Tom Sawyer Literature Analysis

Alivia Nguyen

English 6, period 6

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The Adventure of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is a novel celebrating the excitement,
freedom, and antics of childhood. The story takes a mischievous boy and transforms him into a
beloved young man. In the beginning of the novel, Tom is disobedient, clever, and tricky. Tom
tricked Ben and other kids into white washing the fence. He bargained and convinced the boys
that it was fun and a great pleasure to do. Ben and the other kids fell for it. Tom Sawyer is a
trickster figure who challenges the rules of conventional society.1 However, throughout The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Twain develops a dynamic main character, Tom.
One of the first major scenes to show a change in Tom occurs when he felt guilty for not
revealing Muff Potters innocence. Toms conscience tossed him back and forth at night because
he felt guilty for not telling the truth. Muff Potter sobbed and said, I didnt do it, friends, he
sobbed; pon my word and honor I never done it.2 Tom felt remorse for not telling the truth
about Muff Potter. He wanted to tell the truth and save him. It is unexpected for Tom to care
about someone, especially a drunk like Muff Potter. However, Tom felt guilty for not revealing
the truth about the murder. His feelings of empathy and mercy for Muff Potter show that he has
morally grown.
Shortly after coming back from Jacksons Island there is another change in Tom. After
Tom was caught lying about his dream, Aunt Polly yelled at him for having made her suffer
and for not revealing that he was alive. Tom told Aunt Polly that he was going to leave her a
message. However, he did not want to spoil the surprise, so he left the note in his jacket.

1 (Tom Sawyer Themes and Characters n.d.)

2 (Twain 2001) p88.

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Because I loved you so, and you laid there moaning and I was so sorry.3 In this scene, Tom
shows a lot of emotion for Aunt Polly; he feels for her sadness and pain. He truly wanted to tell
her that he was alive and well, so she would not feel so much sorrow. In, this scene Tom tries so
hard to convince Aunt Polly that he loves her and pours his heart out to win back her approval.
Aunt Polly is one of two people in the book to whom he shows real compassion.
An important scene towards the end of the book shows Tom becoming more mature by
taking care of Becky in the cave. When Tom and Becky were trapped in the cave, they were
scared, hungry, and despairing. Tom took full blame for his mistake for getting them lost. He
took care of Becky by finding a spring for water, giving her his wedding cake to eat, and taking
conservative measures with their candles. When Becky lost all hope and was at her lowest, Tom
motived her to keep on going, Maybe not, maybe not. Cheer up, Becky and lets go on trying.4
Toms perseverance and determination saved both their lives by finding a way out of the cave.
When Becky was at her weakest, Toms courage was tested. Under pressure, Tom showed more
confidence, takes responsibility for his actions, and has matured greatly into becoming a man.
Overall, Twain develops a dynamic main character, Tom, in The Adventures of Tom
Sawyer. To ease his conscience, Tom brought gifts to Muff Potter in jail. At the end, despite the
threat of Injun Joe, Tom tells the truth about the murder and saves Muff Potter. In the dream,
he tried to convince Aunt Polly how he felt about her. At the cave when Becky had lost all hope
and faith of escaping the cave alive, Tom stepped up showing honesty, bravery, and great
maturity in time of need. Tom was a glittering hero once more -- the pet of the old, the envy of

3 Ibid. p144.
4 Ibid. p224.

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the young. His name even went into immortal print, for the village paper magnified him. There
were some that believed he would be President, yet, if he escaped hanging.5 As the novel ends,
Twain did accomplished transforming Tom from a mischievous boy into a respectable town hero
meanwhile, maintain Toms excitement and spirit of youth.

5 (Tom Sawyer 2014)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Tom Sawyer . 2014. http://www.shmoop.com/tom-sawyer/tom-sawyer-character.html

(accessed December 02, 2014).
Tom Sawyer Themes and Characters. n.d. http://www.novelexplorer.com/tomsawyer/theme-and-characters-70/ (accessed December 02, 2014).
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. New York: Random House Publsihing
Group, 2001.