마크 트웨인의 『탐정, 사이먼 휠러』: 도둑맞은 편지에서 “토비의 편지”로

Abstract

This study explores the strategic act of letter theft carried out by Toby, a black slave character, in Mark Twain’s unfinished novel Simon Wheeler, Detective. Despite the novel’s history of severe criticism and neglect, Toby, ostensibly a minor character, emerges as a distinct figure amidst other primary characters whom Twain describes as “witless and flat.” Toby cunningly steals letters from his white master and family, subsequently sending them to his own family in Arkansas. These stolen letters are then publicly read aloud for the entertainment of unspecified black slaves on plantations. Toby’s actions repurpose these letters from mere communication tools into sources of entertainment while simultaneously validating familial connections that have often been denied to black slaves. Furthermore, this act fosters opportunities for community-building and transmutes written narratives into oral storytelling, thereby granting the power over interpretations and revisions of the letters. The study argues that Toby not only satirizes the central events encapsulated in the stolen letters but also disrupts Twain’s original narrative intent. Consequently, he evolves into a character significantly divergent from his initial portrayal.