pudd'nhead wilson: chapter four

The new Tom (which was previously Chambers) turns out to be a spoiled baby. He never stops crying and gives Roxy troubles. One of his most prominent tiring acts is when he "holds his breath" and almost kills himself from suffocation. If I'm not mistaken, Dr. Adams once told us a story about how Mark Twain had a very strong memory and remembered one incident in his infancy when he (held his breath and) cried in order to get his parents attention. Well, I guess this life of infant Tom is taken from Mark Twain's own infancy.

How "Tom" finally becomes a very spoiled child and troubles his slave (who is actually his mother) and "Chambers" rises so many questions on my part. However, I will keep this question until a bit later, after I explore some more of this kid's naughtiness.

"Tom" becomes so very spoiled and troublesome for Roxy that Roxy one day kinda regrets why she has exchanged the babies. This fake master finally becomes her real master and troubles in his every single waking hour.

For "Chambers", "Tom" becomes a kind of threat that he can finally face lightheartedly. Once he tries to fight against "Tom" and put him down. However, his status as a slave-boy makes him face his master's ("Tom"'s ostensible father) beating on his butt. Later, he always succumbs to whatever things tom want. However, there's a blessing in disguise from this thing. He turns into a stronger boy due to a lot of practice--by practice I mean doing anything to save his little master from any danger, either from his enemies as well as from other things that endanger his life.

However, there are times when "Tom" cannot escape his enemies' bully because "Chambers" is away doing other things for him. Later, "Tom"'s dependence on "Chambers"'s help gives him a bad nickname, "niggerpappy's son". "Tom" hates "Chambers" even more, despite all the helps that "Chambers" has given him.

A twist of the plot occurs when Percy Driscoll, the big master, "Tom"'s ostensible father dies. He sets Roxy free from slavery. "Tom" wants his father to sell "Chambers" down the river, but his father refuses it. Being freed, Roxy decides to work as a chambermaid in a steamboat. However, there is one passing test that she has to go through--actually it's not a test at all, it's just Roxy sees it as something that can hinder her steps--that is, Pudd'nhead Wilson's fingerprint copying of hers and the two boys's. This time, Pudd'nhead Wilson senses a kind of fear on Roxy's part from Roxy's curious behavior, bringing a horseshoe everytime she goes to Wilson to have her boys' fingerprints taken.