...The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Truth and Tom Sawyer “The road to truth is long, and lined the whole way with annoying bastards.” Alexander Jablokov The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, has many themes; one theme is the importance of truth in society. A Society is inevitable. It will always be there as a pleasure and a burden. Society expects, or perhaps demands, certain behavior from the individual. If one wishes to enjoy the pleasures of society then one must play by society’s rules. Tom Sawyer, THE MAIN CHARACTER, is an imaginative young man who sometimes allows his imagination and high-spirit TO get in the way of telling the truth. Tom is very adventurous; he never passes up a chance to play pirates, robbers, or soldiers. We are introduced to Tom, when he is climbing in his window after a long night of cavorting with his friends. Soon after this, Tom meets Huckleberry Fin. Huck is a social outcast who likes to live by his own terms. Tom and Huck become good friends. One night the two boys go to the graveyard AND while they are there they witness the murder of the town doctor, Mr. Robinson. The boys watched as Injun Joe kills the doctor and frames a drunk by the name of Muff Potter, who happens to be IN the wrong place at the wrong time. The boys swear never to speak of THE MURDER again. Later, Tom falls in love with his new neighbor, Becky Thatcher. Eventually the two become engaged, but the engagement falls through when Tom accidentally...
Words: 758 - Pages: 4
...The Growth of a Boy Into a Young Man “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer someone else up” (Twain). This quote can apply most situations, however, Tom Sawyer had not understood that for a long time. As a young boy, Tom thought that he would be happiest if he had done anything and everything for only himself, but he later had a deeper understanding of this quote and its meaning and applied it to his own life. One of the themes that Mark Twain covers in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is maturity and responsibility over time. Examples of this theme include Tom comforting Becky in the cave, Tom defending Muff Potter during the trial, and Tom taking the blame for Becky. One example of Tom Sawyer’s growth over time occurs between Tom and nature. Tom Sawyer and Becky were exploring in McDowell’s Cave alone, and, consequently,...
Words: 812 - Pages: 4
...Everyone is Tom Sawyer ----A book review of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Tom Sawyer is a hero of everyone’s childhood. Mark Twain wrote a hero boy instead of a hero man. However, we can also find some adult’s words among what Tom said. It is very interesting and humorous when a little boy speaks in a way of adult. In this way, the great author wanted to give Tom some special characters that can made him different from the normal children and it is also a symbol of the adult’s world. In spite of the profound meanings that the novel revealed to the world, from the history of the little boy, we can easily find something similar when we were at his age. Tom will always give us vivid memories of our happy childhood. He will remind us what we once were ourselves how we felt and thought and talked what queer enterprise we sometimes engaged in. When I was a small little boy, just liking what Tom did, I was extremely curious about the small and strange world around me. My not-very-large-house meant a very-huge-mystery-castle to me. I always wanted to find some place that I could hide myself so safely that nobody could easily find me in a whole day’s searching. I skipped the school to catch some fish in the small pool near the school. I hated sleeping at noon so much that I locked myself in my room to escape the noon sleep. In my childhood there are so many adventures which deserve our cherishment. In Mark Twain’s perspective, there is always a mess in the world. The reality is very...
Words: 340 - Pages: 2
...In the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Huck Finn one of Tom’s good friends is hated and dreaded by everyone in town. Huck is told to be a bad kid even tho he really isn’t, he doesn’t have anyone to tell him what is right and what is wrong. He is a good kid ,even though parents may say he isn’t, because he judges others fairly and he helps others. The first reason why Huck is a good person is because he judges others fairly. Huck rarely says anything bad about another person and always sees the good in people. In the book it states that, “But he’s kind of good--he give me half a fish, once, when there wasn’t enough for two; and lots of times he’s kind of stood by me when I was out of luck.” This quote shows us that Huck likes and treats Muff fair even though he is a town drunk and is convicted of murder. Huck also treats Uncle Jake, who is a slave, really good and sees the good in him even though the town says that no one should talk to him because he is a runaway slave and is different in skin color from everyone else. Huck still continues to sleep in the hayloft with him and eat occasionally to show Uncle Jake that he does like him and that he is a good man....
Words: 439 - Pages: 2
...As Mark Twain's conduit, Tom Sawyer embodies the image of what Twain believes society should be attempting to accomplish, a revoking of social stigmas and reinstating of strong morals. Twain fundamentally believes that the idea that some is superior to another based on color of skin or gender is absurd. Although he grew up in a society where having slaves was normal and women were expected to fit restraining roles, Twain was able to come to the conclusion that everyone deserved to be equal. This notion was not only revolutionary but it was terms for getting him publicly ostracized which is why he disguised this philosophy between the binding of a children’s novel. This excerpt alone explains Twain’s philosophy: He [Tom Sawyer] remembered that there was company at the pump. White, mulatto, and Negro boys and girls were always there waiting their turns, resting, trading playthings, quarrelling, fighting, skylarking. And he remembered that although the...
Words: 513 - Pages: 3
...In countless literary works, authors create a character that acts as a parallel to the protagonist. These characters, called foils or foil characters, are compared to the protagonist in such a way to highlight specific qualities or character development. One such foil character is Tom Sawyer from Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Tom is a character that represents society along with its ideals and tendencies. Huck changes from a character that is only slightly different than the general population to someone who is tolerant and mature. Twain deliberately uses Tom’s personality to accentuate the change Huck has undergone throughout the story. Experience: As far as experiences go, Huck had seen and done far more than Tom, even at the beginning. His father, an abusive alcoholic, forced Huck out of his innocence at a young age. He was exposed to cruelty and rage that many people never see, which he...
Words: 1136 - Pages: 5
...Eighty percent of kids want to become independent and not have to be bossed around. As a child or teenager, this a very common in today’s world. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, illustrates the teenage life of a mischievous child known as Tom Sawyer who constantly lives his own life and follows his own orders. Tom learns valuable lessons, including friendship and trusting in others, although his character stays the same the whole way. Through Tom’s major actions and decisions, Mark Twain teaches readers that childhood rebellion is a common phase where children have a habit of becoming independent when transferring from a kid to an adult. Mark Twain teaches readers one of Tom’s traits, childhood rebellion, through Tom witnessing...
Words: 961 - Pages: 4
...Tom Sawyer Written Assessment Never have I ever wanted something, I couldn’t have. Well, that’s something I can’t say and neither can characters in The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer. Mark Twain creates many events in which characters wish to obtain or do things they couldn’t. This book tells a story about a boy named Tom, who goes on multiple adventures involving diverse character plots. Mark Twain conveys people want things more when they can’t have it using many different techniques. Mark Twain supports the theme using revealing actions in chapter 2 during the whitewashing scene. Tom is making whitewashing seem fun. It is evident on when Tom refuses to let them paint and as a result they want to paint the fence more than they did before.(13) This supports the theme because they can’t have the “luxury” of painting the fence and they just want to do it more. Tom understands this concept and uses it to his advantage....
Words: 449 - Pages: 2
...Tom Sawyer has a lot of information, one idea I have found very interesting is how Tom and becky are in an emotional fight the entire book. It started when Tom said he was engaged to Amy. Becky was very hurt from this and got mad at Tom. The last time in the book was when she did not tell the school master about when Alfred purposely put ink on toms book. Then it all stop when Nobel tom takes all of the blame that would have got Amy a whipping. In the adventures of Tom Sawyer, the main character Tom Sawyer changes throughout the book. Like Tom Sawyer I have also changed academically, socially and emotionally. Tom Sawyer has changed fanomanaly from the beginning of the book. He has changed in many ways. Here is one way he has changed...
Words: 374 - Pages: 2
...People must change to live life, but during Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, how does the main character really change? We are introduced to Tom being a coward, when we see him running from Aunt Polly when he is caught eating Jam. “Tom lives in a world defined by the customs and values of boys.”1 Though Tom may do some daring things, most of his actions are made in a sub-conscientious fear. So, how can Tom shake this fear off? Tom’s changes are what make the story interesting, but one may wonder how Tom changes the most. Shortly after the story begins, the famous scene of whitewashing the fence comes into play. First, Tom is painting the fence and he is sad because he cannot go and play. Then, Ben approaches Tom and teases him of how he must be having no fun. Finally, Tom acts like it is a great honor to whitewash a fence and convinces Ben and many other children that he must pay a great deal to do it....
Words: 877 - Pages: 4
...People change for two main reasons: their minds have open or there hearts have been broken. Tom has changed in many ways throughout the novel. I to have changed in many ways throughout my 7th grade year. Tom Sawyer and I have changed like leaves change every season. Throughout this novel Tom Sawyer has changed in many ways. One way he has changed is in the beginning of the novel Tom would trick kids into doing his chores. One example is “say Jim, i'll fetch the water if you'll whitewash some.” Then now at the end of the novel tom would actually do things on his own. One example is when Tom stood up in front of the class and said “I done it” even when he didn't do anything. I have also changed, one way is I have changed...
Words: 312 - Pages: 2
...In the events of Tom Sawyer, written by Mark Twain the reader follows Tom through his adventures of trickery, pirating and overall disobedience. There are two different perspectives to look through. The “Good” Tom, keeping Becky safe in the cave and helping Muff Potter by giving him hope when no one else cared, on the other hand, we have mischievous Tom, sneaking out after dark, running away letting the entire town think he was dead, and getting the other kids to his chores. Tom is merely a good boy, he just does naughty things with good intentions. For evidence, pointing to page ten can prove a lot, where Tom is falsely agreeing with Aunt Polly about school when he was really swimming outside.Tom goes far enough to change his shirt but as...
Words: 787 - Pages: 4
...The Antics of Tom Sawyer In Mark Twain’s timeless classic The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, he shows how in Tom’s little town one can be adventurous, smart, and loving. In the novel Twain does not make his character, Tom, adventurous, smart, and loving; he gives instances for Tom to show these traits to the reader and a plethora of such instances is given. These instances are for the most part very noticeable to an observant reader, but with regards to a few situations it takes a critical eye to notice how Twain may change the way he writes while Tom is in front of an important character. Tom is a typical teenage boy, but when he goes on his “adventures” he completely changes his view on the world he lives in. For example, when Tom runs away with Joe Harper and Huck Finn, the boys run away to pretend to be pirates. Tom completely immerses himself into his newfound lifestyle, “For a few days they are happy on the island and learn from Huck how to smoke and swear. They are beginning to get homesick when they hear a cannon being fired over the river from a steamboat. Then the boys realize that the townspeople are searching for their bodies.” (Batzer 84). After the townspeople give up on looking for the boys, Tom goes back...
Words: 723 - Pages: 3
...Throughout The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer, Tom goes on a roller coaster of emotions. Most of the time Tom is laughing, playing pranks, and telling jokes with his friends. In chapter 8 however, Tom is severely depressed because of his troubles with Becky, and questioning the idea of his death or disappearance. Tom wonders that if he were to go missing, become a soldier, become an Indian, or even a pirate, and not be seen for several years, if anybody would miss him, or even notice that he was gone. If aunt Polly would grieve, or if his friends and townspeople would search day and night for him, and if everyone would give up their search, or if they would continue searching until they found him. “Soon he had another idea. What...
Words: 314 - Pages: 2
...In the first ten chapters of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, honesty plays a very important role in the overall basis of the story. Throughout the chapters, Tom battles with his conscience on issues of minor importance to situations which could impact the lives of the other characters around him. It is these decisions that deal with the honesty of Tom Sawyer that shape is personality overall. From the begining Tom has had a dishonest nature that define his mischievous character. For example, “Tom pulled a boys hair, stuck a pin in another boy, presently, in order to hear him say, ‘Ouch!’” (page 41). This negative interaction between Tom and some of his classmates at Church shows Tom’s immaturity. It is insignificant acts such as...
Words: 402 - Pages: 2