by Richard Woltjer

Created on: January 11, 2009

Jordan Woltjer's essay for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Why do people read? Is it for learning to enjoyment for escape into fantasy? No matter what the answer, everybody will love this young exciting, funny boy, for he has an exceptional sense of humor and is adept at making fun of adults. When you read this book, you will witness a vivid imagination. That is this book and this book is called The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The author of this book is named Mark Twain. But if this book were to not have such sympathetic characters, a light tone and enjoyable and funny editorializing then this novel would quickly become a horror story. This novel's success is due to the above stated elements.

This can be seen clearly in the following passage.

All at once the doctor flung himself free, seized the heavy headboard of Williams's grave and felled Potter to the earth with itand in the same instant the half-breed saw his chance and drove the knife to the hilt in the young man's breast. He reeled and fell partly upon Potter, flooding him with his blood, and in the same moment the clouds blotted out the dreadful spectacle and the two frightened boys were speeding away in the dark.

This is one of the darkest scenes in the book. If not for the editorializing and funny superstition that comes later, this would be a very hard read with some difficult topics to tackle. But murder is not the only discomforting topic in this book. There are also entries about other topics, like starvation and death in different forms. Consider this passage about the criminal that recently died.

Ordinarily one could find half a dozen bits of candle stuck around in the crevices of this vestibule, left there by tourists; but there were none now. The prisoner had searched them out and eaten them. He had also contrived to catch a few bats, and these, also, he had eaten, leaving only their claws. The poor unfortunate had starved to death.

Twain makes the dark characters very sympathetic and even funny.

Twain also makes the characters interesting using superstition. Absorb this passage where Tom and Huck were swearing not to tell about some information in a blood oath.

I'm agreed, Huck. It's the best thing. Would you just hold hands and swear that we, O no, that wouldn't do for this. That's good enough for little rubbishy common thingsspecially with gals, cuz they go back on you anyway, and blab if they get in a huffbut there orter be writing bout a big thing like this. And blood. Tom's whole being applauded

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