The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Preface
Are Huck and Tom based on real people?
Huck and Tom are both based on real people, however Tom is a combination of three real people that Clemens knew as a boy and Huck is only based on one real boy he knew.
Huck and Tom are both based on real people, however Tom is a combination of three real people that Clemens knew as a boy and Huck is only based on one real boy he knew.
Chapter 1
From what point of view is the novel written?
The novel is written in third person point of view because it is someone from the outside talking about these events.
Why is Tom in trouble?
Tom is in trouble because he ate all the jam, played hooky from school, got into a fight, and messed up his clothes.
Why is Tom's aunt worried about him?
Tom's aunt is worried about him because his mother had died and she feels obligated to be his guardian.
What does Aunt Polly think about herself?
Aunt Polly knows that she is Tom's last hope and that if he turns out as a bad child it would reflect on her parenting.
Why is Tom happy?
Tom is happy because he feels that he wins, since he had beat the new kid up and tricked his aunt.
What does the aunt decide, and why?
The aunt decides that Tom is going to do a whole weekends work instead of Saturday fun as a punishment for his behavior.
The novel is written in third person point of view because it is someone from the outside talking about these events.
Why is Tom in trouble?
Tom is in trouble because he ate all the jam, played hooky from school, got into a fight, and messed up his clothes.
Why is Tom's aunt worried about him?
Tom's aunt is worried about him because his mother had died and she feels obligated to be his guardian.
What does Aunt Polly think about herself?
Aunt Polly knows that she is Tom's last hope and that if he turns out as a bad child it would reflect on her parenting.
Why is Tom happy?
Tom is happy because he feels that he wins, since he had beat the new kid up and tricked his aunt.
What does the aunt decide, and why?
The aunt decides that Tom is going to do a whole weekends work instead of Saturday fun as a punishment for his behavior.
Chapter 2
Why is Tom painting the wall, even though he doesn't want to?
Tom is painting the wall because he doesn't want to because it is part of his punishment and he wants to lure children to do it for him.
Why is Tom suddenly pretending to like work?
Tom is pretending to like work so the children will want to be a part of it and paint the fence for him.
How did Tom turn his chores to his advantage?
Tom turned his chores to his advantage by sitting there and accepting gifts and trinkets while children painted the fence for him because they thought it was cool.
Tom is painting the wall because he doesn't want to because it is part of his punishment and he wants to lure children to do it for him.
Why is Tom suddenly pretending to like work?
Tom is pretending to like work so the children will want to be a part of it and paint the fence for him.
How did Tom turn his chores to his advantage?
Tom turned his chores to his advantage by sitting there and accepting gifts and trinkets while children painted the fence for him because they thought it was cool.
Chapter 3
Did Tom successfully fool his aunt?
Tom had successfully fooled his aunt because he had put three coats of white wash on the fence and one on the floor and she let him go play since she though he did it.
Who is Amy Lawrence and why have Tom's feelings for her changed so suddenly?
Amy Lawrence is a little girl that Tom has a crush on, she is the daughter of the judge. His feelings change because he is starting to get a different idea about girls.
What does the phrase "agony of pleasurable suffering" mean?
The phrase "agony of pleasurable suffering" means that he is trying to get this girl to like him and it is pleasurable because he still has hope. He has suffering because she might not notice him and it is pleasurable that he still has hope.
Who is the "Adored Unknown"?
The adored unknown is the little girl because he does not know her that much but he does try to impress her and get to know her.
Tom had successfully fooled his aunt because he had put three coats of white wash on the fence and one on the floor and she let him go play since she though he did it.
Who is Amy Lawrence and why have Tom's feelings for her changed so suddenly?
Amy Lawrence is a little girl that Tom has a crush on, she is the daughter of the judge. His feelings change because he is starting to get a different idea about girls.
What does the phrase "agony of pleasurable suffering" mean?
The phrase "agony of pleasurable suffering" means that he is trying to get this girl to like him and it is pleasurable because he still has hope. He has suffering because she might not notice him and it is pleasurable that he still has hope.
Who is the "Adored Unknown"?
The adored unknown is the little girl because he does not know her that much but he does try to impress her and get to know her.
Chapter 4
Why does the fact that his Sunday suit is called his "other clothes" tell us the size of his wardrobe?
The fact that he refers to his Sunday clothes as his other clothes tells us that he doesn't have very many clothes and he wears the same thing everyday.
How is Mr. Waters different on Sundays?
Mr. Waters is different on Sundays through his voice because it is different than it is on weekdays compared to weekends.
Who is the "newcomer"? Where have we seen her before?
The "newcomer" is the judges daughter and we have seen her before in her front yard when she dropped the flower and he was showing off for her.
Explain the irony of this sentence - and what that says about Tom's town.
The irony of the sentence is that he hates Sunday school though when the girl is here he is happy because he likes her, also since there aren't many new things in this town, he is interested in her for being new.
What does Amy Lawrence realize in the above paragraph?
In the above paragraph, Amy realizes that Tom has a crush on her.
What does Twain mean by "the curtain of charity"?
Twain means that "the curtain of charity" is sparing Tom the embarrassment of what will happen to him as his punishment.
The fact that he refers to his Sunday clothes as his other clothes tells us that he doesn't have very many clothes and he wears the same thing everyday.
How is Mr. Waters different on Sundays?
Mr. Waters is different on Sundays through his voice because it is different than it is on weekdays compared to weekends.
Who is the "newcomer"? Where have we seen her before?
The "newcomer" is the judges daughter and we have seen her before in her front yard when she dropped the flower and he was showing off for her.
Explain the irony of this sentence - and what that says about Tom's town.
The irony of the sentence is that he hates Sunday school though when the girl is here he is happy because he likes her, also since there aren't many new things in this town, he is interested in her for being new.
What does Amy Lawrence realize in the above paragraph?
In the above paragraph, Amy realizes that Tom has a crush on her.
What does Twain mean by "the curtain of charity"?
Twain means that "the curtain of charity" is sparing Tom the embarrassment of what will happen to him as his punishment.