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Instead he is free from responsibility and moves freely in and out of the town, sometimes disappearing for days, and is never missed. His education is from the proverbial "school of hard knocks." In contrast to Tom, Huck is an outcast from society. Rather than conform, Huck thrives on his freedom from such restraints as society imposes.
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, novel by Mark Twain, published in 1876, that centres on a smart mischievous young boy living in a town along the Mississippi River. The satiric work is considered a classic of American literature, and it spawned the hugely successful sequel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884).
An orphan, Tom Sawyer lives with his Aunt Polly and half brother, Sid, in St. Petersburg, Missouri, on the Mississippi River; the fictional town is based on Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain grew up. The early chapters highlight Tom’s propensity for trouble. First he angers his aunt by eating jam, then he gets in a fight with another boy. As punishment for his various misdeeds, Aunt Polly orders him to whitewash the fence. However, Tom manages to convince other children that whitewashing is fun, and they end up giving him various items for a turn at the fence. Later in the book Tom goes to the cemetery with Huckleberry Finn, a vagabond whose father is a heavy drinker. The duo come across three grave robbers, including Injun Joe and Dr. Robinson. The two men get into a fight, and Injun Joe murders the doctor. Although Tom and Huckleberry promise never to tell anyone what they saw, Tom ultimately testifies against Injun Joe, who escapes.
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At one point, Tom, Huckleberry, and a third boy decide to run away from home and become pirates. While on an island in the Mississippi River, they discover that people think they have died. The three dramatically reappear during their funeral services. Tom and Huckleberry then decide to look for buried treasure in an abandoned house. The boys are forced to hide when Injun Joe and a partner arrive to bury their own treasure there. However, the two men then stumble upon a gold cache in the house and decide to hide it elsewhere. One night Huck follows them, hoping to find the gold. When he overhears their plan to attack the Widow Douglas, Huck gets help, and the crime is prevented.
Together with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer changed the course of children’s literature in the United States as well as of American literature generally, presenting the first deeply felt portrayal of boyhood. While Tom Sawyer is sometimes overshadowed by the darker Huckleberry Finn, the former remains an enduring take on American childhood, known for its humour and morality. In addition, its main character is considered the epitome of the all-American boy, full of mischief but basically purehearted. Tom was also the focus of the sequels Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894) and Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896).
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn have drawn criticism for their use of pejoratives to describe African Americans and Native Americans. In addition, the negative portrayal of Injun Joe in Tom Sawyer is also regarded as problematic by some. Bowdlerized versions of both works also proved controversial.
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Nov 21, 2023 · The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) are listed among the greatest pieces of American literature. Both novels were written by Mark Twain. Like his two ...
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Huckleberry " Huck " Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain who first appeared in the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). He is 12 to 13 years old during the former and a year older ("thirteen to fourteen or along there", Chapter 17) at ...
- "Pap" Finn (father), Mrs. Finn (deceased mother)
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Huckleberry Finn. In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain created a character who exemplifies freedom within, and from, American society. Huck lives on the margins of society because, as the son of the town drunk, he is pretty much an orphan. He sleeps where he pleases, provided that nobody chases him off, and he eats when he pleases, provided that he ...
Huckleberry Finn Character Analysis. As the son of the town drunkard, Huck is virtually orphaned. He's looked down upon by the adults of St. Petersburg, but is deeply admired by the local boys for living as he wants to—not bathing, sleeping outdoors, smoking, never attending school.
I had to shove, Tom—I just had to. As the novel concludes, Huckleberry Finn disappears after three weeks living with the Widow Douglas. When Tom finally finds him, Huck passionately describes to Tom why he had to run away. In this explanation of how the Widow Douglas’s expectations conflict with everything he feels in his soul, Huck ...
