Tom Sawyer Character Analysis

The novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain addresses how it was to be a kid when the author was a child. In this novel, Tom Sawyer the protagonist, and his friend Huckleberry Finn witness a murder. Both of the children swear to keep it a secret but eventually, Tom confesses because he cannot stand to see an innocent man put to death when he could stop it. Sawyer was a lively, adventurous, and tricky child who was given the opportunity to mature, and grow up because he had a touch with maturity after he witnessed a murder. “Yes, but that’s different. A robber is more high-toned than what a pirate is – as a general thing. In most countries they’re after high up in the nobility- dukes and such” (280). This quote from the novel, by Sawyer is a wonderful example, which shows the boy’s adventurous side. The reader, just from reading the quote can get the feeling, this boy feels confident in his words. Meaning, this boy acts just like any other playful young boys, as if they know everything. Assuming that the children that act like they know everything, like to show it, this quote supports the thesis about Sawyer, that he is lively and adventurous. Not only does the quote show how Sawyer would act, and present himself, but it also acts as an example to show the boys imagination and things he would get himself into. At one point in the novel, Sawyer and a few of his friends felt as if no one loved them, and decided to live an isolated, criminal life and be pirates. They were gone for a while which caused their whole village to believe they were dead. Sawyer’s poor aunt Polly was completely torn apart trying to figure out what she had done to cause her lively, curious young boy to run away to die. But at the boy’s planned funerals, the three of them came strutting in as if they had not been gone at all. This shows that Sawyer would get into all kinds of adventures and schemes. They boy was not only lively and adventurous but very tricky and clever too. Sawyer was forced to white-wash his fence on a Saturday and he really do not want to do it. As other young boys would walk by, Sawyer would act like he was having a lot of fun doing his job. This would intrigue the other boys and they started offering him things in order for them to have a try at the fun white-washing. When it was done, Sawyer did not have to work anymore, the white-washing finished itself and he gained a multitude of new things. This shows how smart and tricky sawyer could be. Tom Sawyer was a young boy who wanted nothing but fun. He would have fun and wild adventures with his friends, act as if he knew everything about the world and use his tricky cleverness to get that he wanted. Even though Sawyer witnessed a murder, and could have used this opportunity to mature and grow up, he stuck to his innocent boy self. He was a lively, adventurous and tricky young boy who was almost forced to, but did not grow up even after his brush with the harshness of the real world.