\"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer\": Analysis

Adventures of Tom Sawyer - analysis

Mark Twain's novel "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is a timeless masterpiece in the world of literature. Most readers are likely to identify with particular attitudes that the central character takes on throughout the book. Furthermore, it feels difficult not to sympathize with him when considering the numerous incidents he comes across. Even with the fact that the book appears to be directed at an underage audience, adults are also probable to appreciate the lessons it provides, considering the complexity of many of the messages it contains.

Twain was born in a typical American Unionist town during the early nineteenth century. His real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens and he was born on November 30, 1835 in an environment that shaped his understanding of the world and that ultimately influenced him to express interest in literature. His growing up in Hannibal, Missouri, played an essential role in inspiring him to consider the fictional town of St. Petersburg -- a location where the central characters of two of his most recognized writings, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" go through a series of events that change their perspective of the world. It is almost as if Twain wanted his readers to become better acquainted with the places that he grew up in, given that he takes them on a journey making it feel that they are actually present at the locations.

By considering the writer's life, one can observe how it's strongly connected to the novel. Twain intended to enable his readers to observe that success is a relative concept -- the central character is very much similar to him, as they both go through several difficult episodes in their lives and eventually manage to recover. "A school dropout at eleven, he spent twenty years in a variety of jobs." (Oatman 1985, p. 1) The writer struggled through life and encountered serious resistance before discovering his writing abilities. According to Oatman (1985, p. 1), he went as far as considering suicide as he thought about the bad luck he had. Even with this, he managed to center his attention toward writing and eventually became one of the best individuals in the field. It would be safe to say that things like this influenced Twain to write about a mischievous and yet kind-hearted child like Tom.

The nineteenth century was a critical century in U.S. history, as events like the last decades of slavery, the Civil War, and the reconstruction left their mark on individuals across the country. Many felt compelled to document these respective occurrences and Twain is a good example of a person providing the world with a more intimate perspective of the period. "The United States into which the novel appeared was a divided country, having just barely survived a barbarous Civil War between the North and the South over the question of slavery." (Durst Johnson & Elso Johnson 2002, p. 255)

The way Twain shows things like slavery and how people reacted to it is enough to influence anyone to harshly criticize the institution. With him being a realist, it would be safe to say that many elements in his writings were inspired from real life. Even with the fact that his works are obviously fiction, the way that he portrays characters and relationships between them make it possible for readers to get a better understanding of the nineteenth century and the environment in Missouri during the era.

Twain wanted to bring into public attention a series of values corresponding to his contemporary society. His intention was to make it possible for people to comprehend that was not really all that different from how it had been before the war. Individuals still had trouble accepting the fact that African-Americans were equal and discrimination was very common in the South. The idea of freedom is certainly controversial throughout the novel, as it seems that Tom and Huck are among the only persons who truly understand it and who can actually fight for it (Durst Johnson & Elso Johnson 2002, p. 256). One can go as far as to say that Twain's books were especially important in making people change their mind concerning the attitudes they needed to employ with regard to the world. Many were likely influenced to adopt more rational ideas and to accept the fact that individuals should be judged on account of their actions and thinking instead of being categorized in accordance with their skin color.

As previously mentioned, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is not necessarily a book meant to be read by children. The novel actually contains a great deal of elements that directly criticize society and the way that it deals with a series of problems that it comes across. Twain actually brings on a paradox as he presents Tom -- this is a character who acknowledges society's downfalls and yet is determined to become a social person. In spite of the confusion that this idea creates, one can observe how he matures and how he realizes that it would be better to join the social order and attempt to improve it rather than to hide and attempt to evade society as a whole.

From a young age Tom is unwilling to subject to social pressure that he encounters at school and at home. He feels that social norms are limiting and wants to escape society with the purpose to actually feel free. The boy's relationship with Huckleberry Finn is important in showing his true personality. He is well-acquainted with Huck's condition and "was under strict orders not to play with him. So he played with him every time he got a chance." (Twain 2008, p. 58) This contributes to the idea that children are less inclined to discriminate and that they can judge others on account of things other than stereotypes.