Standards and
Technology recently reported.”
http://www.gcn.com/23_22/product-briefs/26873-1.html
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Pudd’nhead Wilson - Wrap Up
How did _____________ view ______________?
White Society
Slavery
Stealing
Corporal
Punishment
Honor
Murder
Roxy
Slave
Society
Tom
Pudd’nhead Wilson - Wrap Up
• How does a person’s status in society affect their perceptions of
morality?
• Who’s right? Can we state that conclusively?
• How does Roxy as an intermediary character help us to understand
the differences/conflict between “White Society” and “Slave Society”
morality in the book?
• What can we observe about the court proceedings and how society
relates to them? (How about the twins danger of “being
lynched”(144)?)
• What governing bodies are in place to support/check the societies’
views of criminality?
Pudd’nhead Wilson - Wrap Up
Questions?