How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"I'll tell you why [Luigi killed the man], since he won't say himself," said Angelo, warmly. "He did it to save my life, that's what he did it for. So it was a noble act, and not a thing to be hid in the dark." (11.58)
We could probably all use a cheerleader like Angelo to point out the courage it takes to carry out actions that others are likely to immediately condemn.
Quote #2
"Now come," said Luigi, "it is very pleasant to hear you say these things, but for unselfishness, or heroism, or magnanimity, the circumstances won't stand scrutiny. You overlook one detail; suppose I hadn't saved Angelo's life, what would become of mine? If I had let the man kill him, wouldn't he have killed me, too? I saved my own life, you see." (11.60)
Luigi may downplay his courageousness, but confessing that he wasn't acting heroically takes a lot of guts.
Quote #3
"A coward in my family! A Driscoll a coward! Oh, what have I done to deserve this infamy!" (12.38)
Take a chill pill, dude. Why does Driscoll get so bent out of shape upon finding out he's related to someone he considers a coward?
Quote #4
"En you refuse' to fight a man dat kicked you, 'stid o' jumpin' at de chance! [. . .] Pah! It make me sick! It's de n***** in you, dat's what it is. Thirty-one parts o' you is white, en on'y one part n*****, en dat po' little one part is yo' soul. 'Tain't wuth savin'; 'taint wuth totin' out on a shovel en throwin' in de gutter." (14.38)
Whoa. Roxy's assumption that it's the "n*****" in Tom that's responsible for his cowardice suggests that prejudice against blacks in 19th-century U.S. was so powerful that even blacks themselves might come to believe they were inferior to whites.
Quote #5
"My great-great-great-gran'father en yo' great-great-great-gran'father was Ole Cap'n John Smith, de highest blood dat Ole Vinginny ever turned out, en his great-great-gran'mother or somers along back dah, was Pocahontas de Injun queen, en her husbun' was a n***** king outen Africa—en yit here you is, a-slinkin' outen a duel en disgracin' our whole line like a ornery low-down hound!" (14.40)
That's quite a pedigree, Roxy. Roxy's clearly appalled that Tom has disgraced her powerful and courageous line of ancestors. Why is this lineage so important to her?
Quote #6
"Why, you were right in range! Weren't you afraid?"
[Roxy] gave a sniff of scorn."Fraid! De Smith-Pocahontases ain't 'fraid o' nothing', let alone bullets." (14.57-59)
Roxy's obsession with her brave ancestors reminds us of the importance of family lineage to powerful white characters like Driscoll and Pembroke. What do you think Twain might be up to in making such a comparison among these characters?
Quote #7
The people took more pride in the duel than in all the other events put together, perhaps. It was a glory to their town to have such a thing happen there. In their eyes the principals had reached the summit of human honor. (15.2)
Really? The duel between Luigi and Driscoll is the summit of human honor? Looks like our narrator's at it again: using exaggeration to subtly poke fun of the townspeople's questionable judgment.
Quote #8
"Tom, Tom, you have lifted a heavy load from my heart; I was stung to the very soul when I seemed to have discovered that I had a coward in my family."
"You may imagine what it cost me to assume such a part, uncle." (15.69-70)
Tom playing the part of coward—yeah, that's definitely a stretch.
Quote #9
"Den I see a canoe, en I says dey ain't no use to drown myself tell I got to; so I ties de hoss in de edge o' de tiber en shove out down de river, keepin' in under de shelter o' de bluff bank en prayin' for de dark to shet down quick." (18.14)
Remember how way back in the beginning of the novel Roxy was all set to jump into the river and end it all? Well, here she imagines suicide as a last resort which some might say shows growth in her courage to face her troubles.
Quote #10
Wilson took up several of his strips of glass. When the audience recognize these familiar mementoes of Pudd'nhead's old-time childish "puttering" and folly, the tense and funeral interest vanished out of their faces, and the house burst into volleys of relieving and refreshing laughter, and Tom chirked and joined in the fun himself; but Wilson was apparently not disturbed. (21.13)
Talk about being laughed out of court. Pudd'nhead may not be the hero of a duel, but he sure has courage in spades when it comes to overcoming the ridicule of others.