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
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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?
Satire
makes 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
Themes
•
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.
Grade for book: B+
Bibliography:
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. New York: Harper &
Row, 1954.