Tom Sawyer

Author: Compiled by the Editorial Committee of "Children's Literature Companion"
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Mark Twain (1835–1910), an American writer. His real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. "Mark Twain" is his pen name. Born in a poor rural lawyer family in Hannibal, a small town on the Mississippi River, he left home early to apprentice. He worked as a typesetter, a Mississippi River pilot, a Confederate soldier, and even engaged in the timber, mining, and publishing industries. However, his effective work was as a journalist and writer of humorous literature. Mark Twain is the founder of American critical realism literature and a world-renowned master of short stories. He experienced the development of the United States from "free" capitalism to imperialism, and his thoughts and works evolved from light-hearted humor to sharp satire to pessimistic disillusionment. His early works, such as the short story "The" (1870) and "The Gilded Age" (1870), used a humorous and witty style to mock the absurdity of American "democratic elections" and the essence of a "democratic paradise." His mid-career works, such as the novel "The Gilded Age" (1874, co-authored with Warner), the masterpiece "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1886), and "The Prince and the Pauper" (1893), used a profound and biting tone to satirize and expose the rampant speculation, money worship, and inhumane racial discrimination in the United States, as well as the dark and oppressive social reality. Mark Twain was hailed as the "Lincoln of American Literature." Most of his major works have been translated into Chinese. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is one of Mark Twain's four major classics. The novel depicts the innocent and romantic life of a group of children led by Tom Sawyer. To escape the tedious lessons, hypocritical doctrines, and rigid living environment, they decide to pursue adventures. Tom is a clever and restless child, resourceful, compassionate, and to the current environment. He is determined to break free from constraints and become a outlaw, living a life of chivalry. To his aunt, he is a mischievous troublemaker with many tricks; but to the children, he is a wise leader and a hero. The scene where he is offered the right to fence is fully his outstanding leadership skills. At the end of the book, after a fierce internal struggle, Tom bravely testifies and saves Muff Potter. This reflects Tom's excellent character of fearlessness and adherence to justice.