ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER 11 - Kolbe Academykolbe.org/.../1938/ADVENTURES_OF_TOM_SAWYER_11.pdf ·...

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Kolbe Academy Home School ♦ COURSE PLAN ♦

Literature-NovelJunior High School

Copyright Kolbe Academy 2006 All Rights Reserved The Adventures of Tom Sawyer K1 Rev. 1/19/2009

♦♦♦ THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER ♦♦♦ COURSE PLAN METHODOLOGY: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is represented by the abbreviation TS. Each weekly assignment is summarized in the first line of the week’s daily course plan. The specific daily assignments are outlined in the following lines indicated by the DAY 1, DAY 2, DAY 3, DAY 4 and DAY 5 abbreviations. Discuss the Setting, Theme, and Characters with the student. Each week’s introduction includes the chapters that will be read that week, instructions for literary devices and elements of fiction that the student will encounter during the week, and a written assignment. The chapter study questions, chapter vocabulary and glossary are located in the Junior High Literature Study Question booklets available for purchase from Kolbe Academy. Discuss the literary devices and elements of fiction with the student using the worksheets included with these junior high literature course plans. We suggest reading the weekly written assignment to the student at the beginning of the week. The student should write the assignment down on a note card (to be used as a bookmark) so that he can think about the assignment as he reads. The written assignments are suggested to be completed by the following Monday. As the teacher, be sure to review the final exam now to ensure all concepts are covered with your student as he reads the book. ELEMENTS OF FICTION: Setting—Time: Since Twain wrote the preface in 1876 and says that the story takes place thirty or forty years ago, then the novel is set thirty or forty years prior to 1876, during the1830’s-1840’s; Place: American West Theme—Twain wants children to just enjoy the book (This idea was an unusual concept at that time; books were supposed to be for learning only; the concept of children reading books for enjoyment did not really exist). He wants adult readers to remember what it was like to be a child, perhaps so that they will be more sympathetic to their own children. Characters

Tom Sawyer – Our hero; mischievous and prone to adventure, though not all bad, sees things from a boy’s single-minded perspective. Huckleberry Finn – Tom’s cohort in “crime,” a local homeless, motherless boy who is admired for his freedom and sense of adventure, but viewed as an outcast because of his social situation. Aunt Polly – Tom’s aunt, who provides a home for Tom. Easily deceived by Tom’s pranks but loves him dearly and worries about his upbringing. Becky Thatcher – Tom’s sweetheart and “pledged wife” who lives with her aunt to attend school; gets lost in the cave with Tom and nearly dies from starvation and sadness. Joe Harper – Tom’s proclaimed best friend, who goes on the first adventure with Tom and Huck to Jackson Island; a good boy who enjoys adventure but cares what his family thinks. Injun Joe – A local scoundrel, a half-breed believed to be vicious, who has murdered at least five people in the village and stolen a large amount of money; dies alone in a cave. Muff Potter – An accomplice of Injun Joe’s who is wrongly accused of murdering the local doctor when Injun Joe sets him up; a drinker but nevertheless good to Tom, Huck and other local boys.

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The Welshman – the person to whom Huck runs in order to save the Widow Douglas from being tortured by Injun Joe and his partner. Sid – stepbrother of Tom who lives with Aunt Polly as well. We are not told how the two boys are related; they are not friends, but act as brothers; Sid tells on Tom on more than one occasion. Widow Douglas – The object of Injun Joe’s revenge since her husband, now passed, had tortured him; takes Huckleberry in to raise him properly.

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WEEK 1 Book Weekly Breakdown Goals and Notes for the Week

TS Chapter 1 – 8 Written Assignment

Have the student look up all the vocabulary words for Chapters 1-8 in the glossary prior to reading. Study questions may be completed as the student reads or at the end of the week when reading has been completed. Literary Devices used this week: discuss definitions of genre, protagonist, antagonist, cause and effect, dialect, dialogue, allusion, and frame story with the student (use literary device worksheet included in the syllabus). Students will encounter questions on these devices in the study question booklet.

Student Daily Assignments Parent Daily Guidelines

DAY 1

TS Introduction

Introduction. Have the student do study questions for the Preface. Mark Twain, a pseudonym (pen name) for Samuel Langhorne Clemens, piloted river boats on the Mississippi River before becoming a writer. The pseudonym he chose, “Mark Twain”, is a phrase meaning the river is safe for the river boat to pass through because the river is two (twain) fathoms (twelve feet) deep at that spot. Spent in a small Midwestern town situated on the Mississippi River, Clemens’ boyhood significantly influenced his writing, especially The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which takes place in a similar small town during the 1830’s, before the American Civil War. Written for the “entertainment of boys and girls” (Mark Twain’s Preface), it uses dialect and detailed descriptions to tell the tale of an adventurous boyhood. It would be wise for the student to re-read this introduction when he is finished with the novel in order to help clarify the novel’s purpose and to bring it full circle in his mind.

DAY 2

TS Chapter 1 & 2

Have the student read Chapters 1-2 and do Study Questions. Chapter 1. We are introduced to a high-spirited boy prone to pranks, and the Aunt Polly whom he can easily trick. We learn that he lives with her and that she is trying her best to raise him properly though his adventures often lead him into mischief. Tom plays hooky and that night, Aunt Polly tries to trick him into admitting it. She fails, and Tom’s half-brother Sid reveals it. Tom is troubled by this, but gets over it soon when he figures out how to whistle. He comes across another boy his age all dressed up, and Tom and he are determined to beat each other up. Tom wins the fight, and then follows the defeated boy home, taunting him all the way into his house. Tom returns home to a mad Aunt Polly who is determined to ruin his Saturday into a day of hard labor. Chapter 2. Saturday morning arrives and Tom dejectedly begins his assigned chore of whitewashing the fence. He ponders sorrowfully his loss of freedom until he realizes how he can get out of his job. When various boys from the neighborhood walk by, Tom paints with such care that he convinces each boy what a privilege it would be to paint the fence, then “reluctantly” lets them take over. In this way, Tom gets out of painting, and the fence gets three coats of paint! Tom learns from this experience a great law of human action, that, in order to “make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.”

Notes

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DAY 3

TS Chapter 3 & 4

Have the student read Chapters 3-4 and do Study Questions. Chapter 3. Tom reports the completion of his project to Aunt Polly, who has fallen asleep over her knitting. Astonished that he has actually done the job, Polly rewards him with an apple and an “improving lecture” about how sweet the reward is for being virtuous. Tom steals a donut while she’s doing this. He then settles the score with Sid for telling on him, and heads to a battle among the neighborhood boys. Leaving the battle, Tom spies a beautiful new girl, and falls in love instantly, but pretends not to notice her. He proceeds to show off to her with various gymnastic feats until she walks into the house, but not without first tossing him a pansy. At dinner that night, Sid breaks the sugar bowl when Aunt Polly’s head is turned, and she punishes Tom for it. She is full of remorse when she learns the truth but won’t show it; Tom amuses himself with a vision of his funeral and the torture it would inflict upon his aunt. He goes out later to look longingly at the new girl’s home, and is drenched by water thrown out the window by a maidservant. Chapter 4. Sunday morning finds Tom memorizing the shortest bible verses he can find with his cousin Mary. Afterward, Mary makes sure he is clean and dressed properly in his “other clothes” and on his way to Sunday school, which he despises. The new girl comes in with her father, and Tom begins acting up to get her attention. His previous love, Amy Lawrence, looks on jealously. Tom trades the “treasures” he had gained from the boys who had whitewashed the fence, for tickets, which state he has learned two thousand verses and now will earn a Bible. He presents his tickets to the Sunday School teacher, who is astonished. Tom gets to meet “her” father and is praised for being a “manly little fellow.” Her father asks Tom who the first of the twelve disciples appointed was, and when the girl prompts him, he answers “David and Goliath.”

DAY 4

TS Chapter 5 & 6

Have the student read Chapters 5-6 and do Study Questions. Chapter 5. A dull and predictable Sunday sermon ensues, and Tom, as well as other church members, amuse themselves by watching a dog and a beetle interact. Tom knows the sermon by heart, and faintly listens. He notices when the minister sometimes diverges a bit, and resents this. Chapter 6. Tom awakens Monday morning, dreading another long week of school. He comes up with an “ailment” to keep him home – a sore toe – and pretends he is dying from it. In fright, Sid jumps from bed and gets Aunt Polly, who is not convinced. Tom mistakenly informs her that his tooth is hurting as well, and she has it pulled before breakfast. On the bright side, Tom becomes the new “star” on the way to school because of it. Tom meets up with Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunkard. Huckleberry, we learn, is the envy of every good boy in town, because he comes and goes as he pleases and has no one to look after him. Tom and Huck agree to meet up at midnight to test out a dead cat for healing warts, but not before Tom trades Huck his tooth for a tick. When Tom gets to school, he admits to his teacher that he is late because he stopped to talk with Huck. He is punished for this by being sent to sit with Becky Thatcher, his new love interest. They talk and he reveals to her that he loves her, and then is picked up by his ear and sent back to the boys’ side.

Have the student read Chapters 7-8 and do Study Questions. Chapter 7. Tom and his best friend Joe Harper are punished for playing with the tick during reading time. At noon, Tom and Becky meet up and talk. They tell each other

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DAY 5

TS Chapter 7 & 8

Written Assignment

that they love each other and agree to be “engaged,” which Tom explains means pledging to love no one but each other, and dance only with each other, and walk together home from school. He then accidentally lets it slip that he and Amy Lawrence were engaged before he met Becky. Becky is crushed and won’t talk to him anymore, even though Tom declares he no longer loves Amy. Tom skips the afternoon at school. Chapter 8. Tom goes into the woods and broods over his bad luck in Becky being upset; he doesn’t think he did anything wrong, and imagines how sad Becky would be if he ran away. He decides to become a pirate the next day. Soon, Joe Harper shows up, and the two boys play Robin Hood. Upon leaving, they grieve that there are no more outlaws in real life. Have the student complete the written assignment, due Monday. Written Assignment: The genius of this book is that we see life through the eyes of a young boy, and only occasionally through the eyes of an omniscient, adult author. One boyish aspect is the presence of superstition or “charms” that are sure to produce particular cures or results. These superstitions play a huge role in the lives of Tom and his friends. Pick a few of these incidents from this section and illustrate how they play a role in how Tom thinks and acts.

Week 1 Grade Book Assignments Include (A) Points Earned (B) Possible Points A/B x100 =% (C)

Vocabulary Study Questions Literary Device Written Assignment Other: Week 1 Average Add up column C & divide by number of included assignments = %

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TS Chapter 9 - 18

Written Assignment

Have the student look up all the vocabulary words for Chapters 9-18 in the glossary prior to reading. Study questions may be completed as the student reads or at the end of the week when reading has been completed. Literary Devices used this week: discuss definitions of foreshadowing and motivation with the student (use literary device worksheet included in the syllabus). Students will encounter questions on these devices in the study question booklet. Elements of Fiction: The graveyard scene (chapter 9) is the novel’s inciting event of the plot. All the rest of the action will flow from this incident.


DAY 1

TS Chapter 9 & 10

Have the student read Chapters 9 -10 and do Study Questions. Chapter 9. Huck and Tom meet at the appointed time and head for the graveyard. They believe they hear spirits talking, but soon realize it’s the voices of three men they know – Dr. Robinson, Muff Potter, and Injun Joe, a half-breed. Hiding in the dark, the boys witness first the three men digging up an unknown grave, and then getting into a scuffle. The boys watch with horror as the doctor hits Potter over the head with a gravestone, and then is attacked by Injun Joe with a knife, and killed. The boys run off. Injun Joe robs the body of the doctor, with whom he has a personal vendetta, and awaits Potter waking up. When he does, he finds the knife that killed Dr. Robinson in his hand, and because he is drunk, believes Injun Joe, who tells Potter that he killed the young doctor. Potter swears Injun Joe to secrecy about the murder and “his” guilt, and runs off. Injun Joe mutters about the knife being Potter’s and how he won’t remember until it’s too late. Chapter 10. After racing back to town, the boys lay down panting. They write an oath and swear never to tell anyone what they saw, for fear Injun Joe will kill them if they tell on him and he isn’t hanged for the crime. They hide the oath in a shingle. Almost immediately, they hear someone outside, as well as a stray dog howling, which in their superstitious minds means death. They creep outside warily and see the stray dog howling in front of passed out Muff Potter, which they believe means certain death for him. They go home. Sid is awake when Tom gets home, and tells on Tom in the morning. Tom expects a whipping and is saddened greatly when he gets a weeping talk from his aunt instead. He promises to reform, and then goes to school and receives a whipping for playing hooky the day before.

Notes

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DAY 2

TS Chapter 11 & 12

Have the student read Chapters 11-12 and do Study Questions. Chapter 11. Rumors abound that Muff Potter is the murderer, and the Sheriff is on the lookout for him. As villagers drift toward the murder scene, Potter himself shows up and denies his guilt. Injun Joe makes a statement about his version of the events, and Potter is sent to jail. It’s decided that Injun Joe won’t be tried for grave robbery because of his formidable character. Tom is mentally anguished by what he’s seen, and talks in his sleep while Sid listens. Chapter 12. Tom’s mind drifts away from his troubles about the murder, as a new trouble befalls him – Becky is ill and not in school – he worries that she will die. His melancholy becomes so apparent that Aunt Polly tries all kinds of quack cure-alls on him as if he were ill himself, to rouse him. None of them work except to finally make Tom so sick of them, that he breaks out of his indifference toward life and annoys his aunt by asking for medicine so much that she gives it all up. At school, Becky returns and Tom is temporarily happy again, showing off for her, until he overhears her putting him down for it and is once more crestfallen about life.

DAY 3

TS Chapter 13 & 14

Have the student read Chapters 13-14 and do Study Questions. Chapter 13. Tom resolves to be gloomy and desperate for good, and to run away and live a life of crime. He enlists Joe Harper, who believes his own mother has thrown him away by punishing him for a crime he didn’t commit. They discuss it and decide to become pirates. They meet at midnight to run away and Huck meets them. Each boy brings his own provisions. They take off down the river on a log raft, with Jackson’s Island as their destination. Arriving within two hundred yards of it, they make camp and eat. Later on, all three are troubled by their consciences for stealing provisions and running away, but make peace by rationalizing that pirates simply do this for a living. They can then fall asleep. Chapter 14. When Tom awakens in the morning, he sits still and watches Nature wake up and go about her duties. He wakes up the other two boys and they go swimming. They find that a current has taken away their raft and are unconcerned. They catch fish and eat it, then explore the island. They are enjoying fully the open air and exercise. Later on, they hear a distant rumble and go to the shore to see what it is. It’s the steam ferryboat shooting off a canon and several skiffs floating around it. Tom realizes they are looking for a drowned body and in another minute, that it’s them they are looking for! The boys revel in their new grandeur at being notorious – for dying and causing lots of trouble to people. As night comes on, they begin to feel regret at hurting their loved ones, but eventually all but Tom fall asleep. He gets up cautiously and writes something upon two pieces of bark, then heads away toward the sandbar.

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DAY 4

TS Chapter 15 & 16

Have the student read Chapters 15-16 and do Study Questions. Chapter 15. Tom swims and then catches the last leg of the ferryboat’s journey to get home, where he looks in the window and sees his Aunt Polly, Joe’s mom, Mary and Sid all crying and talking about what good boys they were really. Tom feels himself glowing with pride and nobility at this “deserved” mourning for himself and his friends. He learns that if their bodies aren’t found by Sunday, their funerals will take place that morning. After the women part and Polly cries herself to sleep, Tom goes to leave her one of the bark pieces, but thinks better of it and leaves with it. He returns to Huck and Joe, and recounts what he’s heard. The boys whoop for joy at their fame and while Tom sleeps, the other pirates get ready to fish and explore. Chapter 16. The boys continued their adventures on the island. By Friday, after swimming and exhausting themselves, they began to feel homesick. Joe is first to admit it, and begins to leave. Huck is close behind, but Tom stops them by revealing a secret to them, that brings them back. They begin their sports again, and then Tom and Joe want to learn to smoke from Huck. After doing so, they become sick and wander off and pass out, where Huck finds them. Around midnight that night, a huge storm arises and wakes the boys up. They run for their tent cold, scared, and wet. The tent flies away and they find shelter under an oak tree. They get the fire going again and this cheers them. The boys’ spirits lag again, but Tom recognizes the signs and reminds them of his great secret, which cheers them up again. They decide to be Indians for awhile, and each in their own tribe they go about scalping and killing by the thousands. They smoke a pipe to make peace, and do not get too sick this time.

DAY 5

TS Chapter 17 & 18

Written Assignment

Have the student read Chapters 17-18 and do Study Questions. Chapter 17. Becky Thatcher and the other school kids gather to remember Tom and Joe, talking over their last words and where they last saw them. The next morning, Sunday, after Sunday-school, the funeral begins for the boys, and the whole congregation is crying when Tom, then Joe, then Huck march up the aisle, from the gallery where they had been listening to their own funeral sermon. Aunt Polly, Mary and the Harpers throw themselves upon their loved ones and Tom glories in his proudest moment. Aunt Polly alternately cuffs and kisses Tom for the rest of the day. Chapter 18. Aunt Polly reprimands Tom for keeping her in the dark, though she agrees it is a fine joke. Tom tells her that although he didn’t think of confiding in her, he did have a dream about her, and he retells the story about how he snuck home and heard them mourning over him. All are amazed that his dream should be so identical to what actually happened. Tom is a hero at school, and all the kids are jealous

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DAY 5

of his notoriety. Tom decides he can be free of Becky Thatcher now, and begins to talk to Amy Lawrence. Becky is jealous and begins talking to another boy, Alfred. Now Tom gets jealous and because he is sick of Amy’s prattle, he wishes that he had Becky back. Tom plays hooky at noon because he can’t bear the scene any longer. Becky observes Alfred spilling ink on Tom’s spelling book but resolves not to tell him. Have the student complete the written assignment, due Monday. Written Assignment: During this section of the novel, we might become shocked to see just how bad Tom can be without caring or maybe even knowing how his actions are affecting others. One thing he is keenly aware of, however, are his own ever-changing emotions. Sorrow and happiness come and go within minutes of each other for him, sometimes several times in one day or week. Point out a few of these occasions and tell what causes them to come and go in each case. What does this tell us about Tom’s age? Is his behavior a matter of immorality or merely typical of a young boys’ perception of the world? Cite specific passages.


Vocabulary Study Questions Literary Device Written Assignment Other: Vocabulary Week 2 Average Add up column C & divide by number of included assignments = %

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TS Chapter 19 - 28

Written Assignment

Have the student look up all the vocabulary words for Chapters 19-28 in the glossary prior to reading. Study questions may be completed as the student reads or at the end of the week when reading has been completed. Literary Devices used this week: discuss definition of tone with the student (use literary device worksheet included in the syllabus). Students will encounter questions on this device in the study question booklet.


DAY 1

TS Chapter 19 - 20

Have the student read Chapters 19-20 and do Study Questions. Chapter 19. Aunt Polly finds out that Tom lied about the “dream,” because Joe told everyone that Tom had come back. Tom tries to make her feel better by saying that he came back not to make a fool of her, but to tell her he was alright. He told her that he had written it on a bark, but didn’t give it to her because he thought of coming back at the funeral and didn’t want to spoil it, and so he put the bark back in his pocket. Auntie doesn’t believe him, but is happy for the lie because it covers a “multitude of sins.” When Tom goes back to school, she checks his coat pocket and finds the bark, and weeps for joy that he told the truth. Chapter 20. After receiving a kiss from Aunt Polly, Tom is in a lighthearted mood. He comes upon Becky, to whom he apologizes but she snubs him. This sends Tom into a rage again. At school, Tom catches Becky taking a peak at the schoolmaster’s secret book, and she accidentally tears the page. That afternoon, Tom is whipped for spilling the ink on his speller, and Becky remains mum. Later on, the schoolmaster finds his ripped page and begins interrogating the children. When he gets to Becky, her face would reveal her guilt but Tom yells “I done it!” Becky’s adoration for his nobility is immense, and the two make up after school.

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DAY 2

TS Chapter 21 - 22

Have the student read Chapters 21-22 and do Study Questions. Chapter 21. Examination day was coming, and with its end, vacation. The schoolmaster becomes more exacting, whipping almost everyone daily. The kids plan an ultimate revenge. On examination day, after several recitations from the children, a cat, suspended by a string, descends from the garret above while the schoolmaster is at the blackboard, and pulls off his wig with her claws, then returns to the garret with it! The boys are avenged, and vacation begins. Chapter 22. Summer vacation does not turn out to be as exciting as Tom had hoped. He joins the Cadets of Temperance, and finds out right away that being told not to drink, swear or smoke only makes him want to all the more. He drops the cadets and ironically finds he has no use for those sins. The Fourth of July is a failure for Tom because Becky has gone home for the summer, the murder secret weighs on him, he gets the measles, the town goes through a religious “revival,” (including Huck!) which isolates Tom in his “sinful ways,” and finally, Tom suffers a relapse of the measles. All in all, it is a dull and miserable summer for Tom.

DAY 3

TS Chapter 23 - 24

Have the student read Chapters 23-24 and do Study Questions. Chapter 23. At last the sleepy atmosphere of the town is stirred as Muff Potter’s trial begins. Tom and Huck talk over the murder, and whether they should tell on Injun Joe, whom they are terrified will kill them if they do. They swear an oath again to say nothing. They bring gifts to Potter in jail, since Potter used to mend their kites and show them good fishing sites. The boys are overcome with sadness and guilt. Potter admonishes them to never “get drunk – then you won’t ever get here.” There is no doubt that the jury will find Potter guilty, but on the last day of trial Tom Sawyer is called to the stand as witness for the defense! He hesitantly begins his statement, and Injun Joe looks apprehensive. When Tom gets to the part of the story where he tells everyone that Injun Joe had stabbed the doctor, the half-breed escapes out the window! Chapter 24. Tom is a “glittering hero” once more in the village. Tom revels in the glory, but has nightmares of Injun Joe all night. Huck’s confidence in the human race is obliterated, because Tom has broken his oath. Tom believes he will never rest peacefully until Injun Joe is dead and he has seen the corpse; no sign of him is found.

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DAY 4

TS Chapter 25 - 26

Have the student read Chapters 25-26 and do Study Questions. Chapter 25. Tom gets the urge to dig for hidden treasure and solicits Huck for help. The two work at a few different spots with no luck, and finally conclude that witches must be interfering, until Tom points out that witches don’t move about in the daytime. Tom then realizes that to find buried treasure you must dig at midnight where the “shadow of the limb falls.” So Tom and Huck meet at midnight. When they still find nothing, they conclude that they only estimated the right time as midnight, so that’s why there’s no treasure. They are also frightened by the “witches and ghosts a-fluttering around so.” They head home, and their night of treasure-hunting is over. Chapter 26. The next day they plan on continuing their hunt, until they realize it is Friday, a very unlucky day. So they play Robin Hood all day long and meet the next day at noon at the haunted house. As they become comfortable exploring the place, they hear someone entering. They hide upstairs and recognize a local tramp and a deaf and dumb Spaniard entering the house. When the Spaniard starts talking, the boys realize it is Injun Joe in disguise! Injun Joe talks about a dangerous robbery job he must do to get “revenge” before the two men will leave for Texas. The boys wonder if the revenge is for Tom, and are terrified. Soon, though, they are glad of where they are, because they learn that the two men have six hundred dollars to hide, and plan on hiding it in the house. Then the men decide not to hide the six hundred but to take it to Injun Joe’s hideout. The boys are distressed, as they wanted to take the money for themselves, but the spade and shovel with their fresh dirt in it gave away that someone had been there recently and caused the men to take the money away instead.

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DAY 5

TS Chapter 27 - 28

Written Assignment

Have the student read Chapters 27-28 and do Study Questions. Tom wakens with the thought that yesterday’s events were a dream, but when he meets up with Huck, he remembers the events clearly. The two think over what they should do to get the treasure, and about where the “Number 2” hideout is that Injun Joe referred to is. Tom leaves Huck to investigate, and finds that of the two taverns in town, one number 2 is inhabited by a lawyer, and in another, less respectable tavern, the number 2 is kept locked up and is only entered in and out of at night. Tom concludes this must be Injun Joe’s spot, and heads for Huck to tell him he must follow Injun Joe that very night. Huck agrees fearfully. Chapter 28. That night Tom and Huck are ready for their adventure, but have no luck for three nights. On Thursday night, Huck stands sentry while Tom goes into the alley with keys from home to try the Number 2 door. After what seems like hours, Tom comes tearing by Huck and says “Run for your life!” Off the boys run. Huck learns that Tom had tried two keys that wouldn’t work, and finds the door is actually unlocked. Tom stepped in and almost stepped on Injun Joe’s sleeping, possibly drunken, hand. Tom rationalizes that all taverns are haunted with whiskey, and resolves not to try and get in there again until Injun Joe is gone, and then snatch the box of money. Have the student work on the written assignment, due Monday. Written Assignment: Although this book is not specifically about Huckleberry Finn, he plays a huge role in it. What is his role, do you think? Does he stand on his own or serve to illustrate Tom’s character more, or both? Huck is always excluded and looked down upon by the villagers for not having a stable home and parents, though this does not appear to be his fault. Even Tom, who hangs out with him, occasionally will exclude him and, as stated by the author, does not want to be seen with him. What are we to make of this? Is Tom’s treatment of Huck influenced by the adults in his life, and are we to think Tom cruel for sometimes partaking in the exclusion of Huck? Explore the relationship between Huck and Tom based on their interchanges, and decide what Huck’s role in the novel is. Cite certain passages that highlight the boys’ relationship.


Vocabulary Study Questions Literary Device Written Assignment Other: Week 3 Average Add up column C & divide by number of included assignments = %

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TS Chapter 29 - 35

Written Assignment

Have the student look up all the vocabulary words for Chapters 29-35 in the glossary prior to reading. Study questions may be completed as the student reads or at the end of the week when reading has been completed. Literary Devices used this week: discuss definitions of stereotype, flashback, dynamic and static characters, and conflict and resolution with the student (use literary device and elements of fiction worksheet included in the syllabus). Students will encounter questions on these devices in the study question booklet. Elements of Fiction: Tom’s showing the money to everyone (Chapter 34) is the novel’s climax of the plot; all the events lead up to this one. After this event, it is just a matter of “tying up loose ends” in the plot.


DAY 1

TS Chapter 29 & 30

Have the student read Chapters 29-30 and do Study Questions. Chapter 29. Tom forgets Injun Joe and the treasure when he learns Becky has returned. All his thoughts turn to her and the picnic she is having on the ferryboat. He doesn’t tell Huck but goes off on the picnic, though Huck is scheduled to give the signal any night that Injun Joe has left the tavern. Tom convinces Becky to stay at the Widow Douglas’ home that night, rather than at the Harpers as she told her mother she would. On Huck’s watch that night, Injun Joe and his cohort leave the tavern with the box and Huck decides not to signal for Tom, but follow them himself. They go to Widow Douglas’ house and Huck overhears Injun Joe’s plans to get his revenge on her for her husband publicly horsewhipping him, by torturing her. Huck runs for help and gets the Welshmen to go, armed, up to Widow Douglas’ home. Huck hears gunshots and a cry, and runs off. Chapter 30. Huck visits the Welshmen the next morning to hear the news of the night and receives an unexpected welcome which heartens him. He learns that the “Spaniard” and his buddy got away because the Welshman father sneezed and alerted them of their presence. Huck is asked to describe the villains, and says it is the Spaniard at first, but then accidentally tells them that the deaf and dumb Spaniard spoke; then he admits that it’s Injun Joe. Huck won’t become a hero because he’s afraid for his life, and the Welshmen agrees to keep it a secret. Huck tells the rest of his story about following the villains and is shocked to hear that a bulky bundle was found – but is visibly relieved to hear that it wasn’t the treasure, but a bunch of burglars’ tools. Becky and Tom don’t turn up and it is believed that they are lost in the cave at the picnic. A town-wide search for them begins. Huck becomes deliriously sick with fever.

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DAY 2

TS Chapter 31 & 32

Have the student read Chapters 31-32 and do Study Questions. Chapter 31. This chapter tells Tom and Becky’s story of how they got lost in the cave. They wander off to explore together, and before they know it they are away from all the others and hear no other sounds. Bats extinguish one of their lights, and they are afraid to go back the way they came because the bats may put out their other light, so they go forward, deeper into the cave. Tom regrets not marking their way, and they are completely lost. Tom tries to remain hopeful for Becky’s sake but every path they take brings them nowhere closer to leaving the cave. They split a portion of what they call “their wedding cake” from the picnic and drink cold water from cave creeks. They alternately sleep and try to find their way out, but eventually stay in one spot. They hear voices yelling at one point but no one hears them calling back. To keep from being idle, Tom explores some side passages, and comes upon Injun Joe, who does not recognize Tom and runs away. Becky believes they will die there, and Tom kisses her and promises to stay by her side while she dies. He makes one last trek down a side path. Chapter 32. Back in the village, Tom and Becky are assumed dead. Late on Tuesday night, however, they turn up! Tom saw a speck of light on the last path he tried. He followed it out until he saw the Mississippi River through a hole. He went back for Becky and they cried for help, and a nearby skiff stopped and saved them. The two children are laid up in bed for almost a week, and after two weeks, Huck is better too, so Tom sets off to see him. On the way, he stops by the Thatcher’s to see Becky and learns that Judge Thatcher and his friends have closed off the cave with a door and lock. Tom grows faint at the realization, and finally tells the men that Injun Joe is in the cave! The scoundrel that was with the “Spaniard” is found drowned in the river.

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DAY 3

TS Chapter 33

Have the student read Chapter 33 and do Study Questions. When the cave door is opened, Injun Joe is found dead right on the other side of it. He had starved to death. He’s buried near the mouth of the cave and everyone around attends the funeral. Huck and Tom meet up and discuss where the treasure could be now, and decide it was never in “Number 2” at the tavern, but is in the cave. They go there with provisions and kite string to keep from getting lost, and come to the place where Tom had ran into Injun Joe. They decide to be robbers and take prisoners for ransom, and kill them if they aren’t ransomed after a year. In the cave, they see a cross carved on the cave wall, and dig under it, under a rock, and find the treasure. They decide to leave the guns that Injun Joe had buried there for later “robbing.” Heading back to town the money is heavy, so they stop to rest by the Welshmen. Mr. Jones (the father of the Welshmen) comes out and asks what they’ve been doing, and they say nothing much. He then mysteriously invites them over to the Widow Douglas’ home, where she has them wash and dress themselves in new suits. Everyone from the village was gathered there; Aunt Polly is appalled by Tom’s dirty appearance.

DAY 4

TS Chapter 34

Have the student read Chapter 34 and do Study Questions. Huck wants to jump out the window and not go downstairs, as the idea of this party makes him uncomfortable. Sid comes upstairs and tells them that Mr. Jones plans on telling everyone about Huck’s part in saving the Widow Douglas, but that everyone already knows of it already. Tom accuses Sid of spreading the word and cuffs him, kicking him out of the room. Tom assures Huck that he’ll take care of him downstairs. At the supper, Mr. Jones makes a speech, thanking the Widow Douglas for the honor of the party, but that there is another to thank, namely, Huck. The widow announces that she plans on giving Huck a home under her roof and having him educated, and that with her spare money she would start him up in business. Tom takes a chance and tells everyone that “Huck don’t need it. Huck’s rich.” Everyone is astounded, and waits while Tom runs outside and returns with the twelve thousand dollars in gold, to be split between himself and Huck. Tom tells the whole tale to the crowd.

AMDG




DAY 5

TS Chapter 35

Written Assignment

Have the student read Chapter 35 and do Study Questions. The town lives in awe of Tom and Huck and their wealth. They are admired and nearly worshipped by everyone for all of their deeds, past and present. Judge Thatcher is visibly moved by Tom having taken a whipping for his daughter, and believes Tom will be a great man someday. The twelve thousand dollars is set aside as income for the boys, who now receive a dollar and a quarter per week. Huck is unhappy in his new life with the widow – “his sufferings are almost more than he could bear.” He bore it for three weeks, and then disappeared for two days. Tom finds him in an empty hogshead, where he listens to Huck complain of the awful regularity of the widow’s life, of having to be clean and wear nice clothes and pray all the time. Huck wants to give Tom his share of the money because he has learned that money can’t bring happiness, and that he’d rather be free. Tom tells Huck he still plans on being a robber and that if Huck goes back to his former, rough way of life, no one will think respectfully of Tom Sawyer’s Gang if Huck is in it. Huck vows to go back to the widow’s for a month and see if he can get used to it, so that he can be in the gang. The novel ends here, as the author states: “So endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a history of a boy, it must stop here; the story could not go much further without becoming the history of a man.” Written Assignment: What do you think of Huck and Tom’s final adventure in the cave, trying to find the treasure at last? It doesn’t seem to occur to either of them that the treasure does not belong to them, nor does this occur to any of the adults in the novel who soon find out about it. In fact, they turn the money into a weekly income for each of the boys. Is this realistic? What do you think adults in your life would do if you were to spy on a murderer, see him kill someone, and then hide that fact in order to get some money? Is this a weakness in the novel, or merely the supreme height of a novel that has succeeded in showcasing boys’ dreams of how life should be?


Vocabulary Study Questions Literary Device Element of Fiction Written Assignment Other: Week 4 Average Add up column C & divide by number of included assignments = %

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TS Book Report

Review Final Exam

Book Report and Final Exam. This week’s main focus should be on composition. The student should focus on the writing and perfecting of the book report; more than one draft may be necessary. This assignment can be applied to the composition grade. Please see the syllabus portion of the Literature course for guidance on writing a book report appropriate for 7th or 8th grade.


DAY 1

TS Book Report

The student should work on his book report. Review your student’s report to make sure everything he has written supports his thesis statement, and the entire paper has a gentle flow from one supported idea to the next. Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. The student should rewrite the final draft book report neatly if he is writing it in long hand.

DAY 2

DAY 3

DAY 4

TS Review

Encourage the student to go over the study questions, vocabulary, character lists, and other notes he has taken while reading the book in order to prepare for the final exam. If you did not do so upon starting this book, be sure to review the exam ahead of time to ensure all concepts are covered with the student.

DAY 5

TS Final Exam

Administer the final exam to the student.


Study Questions Book Report Other: Other: Week 5 Average Add up column C & divide by number of included assignments = %

Notes

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Kolbe Academy Home School ♦ ASSIGNMENT ANSWER KEY ♦



WEEK 1:

The genius of this book is that we see life through the eyes of a young boy, and only occasionally through the eyes of an omniscient, adult author. One boyish aspect is the presence of superstition or “charms” that are sure to produce particular cures or results. These superstitions play a huge role in the lives of Tom and his friends. Pick a few of these incidents from this section and illustrate how they play a role in how Tom thinks and acts.

Tom is almost completely ruled by his learned superstitions; he and Huck hint that they have learned them from Negro slaves and believe them completely. In all of their actions, Tom and his friends rely on these ritualistic charms and superstitions to guide them in what the “right” way is, whether it be avoiding death or punishment, curing an illness, avoiding going to hell, etc. Some of them include:

1) A stray howling dog means certain death for someone. (p. 67)

2) Spunk-water stumps at midnight cure warts.

3) A woman believed to be a witch who stares at you and mumbles means injury will befall you. WEEK 2:

During this section of the novel, we might become shocked to see just how bad Tom can be without caring or maybe even knowing how his actions are affecting others. One thing he is keenly aware of, however, are his own ever-changing emotions. Sorrow and Happiness come and go within minutes of each other for him, sometimes several times in one day or week. Point out a few of these occasions and tell what causes them to come and go. What does this tell us about Tom’s age? Is his behavior a matter of immorality or merely typical of a young boys’ perception of the world? Cite specific passages.

A few occasions of changing emotions for Tom:

1) Ch. 7. Tom and Becky pledge their love for each other and decide to be “engaged,” which to them means having only each other to love until such time that they can get married. Tom accidentally lets it slip that he had made this pledge with Amy Lawrence first, and Becky is outraged. Tom falls into a deep “depression.” (It is also typical of Tom’s emotional makeup that he fell out of love with Amy immediately upon seeing Becky for the first time). 2) Ch. 11. Twain sarcastically calls Tom’s heavy conscience at not telling on Injun Joe a “time of sorrow,” and this sorrowful interlude is easily broken when Becky becomes ill and stops coming to school. Tom forgets his secret troubles and is worried sick that Becky will die instead. 3) Ch. 12. Tom’s anxiety over Becky’s illness quickly dries up. Becky returns to school and Tom is ecstatic once again.

4) Ch. 12-13. Tom’s ecstasy over Becky’s return to school is quickly crushed when she ignores him at school. Tom’s mind is made up now – he will be gloomy and desperate, and lead a life of crime.

AMDG

Kolbe Academy Home School ♦ ASSIGNMENT ANSWER KEY ♦



It seems that Tom’s reasons for sorrow or happiness are very real, though one wonders at how events in his life that causes them are so separated in his mind. He quickly forgets one sorrow in favor of a new happiness, yet in an adult’s mind these two things would coexist. This single-mindedness would seem to be typical of a young boy, who has not yet started perceiving the world as a whole, but in small parts that directly affect him. As a boy, he can not yet see the larger picture, and so his sorrows loom larger than life and seem insurmountable, and when he is excited, he cannot believe how wonderful life is. Adults, however, know that sorrow and happiness can exist in the same time frame, and expect that new sorrows and new joys will always be coming and going. WEEK 3: Although this book is not specifically about Huckleberry Finn, he plays a huge role in it. What is his role, do you think? Does he stand on his own or serve to illustrate Tom’s character more, or both? Huck is always excluded and looked down upon by the villagers for not having a stable home and parents, though this does not appear to be his fault. Even Tom, who hangs out with him, occasionally will exclude him and, as stated by the author, does not want to be seen with him. What are we to make of this? Is Tom’s treatment of Huck influenced by the adults in his life, and are we to think Tom cruel for sometimes partaking in the exclusion of Huck? Explore the relationship between Huck and Tom based on their interchanges, and decide what Huck’s role in the novel is. Cite certain passages that highlight the boys’ relationship.

This written assignment will largely be dependant upon the student’s view of the novel and his impression of Tom and Huck’s friendship. It can be supported that Mark Twain himself pities Huck and wants the reader to pity him, and also that Tom is the smarter and more moral of the two boys, and could therefore be considered the more important character. If the student can cite specific passages that support either theory, then he will come up with an accurate written assignment supported by the facts.

WEEK 4:

What do you think of Huck and Tom’s final adventure in the cave, trying to find the treasure at last? It doesn’t seem to occur to either of them that the treasure does not belong to them, nor does this occur to any of the adults in the novel who soon find out about it. In fact, they turn the money into a weekly income for each of the boys. Is this realistic? What do you think adults in your life would do if you were to spy on a murderer, see him kill someone, and then hide that fact in order to get some money? Is this a weakness in the novel, or merely the supreme height of a novel that has succeeded in showcasing boys’ dreams of how life should be?

The treasure hunt and its outcome seem too good to be true, yet the author works them out pretty convincingly. A suspicious reader might wonder why the adults in this novel don’t try to find out where the money came from and have it returned, especially considering Injun Joe’s character. The fact that the boys get this money may only be a source of excitement for a very young reader, but a wiser, more older reader might wonder at the why and how of it all. This is Twain’s great accomplishment in the novel that this story can be so exciting and acceptable to a very young reader, but its absence of certain elements such as accountability and adult influences also appeal to an older reader, who marvels at the novel but can appreciate the juvenile nature of it at the same time.

AMDG

Kolbe Academy Home School ♦ FINAL EXAM ♦


Copyright Kolbe Academy 2006 All Rights Reserved The Adventures of Tom Sawyer A Rev. 1/19/2009

Grade: /100 Part I. Identify. Give a description and brief character analysis of each of the characters. (3 points each) 1. Tom Sawyer. 2. Huckleberry Finn 3. Aunt Polly 4. Becky Thatcher 5. Joe Harper 6. Injun Joe 7. Muff Potter 8. The Welshman 9. Sid 10. Widow Douglas Part II. Short Answer. Answer in complete sentences giving as much detail as possible. Omit one or do all for extra credit. (5 points each)

1. During what time period does the novel take place and where? 2. How does the author’s life influence the novel? 3. Mark Twain wrote this novel as entertainment for children, but also for adults, to help adults remember

their own childhood. Thus a theme for this novel could be, “kids will be kids”. Describe 2-3 situations from the novel that support this theme.

4. Predict Tom and Huck’s dreams for the future, focusing on how Huck’s dreams would be different from Tom’s dreams

5. How do you know that Tom has a conscience? Part III. Context. Answer the following questions about this quote in complete sentences:

“He warn’t bad, so to say – only mischievous. Only just giddy, and harum-scarum, you know. He warn’t any more responsible than a colt. He never meant any harm, and he was the best-hearted boy that ever was.”

1. Who is the speaker? (2 points) 2. Of whom is he speaking? (2 points) 3. In what context does the speaker say this? (3 points) 4. Who is the speaker’s audience? (3 points) 5. Why does the speaker say this? (5 points)

Part IV. Essay: This should be a minimum of three paragraphs with examples or quotes from the text to support your answer. (30 points)

An important question very often raised about this novel is whether Tom really changes through the course of the novel. In other words, do his experiences cause him to change, or is he really the same boy throughout? Explore his rebellion, his emotional ups and downs, what inspires his adventures and his feelings about those that he hurts. Does he really hate the rules and being taken care of by his Aunt Polly? How serious are his intentions to “run away?”

AMDG

Kolbe Academy Home School ♦ FINAL EXAM ANSWER KEY ♦



Part I. 1. Tom Sawyer – Our hero; mischievous and prone to adventure, though not all bad, sees things from a boy’s single-minded perspective.

2. Huckleberry Finn – Tom’s cohort in “crime,” a local homeless, motherless boy who is admired for his freedom and sense of adventure, but viewed as an outcast because of his social situation.

3. Aunt Polly – Tom’s aunt, who provides a home for Tom. Easily deceived by Tom’s pranks but loves him dearly and worries about his upbringing.

4. Becky Thatcher – Tom’s sweetheart and “pledged wife” who lives with her aunt to attend school; gets lost in the cave with Tom and nearly dies from starvation and sadness.

5. Joe Harper – Tom’s proclaimed best friend, who goes on the first adventure with Tom and Huck to Jackson Island; a good boy who enjoys adventure but cares what his family thinks.

6. Injun Joe – A local scoundrel, a half-breed believed to be vicious, who has murdered at least five people in the village and stolen a large amount of money; dies alone in a cave.

7. Muff Potter – An accomplice of Injun Joe’s who is wrongly accused of murdering the local doctor when Injun Joe sets him up; a drinker but nevertheless good to Tom, Huck and other local boys.

8. The Welshman – the person to whom Huck runs in order to save the Widow Douglas from being tortured by Injun Joe and his partner. Although Huck asked the Welshman to keep Huck's part in that affair secret, the Welshman later told everyone how Huck had saved the Widow Douglas; he told the community about Huck's role in the affair because he wanted everyone to appreciate Huck.

9. Sid – stepbrother of Tom who lives with Aunt Polly as well. We are not told how the two boys are related; they are not friends, but act as brothers; Sid tells on Tom on more than one occasion.

10. Widow Douglas – The object of Injun Joe’s revenge since her husband, now passed, had tortured him; takes Huckleberry in to raise him properly. Part II.

1. The novel takes place mid-1800's OR prior to the Civil War (either answer is acceptable) in the small town of St. Petersburg, Missouri.

2. Twain describes adventures that he and his friends had…scene where they run away to an island is based on where he grew up—on the Mississippi River; games and superstitions were typical of the time and place; recitations in school/the ways children were taught were also typical of that time period. It is also clear when Twain disliked something, because he poked fun at it (many of the educational activities) and which things he thought were acceptable (all of the boys’ various adventures). Finally, prejudices and stereotypes of the time also exist in the novel, some more so than others (girls and Indians are stereotyped; Blacks less so).

3. Although Tom is punished when he misbehaves, everything always turns out okay in the end…sneaking out of the house at night, running away from home, playing a trick on the teacher, getting lost in the cave, etc.

AMDG

Kolbe Academy Home School ♦ FINAL EXAM ANSWER KEY ♦



4. Tom is beginning to change—he is more mature at the end of the novel and less rebellious. Thus his dreams would be somewhat typical…grow up, get married. His dreams, however, would also include more fun/less seriousness than a typical adult of that time and place because of the importance placed on having adventures. Because Huck does not change, his dreams would be focused more on just living in the present…fishing, and moving from adventure to adventure.

5. Clearly Tom has a conscience because he comes back to leave a note for Aunt Polly, after running away; he goes to Judge Thatcher and exonerates Muff Potter, telling the judge all that he knows about Dr. Robinson’s murder, even though it will put Tom’s life at risk; Tom is also horrified that Injun Joe is stuck in the cave and will die there, despite Injun Joe being a murderous character.

Part III.

1. The speaker is Tom’s Aunt Polly. 2. She is speaking of Tom Sawyer. 3. She is at home, grieving over Tom’s apparent death and reflecting on his character. 4. The speaker’s audience is Joe Harper’s mother, Sid, and Mary 5. Aunt Polly feels guilty over any time that she may have been too harsh with Tom in punishing him or

misunderstanding him, and wishing she had done a better job in raising him. Part IV. An important question very often raised about this novel is whether Tom really changes through the course of the novel. In other words, do his experiences cause him to change, or is he really the same boy throughout? Explore his rebellion, his emotional ups and downs, what inspires his adventures and his feelings about those that he hurts. Does he really hate the rules and being taken care of by his Aunt Polly? How serious are his intentions to “run away?” Tom remains essentially unchanged throughout the novel. His love for adventure causes him to run away and sometimes hurt Aunt Polly and his friends, but we should ask ourselves how serious this rebellion is, when there is never any doubt that the boys will return home eventually. It’s just a matter of when. It would seem that home and rules are necessary because one must have something to rebel against in the first place. Tom’s emotional upheavals run rampant throughout the novel, and while the subjects that cause them vary, the rises and falls are a given. Tom’s imagination and vast reading are so powerful in his mind that he simply cannot deny their urges to try new adventures out, and if that means sneaking out at night and disobeying his aunt and schoolteacher, well he simply must do them.

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