Dear Larry,

The web site is very interesting and worthwhile, and Twain's views of
Indians are often troubling.  However, I think there is more to
investigate, particularly when you take his development in relationship to
other colonial situations, such as his late writings about the  American
annexation of the Philippines.  Even The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is far
more complex than simply providing a stereotype of Indians.  Joe is the
most interesting and "real" character in the book, the one who exposes the
racial stratifications in the apparently homogenous, complacent town, and
it's remarkable how, just by dressing up as a "Spaniard," racial
classification seems to disappear, and I believe that in many ways TS is a
far darker, far more disturbing and revelatory novel than most who regard
it as innocent children's literature realize, so I find Joe a far more
interesting and appealing character than might be supposed.  In a way, the
mixed signals of Joe's characterization remind me of discussions about
Shylock in The Merchant of Venice: actual human dynamics erupting from
beneath received stereotypes.

Hilton Obenzinger