Sample Student Short-Answer Response

Question: Nurture vs. Nature: What position does Twain seem to take on the age-old nature vs
nurture debate? How does Twain seem to explain the various characters behavior? Are they
shaped more by their blood or their environment?
Student Answer:
Through his novel, The Tragedy Of Puddnhead Wilson, Twain expresses his personal
beliefs through the narrator, one being that of nature vs. nurture. Twain seems to take the position
of nature, nature influences a character more than their surroundings.
To begin with, Tom lived out majority of his life as a white privileged man, the second he
discovers he has a drop of black blood his personality, psyche, actions, and everything changes.
Twain states, the nigger in him was surprised when the white friend put out his hand for a
shake with him. He found the nigger in him involuntarily giving the road, on the sidewalk, to a
white rowdy and loafer(Twain 82). The newly discovered identity, being African American,
overpowers all the nurturing years Tom received as a white privileged person. It doesnt matter
his relationships with other white people, or the lifestyle he lived before because his true nature,
an African American slave, has a much greater influence over him. His true nature shaped how
he interacted with other people, white folks specifically. Tom was surprised when his white
friend extended his hand for a handshake. This was the reaction of his nature, a slave, because if
his white friend tried to shake a slaves hand that would be seen as out of the ordinary and a slave
would react as Tom did. Toms surrounding, the nurture, would not have been surprised and
would have shaken his friends hand. Also, his nurturing side has great influence over his actions.
For example, his behavior is that of a slaves. Tom found himself treating white folks superior to
him, even unconsciously as he would involuntarily give up the roads for them.
In addition, characteristics of an African American during the time the novel was written
was obedient, inferiority, and in some situations situations could turn slaves into cowards as a
result of them being a victim of their circumstances. In the novel, when Tom rejects the twins
challenge to a duel, Roxy states to Tom, En you refuse to fight a man dat kicked you, stid o
jumpin at de chance Its the nigger in you, dats what it is. Thirty-one parts o you is white, en
ony one part nigger, en dat po little one part is yo soul(Twain 109). In other words, Roxy is
telling Tom that he basically refused to jump at the chance of fighting a man that disrespected
him, and that acknowledges that although he is white that one part that is African American
overrides everything else and that is his soul. This part is shown through his actions of not
fighting the twins. A slave wouldnt participate in a duel, and Tom is behaving like a slave. A
white man, would have participated and defended his honor, as encouraged by the honor code.
Tom was raised around this idea of honor, but once he finds his true identity all that goes out the
door and his slave nature prevents him from fighting the twin.