The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer: Book Analysis

Summary of the book

Tom is a boy who lives with his aunt Polly. Tom has a brother Sidney. He has a friend calls Huckleberry but everyone calls him Huck. Huck doesn’t have parents and has no home.

Tom hates school so he goes swimming with Huck sometimes instead.

He is smart and knows how to get away with things. When a new girl comes to live in the town he lives in he falls in love with her. Then Tom arrived to late at school because Huck and him were at a cemetery to catch some thieves. Because he didn’t have an excuse he had to sit next to the girl. Her name is Becky and she asks Tom for help in drawing lessons because she isn’t good at it. Tom tells Becky he fancies her and she tells him she likes him to. But when Tom talks about his ex-girlfriend Amy Lawrence Becky thinks he has two girlfriends. That night Tom sneaks out of his window to go to the cemetery with Huck. At the cemetery are three men: Red Joe, Muff Potter and Doctor Robinson. They want to dig up the corpse of Horse Williams. Because Red Joe and Muff Potter wanted more money if they had to carry the body a quarrel broke out. Red Joe stabbed the Doctor with Muff Potter’s knife but said that Muff Potter did it. Huck and Tom who saw everything promised they would tell nobody. One morning Sid sais Tom he was talking in his sleep about the murder at the cemetery but she didn’t know he was there. When Becky didn’t arrive at school one day Tom forgot about the murder completely. Tom wasn’t cheerful anymore. Aunt Polly thought Tom was sick and she began giving him painkillers. Tom didnt consume them because he wasnt sick. When Pollys cat came by one day Tom gave him some painkillers. When Becky arrived at school one day Tom was happy. He tried to make contact but she ignored him. Tom was sad she didnt fancy him anymore and he ran away. Then he walks into Joe Harper he also ran away. They decide to go to an island with Huck to become a pirate. The people in the city went looking for Tom and Joe but no one searched for Huck. Adter a long search on the water they thought the boys had drowned because they were last seen when they were swimming. The boys saw the boat on the water so they knew everybody thought they were dead. One night Tom swims back home and hears the funeral was on friday. When Tom got back to the island they decided they wanted to attend their own funeral. Everyone was happy to see the boys again. Back at school Tom and Becky start to make each other jealous by starting to hang out with other kids. Tom started hanging out with Amy Lawrence and Becky with Alfred Temple. When Tom walked away angry Becky abandoned Alfred. Alfred was angry because he knew he was being used by Becky and he decides to tear pages out of Tom’s book. Becky accidentally destroyed the teachers book and he asked who had done it. Tom stood up knowing Becky did it and after that Tom and Becky were good friends again. In the courtroom regarding the murder Tom’s name is called by someone in the room. Tom had to step forward and he told the truth. After that Red Joe escapes through the window and isn’t seen again. Tom and Huck wanted to search for a treasure and they thought there was one underneath a big tree but they discovered nothing. After that they go to an abandoned house. When they arrived upstairs two men came in. Tom saw that one of the two men was Red Joe. They went there to hide a treasure but instead they found one. They decide to take both treasures to number two underneath the cross. Tom and Huck thought number two might be a room number in a hotel so they searched the two hotels in town. When they arrived at the right room they saw a backdoor. When Tom goes inside he almost stands on a sleeping Red Joe. Huck watched the backdoor while Tom took the cash. After that Becky organized a picnic. when everyone went home Tom and Becky were still in the cave. When Tom tried to find the exit he ran into Red Joe so he ran back to Becky. They found an exit and went home by boat. In the meantime Huck discovered Red Joe´s plan about murdering Mrs. Douglas. Huck alerted a few man and Red Joe was stopped. They went back to the cave and Red Joe was found dead. Tom went back to the spot he ran into Red Joe and there was a cross where the money should be. They found the money. Back home Mrs. Douglas threw a party and told everyone Huck had saved her life. She wanted Huck to come live with her and eventually he did.

Explanation of the title:

It’s about a boy who goes on adventures.

Main characters

Tom Sawyer is the main character of the story. He is a young boy, at the age of fourteen. He plays outside a lot and he always gets his clothes dirty and scuffed up. Tom Sawyer has quite the sass towards his Aunt Polly, and he doesn’t get along with his brother Sid very well. Tom had a girl that he wanted to get her attention so he heaved a great sigh as she put her foot on the threshold. Finally Becky tossed a pansy over the fence and Tom’s face lit up. Tom started to think, that he was in love with Becky Thatcher. Aunt Polly slowly learns to keep her eye on Tom because he is always causing some sort of trouble. Tom and his best friend Huckleberry Fin witness a murder crime of the doing of Injun Joe, but blaming Muff Potter, the towns drunk. The boys were so afraid to tell anyone that they promised a blood oath to not “spill the beans.”

Aunt Polly

Aunt Polly is Tom’s care taker. She is a flat character in the story. Aunt Polly wears nice dresses and likes to keep items organized and clean. She starts to not believe Tom anymore because he always teases her and horses around. When Tom had ran away with Joe Harper and Huck Fin, Aunt Polly already wanted to arrange funerals for the boys. Aunt Polly cares for Tom and loves him, but yet he still manages to tease her.

Huckleberry Finn

Huckleberry Fin is a round character in the story. He is a poor boy; he has raggedy clothes and doesn’t have a house to live in. Huck and Tom have a very close relationship between one another. They bother agree on things to satisfy themselves. When Huck and Tom go digging for treasure they become very greedy to be rich. Towards the end of the book Huck saves Widow Douglas from “getting revenge” of Injun Joe. Huck is known to be a hero.

Sid

Sid is a round but also flat character in the story. Sid is very uptight and wears fancy clothes only to school and church. He likes his things clean and takes care of his items, unlike Tom. Sid likes to be a snitch on purpose to make Tom mad. Sid thinks he is much better than Tom and they don’t get along the way fantasized siblings would. Towards the end of the book Sid is known to be a bad secret keeper because he told Huck Fin that the town was having a surprise party for the “New Hero” in town.

Injun Joe

Injun Joe is a round character as well as flat in the novel. He is a “harsh” man in which he never smiles and he always looks mean and tough. Many people are afraid of Injun Joe. Injun is a bad man he likes to steal money and diamonds and hurt people. Tom and Huck are deadly afraid of him from witnessing the murder of Dr. Robinson in the responsibility of Injun Joe. Thus man is a viscous character and has no feelings for Widow Douglas and her dead husband.

Becky Thatcher

Becky Thatcher is a flat character in the story. She is a clean girl who wears nice dresses all the time. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. Becky loves Tom and wants her father to like Tom because he saved her life and is trying to get that fact into her father’s head. Becky Thatcher is a good child, she isn’t a one to cause trouble, and she respects her parents dearly. Tom and Becky broke up at one point because Tom forgot that he was already engaged to Amy Lawrence but they got back together and are now madly in love.

Joe Harper

Joe Harper is a flat character in the story. Joe joined the boys to go run away to the island. Joe liked the island at first because he learned to smoke a pipe and he was “free.” Then he started to get home sick and he was the first to walk away from the boys and headed home. Tom got the other two boys to stay a little long. Then they all went home and attended their funeral.

Muff Potter

Muff Potter is a flat character because his motivation and emotions are rarely introduced in the novel. Muff was a poor man and was always drinking rum. He was known to be the town’s drunk. Nobody likes Muff Potter but Tom was still always good to him. Muff Potter was so drunk that Injun Joe convinced Muff Potter that he himself murdered Dr. Robinson. Muff begged Injun to not tell anyone because Muff was desperate to stay alive.

Place and time

Tom Sawyer is the main character of the story. He is a young boy, at the age of fourteen. He plays outside a lot and he always gets his clothes dirty and scuffed up. Tom Sawyer has quite the sass towards his Aunt Polly, and he doesn’t get along with his brother Sid very well. Tom had a girl that he wanted to get her attention so he heaved a great sigh as she put her foot on the threshold. Finally Becky tossed a pansy over the fence and Tom’s face lit up. Tom started to think, that he was in love with Becky Thatcher. Aunt Polly slowly learns to keep her eye on Tom because he is always causing some sort of trouble. Tom and his best friend Huckleberry Fin witness a murder crime of the doing of Injun Joe, but blaming Muff Potter, the towns drunk. The boys were so afraid to tell anyone that they promised a blood oath to not “spill the beans.”

Aunt Polly

Aunt Polly is Tom’s care taker. She is a flat character in the story. Aunt Polly wears nice dresses and likes to keep items organized and clean. She starts to not believe Tom anymore because he always teases her and horses around. When Tom had ran away with Joe Harper and Huck Fin, Aunt Polly already wanted to arrange funerals for the boys. Aunt Polly cares for Tom and loves him, but yet he still manages to tease her.

Huckleberry Finn

Huckleberry Fin is a round character in the story. He is a poor boy; he has raggedy clothes and doesn’t have a house to live in. Huck and Tom have a very close relationship between one another. They bother agree on things to satisfy themselves. When Huck and Tom go digging for treasure they become very greedy to be rich. Towards the end of the book Huck saves Widow Douglas from “getting revenge” of Injun Joe. Huck is known to be a hero.

Sid

Sid is a round but also flat character in the story. Sid is very uptight and wears fancy clothes only to school and church. He likes his things clean and takes care of his items, unlike Tom. Sid likes to be a snitch on purpose to make Tom mad. Sid thinks he is much better than Tom and they don’t get along the way fantasized siblings would. Towards the end of the book Sid is known to be a bad secret keeper because he told Huck Fin that the town was having a surprise party for the “New Hero” in town.

Injun Joe

Injun Joe is a round character as well as flat in the novel. He is a “harsh” man in which he never smiles and he always looks mean and tough. Many people are afraid of Injun Joe. Injun is a bad man he likes to steal money and diamonds and hurt people. Tom and Huck are deadly afraid of him from witnessing the murder of Dr. Robinson in the responsibility of Injun Joe. Thus man is a viscous character and has no feelings for Widow Douglas and her dead husband.

Becky Thatcher

Becky Thatcher is a flat character in the story. She is a clean girl who wears nice dresses all the time. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. Becky loves Tom and wants her father to like Tom because he saved her life and is trying to get that fact into her father’s head. Becky Thatcher is a good child, she isn’t a one to cause trouble, and she respects her parents dearly. Tom and Becky broke up at one point because Tom forgot that he was already engaged to Amy Lawrence but they got back together and are now madly in love.

Joe Harper

Joe Harper is a flat character in the story. Joe joined the boys to go run away to the island. Joe liked the island at first because he learned to smoke a pipe and he was “free.” Then he started to get home sick and he was the first to walk away from the boys and headed home. Tom got the other two boys to stay a little long. Then they all went home and attended their funeral.

Muff Potter

Muff Potter is a flat character because his motivation and emotions are rarely introduced in the novel. Muff was a poor man and was always drinking rum. He was known to be the town’s drunk. Nobody likes Muff Potter but Tom was still always good to him. Muff Potter was so drunk that Injun Joe convinced Muff Potter that he himself murdered Dr. Robinson. Muff begged Injun to not tell anyone because Muff was desperate to stay alive.

Way of narration

The novel’s narration is third person, limited omniscient, with Tom Sawyer as the central consciousness. This means that the story is told about Tom’s world and is particularly focused on him by a narrator who is able to understand the motivations and feelings of some of the characters. This point of view earns the reader’s amused admiration of an unlikely hero. Tom is a mischievous boy, an orphan, who cares nothing for school or church or any other polite social conventions but instead spends most of his time pretending that he is a pirate or a robber, sneaking out his window at midnight to have secret adventures with his friends in places like cemeteries, and entirely likely to have in his possession objects like dead cats. Tom Sawyer’s character is a realistic portrayal of a young boy who gets into trouble constantly, trying the patience of…

Theme/motives

The novel’s narration is third person, limited omniscient, with Tom Sawyer as the central consciousness. This means that the story is told about Tom’s world and is particularly focused on him by a narrator who is able to understand the motivations and feelings of some of the characters. This point of view earns the reader’s amused admiration of an unlikely hero. Tom is a mischievous boy, an orphan, who cares nothing for school or church or any other polite social conventions but instead spends most of his time pretending that he is a pirate or a robber, sneaking out his window at midnight to have secret adventures with his friends in places like cemeteries, and entirely likely to have in his possession objects like dead cats. Tom Sawyer’s character is a realistic portrayal of a young boy who gets into trouble constantly, trying the patience of…

The author

Mark Twain, pseudonym of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, (born November 30, 1835, Florida, Missouri, U.S.—died April 21, 1910, Redding, Connecticut), American humorist, journalist, lecturer, and novelist who acquired international fame for his travel narratives, especially The Innocents Abroad (1869), Roughing It (1872), and Life on the Mississippi (1883), and for his adventure stories of boyhood, especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885). A gifted raconteur, distinctive humorist, and irascible moralist, he transcended the apparent limitations of his origins to become a popular public figure and one of America’s best and most beloved writers.

Own opinion

I found the book interesting to read because of all the adventures but I wouldn’t read it if it wasn’t for my exams.