Sacrifice In Tom Sawyer

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The passage by Thomas Paine basically states that people do not appreciate that for which they did not sacrifice, but people that give everything they have for what they desire are the ones who give it value and meaning. In fact, some people may call this statement inaccurate and cynical; consequently, they try to argue the view that people can have the ability to value and treasure that which is given to them. However, even though people can be grateful for gifts they receive, it will never have the same value as it would have if they had endured to attain it. Through examples of both religious and secular, people can see the truth of Paine’s declaration. There are countless examples in stories that demonstrate when a person's sacrifice …show more content…

One such example is found in a very popular American novel entitled Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. The main character, a rambunctious, clever and yet lazy boy named Tom Sawyer, often finds ways to get out of doing things he doesn't want to do. For example, one time he was asked by his grandmother to paint the fence before he could go play; being a lazy boy, in short, he found a way to get someone else to do the job for him so he wouldn't have to paint the fence, but could go off and play anyway. Unfortunately, what this naive character has yet to realize, is the gratification of hard work: had he done the work himself, then the time he had to play would hold more value. This is a lesson that a pair of adolescent children were actually able to learn during the course of their story. These characters are from the series, The Red Pyramid by Rick Riorden, and are named Sadie and Carter Kane. Both brother and sister in the story are at first able to work Egyptian magic with little to no effort due to their hosting of the Egyptian gods Horus and Isis. There is a point in the series where they are no longer hosting these two gods and are still trying to be magicians, but this time around, the magic they produce requires much more effort on their part and, as a result, they then come to really

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