Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Parent-Child Relationships in Mark Twain's Puddn'head Wilson
The novel begins with a mother's desperate attempt to save her child, but Roxy is not the only parent figure in the novel. "Tom" has multiple parent-child relationships. What are the similarities and differences between these parental-child relationships? What about the narrator's comments about parents and children?
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P5-2 Ch.3: Roxy switches her child with her masters. Roxy cares about her child and wants to give him a better life. She doesn't care very much about the master's child, so at the time it seemed like a win-win situation.
ReplyDeletep5-3 ch:5 Judge Driscoll and his wife are ecstatic to have Tom as a foster son.
ReplyDeleteThey were happy to have Tom because their 1st child died not to long ago.
Toms foster parents adored him even though he was ungrateful and spent all their money.
P5-19
ReplyDeleteChapter 15- Parent Child Relationships
When asked, "Tom" takes the credit for Rosy's theory regarding the trap. "Tom" doesn't even respect her enough to give credit where credit is due. He rather have all the glory for himself.
p-8 15-16 In chapter 15 the twins are becoming pretty popular and are getting to know the towns people. They discover that one brother is a assassian, and that the other is a detective who is trying to find out who is stealing all the valuables. Then in 16 Roxy is willing to be sold back into slavery so her son can get some money from her son, tom asks why, and she says, "A mother would do anything for her son."
ReplyDeletechapter 4
ReplyDelete"...he was a more consummate pest than ever. Roxy got no sleep while he was awake. He would call for anything and everything he saw, simply saying, 'Awnt it'! (want it), which was a command
It shows that tom was superior to roxy. Roxy had to do everything tom said because she was the slave
Chapter 4
"In babyhood Tom cuffed and banged and scratched Chambers unrebuked..."
Chambers couldn't hurt tom because tom was white. If chambers hurt tom, he would be punished
p6-2
P6-19: In chapter 16, Roxy finds Tom so sad that her motherly instincts kick in. She tells her son and he winces as a result. She offers to sell herself into slavery to help Tom. This is a perfect example of parent-child relationships because Roxy is telling Tom that she is basically willing to ruin her life to help his. Though Roxy and Tom have a rocky relationship this is proof that Roxy loves Tom which is a basis of a parent child relationship.
ReplyDeletep6-10 Ch. 19-20/ A devil baby born to a young couple is somewhat recognizable by the parents as a devil. but if a devil baby was adopted by an older couple, that baby would be considered as an angel to the couple. Judge Driscoll and his late wife never had children.
ReplyDeleteP6-19: In chapter 16, Tom decides to betray his mothers plan to help him and he sends her "down the river." Though this is not a pretty mother and son relationship, this is a good example because sometimes these relationships can be turbulent. This is a example that mother and son relationships can be difficult though usually not as difficult as Roxy and Toms case.
ReplyDeleteChapter 9
ReplyDelete"'Dats one thing you's got to stop, Valet de Chambers. You can't call me Roxy, same as if you was my equal. Chillen don't speak to dey mammies like dat. You'll call me ma or mammy, dat's what you'll call me---leastways when de ain't nobody aroun'. Say it!'"
The relationship between "Tom" and Roxy was not the healthiest one. When "Tom" first found out that Roxy was his mom, he was shocked and struggled to accept it since he had always thought of Judge Driscoll as his father. However, after a while he did come to respect her and to listen and obey most of her schemes.
P1-5
Chapter 3
ReplyDelete"Oh, I got to kill my chile, dey ain't no other way---killin' him wouldn't save de chile fum goin' down de river." This is a parent-child relationship because she cares about her child and she wants to do what is best for him. She would rather kill her child then have him suffer "down the river".
The one above is P1-2
ReplyDeletech. 16
ReplyDeleteWhen Roxana arrived, she found her son in such
despair and misery that her heart was touched
and her motherhood rose up strong in her.
This shows that even though Tom didnt grow up as her son, she still cared for him like a mother should. It also says that Roxy has a strong maternal instinct.
P1-8
Parent-Child Relationships in Mark Twain's Puddn'head Wilson.
ReplyDelete“Dat’s one thing you’s got to stop, Valet de Chambers. You
can’t call me Roxy, same as if you was my equal. Chillen don’t
speak to dey mammies like dat. You’ll call me ma or mammy,
dat’s what you’ll call me—leastways when de ain’t nobody aroun’.
Say it!” (p. 49)
This quote reflects that when someone has experience the type of situation Roxy and “Tom” have, it is difficult to have a parent-child like relationship. So when “Tom” discovers that Roxy is his mother and she demands to have the respect of a parent, it is hard for “Tom” because of the racial barrier and time gap that exists between them.
Ch 9-10
P7-16