Personal Library -- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Author: (American) Mark Twain
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Tom is a clever and active child, embodying wisdom, cunning, justice, bravery, and even leadership. He is a collection of multiple roles—astute, compassionate, and weary of the real world. He yearns to break free from constraints and become a roving knight errant, living a life of chivalry. The novel portrays Tom Sawyer as an idealistic and ambitious character, yet also one filled with (troubles). He is vivid and lifelike, leaving a deep impression on readers. To Aunt Polly, he is a mischievous child, but she is softened by his "cunning" time and again. In Sunday school, he exchanges a note for a new Bible using the money he earned from selling his whitewashing privilege. However, when a lady quizzes him on the Bible, he answers incoherently, leaving everyone speechless. When his relationship with Becky hits a "crisis," "Tom dashes out of the classroom, climbs over a small hill, and goes far away—he doesn’t plan to go back to school that day." The scene describing the whitewashing deal fully demonstrates Tom’s exceptional leadership skills. The boy, unwillingly, becomes Tom’s "prisoner," not only whitewashing the walls for him but even sacrificing his own apples to do so. When the other children eagerly volunteer to whitewash, Tom secretly rejoices. After a fierce internal struggle, Tom bravely testifies, saving Muff Potter, which again highlights his noble character of standing up to injustice and refusing tyranny. Mark Twain, when depicting the group of children led by Tom, doesn’t just sketch their general appearances but delves deeper into their psychology, reflecting the natural development of children. When Huck asks Tom to join him as a robber, Tom says, "Generally speaking, robbers are more refined than pirates. In many countries, robbers are the upper crust of the upper crust—like dukes and such." Though these views come from a child, they genuinely reflect the psychological impressions society imposes on children. They go far beyond what a child could normally contemplate. In this sense, though the novel is written for children, it is also a high-quality children’s book for everyone. As Mark Twain wrote in the preface, "I wrote this novel mainly to entertain children, but I hope adults won’t just put it aside because it’s a children’s book." Reading this novel allows "adults to recall their own childhood selves—their emotions, thoughts, words, and some unbelievable actions."