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Freedom in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Decent Essays

Nothing is more important in the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer than freedom. Freedom plays an enormous role in the book Tom Sawyer. Whether it is people earning freedom or people not being granted it, every young boy in St. Petersburg wanted some form of freedom. The word freedom means the power to say and do what you want. Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and Joe Harper are all boys seeking freedom. Freedom is the key reason the boys run away to Jackson Island. Freedom is one of the main themes in the book.

Tom is always looking for ways to earn freedom. One of the main plots in the story is Tom’s quest for freedom. Freedom gives Tom a sense of accomplishment after he finishes a deed or task.

“The secret to happiness is freedom. …show more content…

If Tom did not have freedom the book would not be nearly as interesting.

Cardiff Hill is the one of the boy’s symbols of freedom. Cardiff Hill is a lush, green hill that the boys can escape to and do what ever they want primarily relax. Tom is involuntarily obligated to do his chores and to be well behaved. One time Tom was feeling so stressed he ran off to Cardiff Hill instead of going to school. This is a big part of the story because it is when Tom dreams of becoming a pirate, and also when some of his superstitions are introduced. In the book, Tom usually takes his freedom whether he has earned It or not.

One of the other main characters in the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, has freedom pretty much by default. He never had a mother that cared for him and his father is the town drunkard thus he is an orphan. He thinks life is too based on how you look, act, and how civilized you are. At one point in the story, the Widow Douglass takes in Huck Finn. The widow tries to transform him into a civilized person but in the end his old ways reappear and it is too much for him. He doesn’t have to go to school, do chores, or do any form of work. His life fits perfectly into the definition of freedom.

This Mississippi River resembles the type of lifestyle all the kids in St. Petersburg would like to live. The Mississippi River runs slowly, freely, and relaxed just like how all the boys would like to describe their lives.

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