“In 80 years of fingerprint classification, no two identical sets have been found” (NCIP 1). In Pudd'nhead Wilson, Mark Twain uses the symbol of hands to show that people’s true identities can be exposed at any time, and they can always be identified. A fingerprint is used to identify an individual and it does not change. An illustration of this is during the trial of Tom Driscoll. “Every human being carries with him, from his cradle to his grave certain physical marks which do not change their character and by which he can always be identified” (Twain, 128) What this means is that every single person, when born is given certain markings that entified.
In the book Roxy switches the children but this is discovered when their fingerprint records are examined. Which is seen by everyone during the trial and is quite possibly the most important piece of evidence that Dave brings. “A was put into B’s cradle in the nursery, B was transferred to the kitchen and became and negro and a slave… A has been usurper and in my fingerprint records he has beared B’s name”(Twain 132). B who is the original Tom Driscoll was made Vale de Chambers when he was switched by Roxy. Which means the original Vale de Chambers went from slave to wealthy man and became Tom Driscoll. …show more content…
After finding out Luigi has killed a man Tom becomes shocked. “Just think of that, a man’s own hand keeps a record of the deepest and fatalist secrets in life” (Twain 63). After Dave reads Luigi’s hand he offers to read Tom’s hand to see if he has anything to hide. It was then when Dave took Tom’s hand, Tom became nervous. “‘Now Tom. I’ve never had a look at your palms’,...Tom snatched his hand away” (Twain 65) After Tom had mentioned the fact that a man’s own hand can expose him, he realizes he has secrets of his own that he does not want to be unearthed. The things that he is hiding are unknown, but presumably what he is hiding is the fact he is a