The Adventures of

Tom Sawyer

By Mark Twain

For Readers of all Ages

• “Although my book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls part of my plan has been to pleasantly remind adults of what they once were themselves, and what they felt and thought.” – Mark Twain

• Wrote Tom Sawyer for both kids and adults

• Kids could connect it to current life

• Adults could remember what they were like as kids

Basic Situation

• Tom Sawyer, the main character in the story, is a boy who has a knack for getting into trouble and lives with his aunt Polly and half brother Sid in the town of St. Petersburg, Missouri. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer tells about the many challenges Tom faces as he grows up and the lessons he learns.

Conflict

• Tom must make it through the many obstacles he faces in everyday life. They include getting lost in a cave, escaping from trouble, and dealing with his murderous antagonist Injun Joe.

Rising Action

• Tom convinces his friends to do the tedious job of white washing a fence by pretending he is enjoying himself and doesn’t want to let them do it

• Tom and Huck see Injun Joe murder Dr. Robinson and then place the knife he used in the hand of Muff Potter who was passed out. When Potter wakes up, Joe tells him he was the murderer

• Felling underappreciated, Tom runs away to a nearby island with Joe and Huck and they return days later during their own funeral (the town thought they drowned)

• During the trial, Tom tells how Injun Joe was the real murderer and saves Muff Potter from being hanged

• Injun Joe escapes from the courthouse and runs away• Tom and Huck see Injun Joe and another man find treasure in a

haunted house• Tom and Becky become lost in a cave

Climax

• Tom and Becky are lost in the cave and it appears as though they will die. As Tom searches for a way out, Tom hears Injun Joe talking somewhere else in the cave. He knows that if he ever finds a way out Injun Joe will seek his revenge.

Resolution

• Will Tom and Becky ever find a way out of the cave or will they die inside it?

• Will Injun Joe come after Tom with hopes for revenge or will Injun Joe be caught and hung?

• Will Tom and Huck ever find the gold Injun Joe hid?

Satiremakes fun of human nature and society

• Teacher: should be acting in best interest of children– Instead hits them in order to have a good performance on

“examination” day and then gets drunk before the event

• People: should want something because they truly like or need it– Tom tricks other boys into whitewashing the fence by

pretending it’s a lot of fun and he doesn’t want to let them do it• “in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing it’s only necessary

to make it difficult to obtain” (Twain 17)

• Sunday school: should teach boys to be good people and have faith in religion– Boys attempt to memorize verses of the bible in order to get

glory and a prize

• Theme: Freedom leads to responsibility and can have negative consequences.

• Sub Theme: People who are respected in society don’t always deserve it. It’s human nature to be drawn toward those who have money and power.

Themes

Grade for book: B+Bibliography:

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. New York: Harper & Row, 1954.