The Value System Espoused in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

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Tom Sawyer is a boy who is always finding himself in some kind of mischief, yet he somehow manages to keep himself from being punished, and rather seem like a hero. He is always in and out of trouble, but despite his mischief, Tom is a boy with a strong moral conscience and a good heart.

One example of Tom having a good heart is where Tom takes the blame for Becky when she tore Mr. Dobbin's book. It is not right to lie about something or keep quite when you know who the sinner is, but Tom was noble enough to take punishment for Becky, because he liked her so much, and that made Tom a hero, Becky's hero.

In the beginning of the novel, Tom wishes that he could have the lifestyle that "Huckleberry Finn" has. Huckleberry has loads of freedom and no one to tell him what to do. Tom does not like school or Sunday school, but is forced to go because his Aunt Polly forces him to go. Tom does not like to take responsibility for "things" like going to school or church, but as the novel progresses, Tom begins to take the responsibility of being a leader amongst his school friends, more seriously.

In the first chapter of the book, Tom tries to keep himself from being punished for eating the jam, by tricking Aunt Polly to look behind her while he runs away. Later he volunteers to be punished for the book that Becky tore, which shows that Tom was trying to take responsibility for some things he did wrong in the past.

In this novel Mark Twain conveys the message that even a mischievous boy like Tom Sawyer, should be able to make mature, responsible decisions some time in his life.

One of these mature and responsible decisions was when he testified at Muff Potter's trial and told everyone that the real murderer was Injun Joe. "Tom was a glittering hero once more."

Near the end of the novel it is Tom again who pursued Becky to come along to Widow Douglas's instead of staying with Mrs. Harper as her mother told her to do. Tom and Becky wondered into the cave and got lost, but surprise, surprise, yet again Tom is the town's hero when he navigates Becky and himself out of the cave.

Tom also convinces Huckleberry Finn to stay with Widow Douglas, which urges "Huck" to take some responsibility by going to Sunday school and learning table manners.

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