
Those Extraordinary Twins
by Mark Twain
'Those Extraordinary Twins ' Summary
The setting is the fictional frontier town of Dawson's Landing on the banks of the Mississippi River in the first half of the 19th century. David Wilson, a young lawyer, moves to town, and a clever remark of his is misunderstood, which causes locals to brand him a "pudd'nhead" (nitwit). His hobby of collecting fingerprints does not raise his standing in the eyes of the townsfolk, who consider him to be eccentric and do not frequent his law practice.
"Pudd'nhead" Wilson is left in the background as the focus shifts to the slave Roxy, her son, and the family they serve. Roxy is one-sixteenth black and majority white, and her son Valet de Chambre (referred to as Chambers) is 1/32 black. Roxy is principally charged with caring for her inattentive master's infant son Tom Driscoll, who is the same age as her own son. After fellow slaves are caught stealing and are nearly sold "down the river" to a master in the Deep South, Roxy fears for her son and herself. She considers killing her boy and herself, but decides to switch Chambers and Tom in their cribs to give her son a life of freedom and privilege.
The narrative moves forward two decades. Tom Driscoll (formerly Valet de Chambre) has been raised to believe that he is white and has become a spoiled aristocrat. He is a selfish and dissolute young man. Tom's father has died and granted Roxy her freedom in his will. She worked for a time on river boats, and saved money for her retirement. When she finally is able to retire, she discovers that her bank has failed and all of her savings are gone. She returns to Dawson's Landing to ask for money from Tom.
Tom responds to Roxy with derision. She tells him the truth about his ancestry and that he is her son and partially black; she blackmails him into financially supporting her.
Twin Italian noblemen visit Dawson's Landing to some fanfare, and Tom quarrels with one. Desperate for money, Tom robs and murders his wealthy uncle, and the blame falls wrongly on one of the Italians. From that point, the novel proceeds as a crime novel. In a courtroom scene, the whole mystery is solved when Wilson demonstrates, through fingerprints, both that Tom is the murderer and not the true Driscoll heir.
Although the real Tom Driscoll is restored to his rights, his life changes for the worse. Having been raised as a slave, he feels intensely uneasy in white society. At the same time, as a white man, he is essentially excluded from the company of blacks.
In a final twist, the creditors of Tom's father's estate successfully petition the governor to have Tom's (Chambers) prison sentence overturned. Shown to be born to a slave mother, he is classified as a slave and is legally included among the property assets of the estate. He is sold "down the river", helping the creditors recoup their losses.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1892Authors

Mark Twain
United States
Twain was fascinated with science and scientific inquiry. He developed a close and lasting friendship with Nikola Tesla, and the two spent much time together in Tesla's laboratory. Twain patented thre...
Books by Mark TwainDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Futility: A Novel on Russian Themes by William Alexander Gerhardi
Futility explores the complex relationships between England and Russia through the experiences of a young Englishman, Lionel, who travels to Russia in...

The Jewels of Aptor by Samuel R. Delaney
The Jewels of Aptor is a science fantasy novel by Samuel R. Delany, his first published novel. It first appeared in shortened form as an Ace Double F-...

The Shadow-Line by Joseph Conrad
The Shadow-Line is another one of Conrad’s stories that deals with a hero who is faced by a problem that comes from an unexpected source, and for whic...

Moods by Louisa May Alcott
A story of love, loss, and redemption. Moods is a novel by Louisa May Alcott that tells the story of Sylvia Yule, a young woman who is struggling to...

Eve's Diary by Mark Twain
"Eve's Diary" is a comic short story by Mark Twain. It was first published in the 1905 Christmas issue of the magazine Harper's Bazaar, in book format...

The Younger Sister by Catherine Anne Hubback
Emma Watson, the youngest child of six from a poor family, was sent away as a child to be raised by her wealthy aunt and uncle. When her uncle dies an...

Manxman by Hall Caine
Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine, CH, KBE (14 May 1853 – 31 August 1931), usually known as Hall Caine, was a British author. He is best known as a novelist...

Burg von Otranto by Horace Walpole
Die Burg von Otranto erzählt die Geschichte von Manfred, dem Fürsten von Otranto, dessen Leben durch eine Reihe von unheilvollen Ereignissen und gehei...

The Keeper of the Bees by Gene Stratton-Porter
The story follows a wounded soldier named James Lewis MacFarlane who finds solace in the peaceful world of beekeeping. He meets a young boy named Jami...

Black Pawl by Ben Ames Williams
This riveting novel takes place on a whaling ship, where its captain, Black Pawl, has a troubled relationship with the first mate, his son. A minister...
Reviews for Those Extraordinary Twins
No reviews posted or approved, yet...