Tom Sawyer
A Static Character
Tom Sawyer is an adventurous boy, a mischievous boy, a kindhearted boy, and a static character. Twain created Tom as a boy. He did not include any evidence for the reader to conclude that Tom has matured, or grown up, over the course of the story. Isn't The Adventures of Tom Sawyer a book about the nostalgia and greatness of childhood? If Twain was concerned about the growth of Tom and included it in the book, then would the story be as enjoyed? Would it still do its job, that is, making the reader miss the great days of their youth?
Larzer Ziff is an American writer who wrote many famous books such as The American 1890's, Writing in the New Nation, Literary Democracy, and Mark Twain. In his book on Mark Twain,
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Tom does mature things, such as breaking the blood oath with Huck so Muff Potter could be saved from jail and the town could know the truth about Dr. Robinson's murder, but that's the only thing that comes to mind when it comes to Tom's maturity. But, doing mature things and maturing over the course of a period of time are very different. Tom does not change, or mature throughout the story. He probably learned some things from his bad experiences, but Twain doesn't focus that wisdom into Tom's next actions, except for one or two. For example, the cave: Tom thought it would be a good idea to wander off from the group, with Becky, to explore the cave, and of course Tom and Becky got lost. They were stuck in there for what seemed like forever, but that did not stop Tom from going back into the dangerous cave with Huckleberry at the end of the story. Twain was not concerned that the reader would not conclude that Tom was maturing, or else he would've changed up that scene.
Overall, Tom is a boy at heart. Beginning to end, the story contains evidence about Tom's youthful personality. That doesn't mean he is a bad kid, it means that he does mature things at random times, and does immature things immediately after. In other words, he is a little mature from the start but he doesn't get any more mature throughout the book. It also means that in Twain's thoughts, Tom will need to make a few more mistakes to gain the wisdom and maturity of a
This early characterization keeps readers interested in Tom and what he will do throughout the novel due to his intriguing early rebellious behavior and personality. To start analyzing Tom’s life one must start with the earliest mention of him as a child, this being a scene of Tom harassing young girls during his own baptism, ignoring those who tell him to stop. This shows early rebellion and an apt for trying societal rules, revealing that he does not care about the outcome of any situation as long as he is enjoying himself. This is backed up later in his life when Tom gets into a fight at a bar and ultimately kills a man, resulting in him going to jail for multiple years, in which he does not break maintaining sanity revealing his aptitude and strength in his ways of leading his life. This philosophy would follow him through his life, ultimately starting to take a new shape when he would later meet again with the preacher who baptized him, Jim
But he is not in any way greatful for any of it. Despite everything Tom has he still belittles others, and cheats on Daisy. Tom has a racial attitude, for example, he disapproves interracial marriage. He is very egoistic and has a high opinion of himself. Even more supporting that he has no morals and a dark side also, Tom's affair with Myrtle Wilson also supports the conclusion that he's quite the
When Tom said he “wanted to resk it” and “tie Jim to the tree for fun,” Huck disliked the idea of disturbing Jim after getting away unnoticed, proving that Tom is more daring than Huck. When everyone in Tom Sawyer 's Gang questioned the purpose behind their plans to rob and murder, Tom replied that “it 's in the books...”, implying that Tom has read multiple books as opposed to Huck who is barely literate. Twain manipulates their characters so that Tom is the more bold, outgoing, and socially-rounded when compared to Huck. However, Twain does not outline all the differences between Tom and Huck for naught. They help highlight special characteristics about Huck that show his character 's positive contribution to the novel. Such characteristics include his kindness and sense of
I will have to re-read Tom Sawyer to consider that question, I remember that was my view the very first time I read the book because I did not read Tom Sawyer first. I think I changed my mind upon learning that Tom was such a well-known and beloved character, I did not think the audience would accept it. However, today, I am not sure why I thought the audience's expected acceptance/rejection is indicative of the authors intent. Twain was very dark in his later years, and his use of the dialects, inclusion of the (arrogant, taunting?) notice/explanation (challenge?) and his biting satiric tone indicate that he would not feel constrained by the audiences expectations, and might seek to shock them.
His Own Voice Mark Twain has a distinct writing style that includes had opinionated satire and presented social classes. These elements are present in the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. In ch.4 of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, a judge comes to Tom’s religious school and tries to get the students attention by saying, “Now, children, I want you all to sit up just as straight and pretty as you can and give me all of your attention for a minute or two. That’s the way good little boys and girls should do.” When writing this, Twain has demonstrated his satire against religion and the church.
In the first few chapters of the book, we can already see just how spoiled Tom becomes due to his indulgent lifestyle. While Chambers is being fed “mush and milk,” Tom is being spooned “delicacies” with no limits (Twain 17). This leads Tom to always getting what he wants and bullying those who don’t comply to his rules. Although I might have thought this pampered lifestyle would fashion Tom into a strong and credible young man, much like a prince grows into the leader of a kingdom, it ended up ruining him into a weak and almost sickly child, with a character to match. Because Tom was always being ushered his life on a silver platter without lifting a finger, he later develops into someone who is unable to look after himself and solve his own problems. Later on in the book, we can most clearly see the effect of Tom’s upbringing onto himself after Roxy admits to Tom his true herita...
We do not know much about Tom’s childhood; however it is clear that his life has progressed into a sociopathic lifestyle. We do know that, “[His] parents died when [he] was very small” and that “[He] was raised by [his] aunt in Boston.” (25) He disliked his aunt, hated her, and wanted to kill her.
Twain supports this idea by arguing that how a person is brought up often affects their entire life, seeing as how the majority of life-changing decisions occur in one’s childhood. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Tom’s lavish upbringing was one of luxury, which is telling later on in his resulting attitudes. Considering his socioeconomic status, and his family’s accumulated wealth, his childhood was one of stereotypical, wealthy, aristocratic, 1830’s, white child. One example of this is seen on page 17 of the novel, “Tom got all the petting, Chambers got none. Tom got all the delicacies, Chambers got mush and milk, and clabber without sugar.” Here Twain displays how extravagant Tom’s childhood was in comparison to Chambers. By including this set of details in the storyline, it shows that a person’s race affects their daily lives and routines, eventually shaping their future. Tom was fed delicacies and prepared meals, while Chambers received only enough food to keep him strong in order so that he can eventually work the fields on the plantation, since he was a slave. This also displays how Chambers was considered and treated as subhuman and property, given his race and extremely low social status in the early to mid 1800’s. Another example of how an upbringing shapes a person’s
...audiences. Mark Twain once said about his novels “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “the Adventures of Tom Sawyer” "I wrote 'Tom Sawyer' and 'Huck Finn' for adults exclusively, and it always distressed me when I find that boys and girls have been allowed access to them. The mind that becomes soiled in youth can never again be washed clean." - Mark Twain
In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain a young boy by the name of Huckleberry Finn learns what life is like growing up in Missouri. The story follows young Huckleberry as he floats down the Mississippi River on his raft. On his journey he is accompanied by his friend Jim, a runaway slave. Throughout this novel Huckleberry Finn is influenced by a number of people he meets along the way. Huckleberry Finn was brought up in an interesting household. His father was rarely ever home and if he was, he was drunk, his mother had passed away so Huck had no one to really look out for him or take care of him. Huckleberry had the life that many teenagers dream of, no parents to watch you or tell you what to do, but when Huckleberry finds himself in the care of Widow Douglas and Miss Watson things start to drastically change. Widow Douglas and Miss Watson are two relatively old women and think that raising a child means turning him into an adult. In order for Huckleberry to become a young man, he was required to attend school, religion was forced upon him, and a behavior that was highly unlike Huck became what was expected of him by the older ladies. Not to long after moving in, Huckleberry ran away. When he finally came home he respected the ladies wishes and did what they wanted, but was never happy with it. When Tom Sawyer enters the picture, he is the immediate apple of Huckleberry's eye. Huckleberry sees Tom as the person that he used to be and was envious of Tom's life. Huckleberry saw freedom and adventure in this young man and soon became very close friends with him. Huck then joins Tom's little "group" to feel that sense of belonging and adventure that he misses out on due to living with the two older ladies. Soon enough Huck realizes that all of Tom's stories are a little exagerated and that his promises of adventure really are not that adventurous. Tom gives Huckleberry a false sense of excitement and eventually Huck leaves Tom's gang. Later on Huckleberry 's father, Pap, enters the story and tries to change everything about Huckleberry that the two women have taught him.
Mark Twain quickly rose to fame after the release of his story, “Jim Smiley and the Jumping Frog,” and he continued to make a name for himself through the release of stories such as The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Twain saw immense success and fame; he was easily recognizable and wildly popular, even to the point of being called “the greatest American humorist of his age” by the New York Times. In short, Twain was as close to being an international sensation as one could hope for in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. However, it wasn’t until the later days of his writing career that Twain became so well known. As photography was expensive and hard to come by, caricatures were the method of choice to portray celebrities. And, as
Twain would describe Huck as the type of boy who enjoys rebel activities (smoking, sneaking out, pranking, and discussing of killing). But there Twain indirectly characterizes Huck as an orphan by creating a contrast between him and the other boys. All the other boys have family that Tom can capture for ransom, but unfortunately Huck has no family that Tom can capture.
In conclusion, the Tom Brown that entered the Rugby school at the beginning of the book is much different from the Tom Brown that left the rugby school. Tom becomes an honorable christian gentleman rather than a good spirited boy. Tom not only learns an education in subjects such as math and science, but Tom also learns to be a good student, a good friend, and a good Christian. Tom goes to rugby being a mischievous young boy and leaves rugby being an older Brooke. Tom became the gentleman
Tom Sawyer, a mischievous, brave, and daring boy that goes through adventures in love, murder, and treasure. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is about a boy maturing from a whimsical troublemaker into a caring young man. In the "conclusion" Mark Twain writes, "It being strictly a history of a boy, it must stop here; the story could not go much farther without becoming a history of a man" Tom is now maturing throughout a span of adventures in love, treasure, and everyday life that make him more of an adult, then a boy.
Tom is a character many people in this generation can relate to. Although the play was written many years ago Tom is just like any other millennial from this day and age. He basically hates his job because it’s not fun. He can’t cope with the fact that he has to pick up all the slack his father left behind. He even seems to think that running away will fix everything. All of these things are very common in society today.