"Pudd'nhead Wilson (1894) was Mark Twain's last serious work of fiction, and perhaps his only real novel. Written in a more sombre vein than his other Mississippi writings, it reveals the sinister forces that, towards the end of his life, Mark Twain felt to be threatening the American dream. The central plot revolves around the tragedy of 'Roxy', a mulato slave whose attempt to save her son from his fate succeeds only in destroying him. In spite of a storyline that includes child swapping, palmistry, and a pair of Italian twins, this astringent work also raises the serious issue of racial difference."--P. [4] of cover.
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