Why Is Tom Sawyer Murder

Chapter nine of author Mark Twain’s work, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, proves to be a major turning point of the novel. Within the chapter, the main character Tom Sawyer, accompanied by Huckleberry Finn, witness the murder of Dr. Robinson, committed by Injun Joe, when they snuck out late at night to a graveyard, in order to test a superstition. From this point forward, the novel no longer focuses on the childish antics of the youth, and switches focus to the darker topic of the murder of Dr. Robinson. Within this chapter, author Mark Twain does many things with the story. These matters include making the graveyard frightening through descriptive phrases favoring auditory and visual senses, the usage of foreshadowing to prepare the reader

“Most of the adventures recorded in this book really occurred; one or two were experiences of my own, the rest those boys who were schoolmates of mine. Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not from individual-he is a combination of the characteristics of three boys whom I knew, and therefore belongs to the composite order of architecture,” (Twain xvii). The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, takes place while a time of the 1800s, in a village near the Mississippi River. Tom Sawyer and his friends encounters many adventures throughout his boyhood. Tom’s decision making develops while his many adventures. He only think of himself when whitewashing, but later he puts others before himself and gets himself and Becky out of a bad situation, he caused.

Many times that Huck could’ve told the authorities about Jim, but he didn’t. On the other hand, Jim could’ve done the same thing to Huck. Both men, did what they think was right. Jim protected Huck from seeing his dead father. He didn’t let Huck see his father’s dead body because he didn’t want Huck to get hurt. For example, when Huck wanted to talk about the dead man and wanted to know how he was killed, but Jim didn’t want him to know all that. “It would fetch bad luck; and besides, he said, he might come and ha’nt us; he said a man that warn’t buried was more likely to go a-ha’nting around than one that was planted and comfortable” (Twain 137).

Tom throughout the story displays many characteristics including the previously discussed, but the most noticeable and important is his adventurous nature. Toms sense of adventure is what drives the story forward more times to count. The audience gets the first taste of Tom's adventurous nature is when Tom accompanies Huck to the graveyard where they encounter the villain of the novel, Injun Joe, killing a man. This demonstrates that Tom's adventures also are the cause for most of the novels conflicts, even if he doesn’t see it. Another adventure, or misadventure, is the trip to the island that Huck, Tom, and Joe take to be “pretend” pirates. This is where Tom, demonstrates his wide imagination (and, as previously

In Jim, he sees kindness, compassion, and integrity. Ultimately, this is what dissuades him from turning Jim in - Huck remembers Jim 's company, "Jim would always call me honey and do everything he could think of for me, and how good he always was" (Twain 95). Jim treats Huck with kindness and respect. Huck slowly realizes that even Jim, a slave, is a human-being. He questions the beliefs that had been inculcated in him from an early age. He goes on to help Jim evade imprisonment by lying to men who are trying to capture runaway slaves. Huck tells the men that his father has smallpox and deceives them into letting him, and Jim, leave. Huck’s action goes against everything he knows. He feels guilty for tricking the men (not turning in Jim), but conclusively states, “So I reckoned I wouldn’t bother no more about [right and wrong], but after this always do whichever comes handiest at the time”(Twain 120). Huck begins to realize that he should not feel shame for something that he feels is right. He learns that as an individual, he has the right to a set of beliefs - molded from his experiences - and that he does not have to do what is “socially acceptable”.

In chapter six Tom meets the new girl whose name is Becky Thatcher. They “get engaged” then Becky finds out that he was “engaged” to Amy Lawrence. Becky did not take it very well so she left him (Twain, 70-71). After he had his heartbroken, Tom ran away and did not return to the afternoon class. He waited for school to be out, then Huckleberry Finn, Joe Harper, and he went to a nearby island to be pirates. When they showed up missing the town put up a search group to look for their bodies in the river. After a few days had passed Tom went to Aunt Polly’s during the night and found out that there was going to be a funeral for Tom, Huck, and Joe. When Tom got back to the island he told the others that they were missed and that there would be a funeral for them. Now that they know that there is going to be a funeral, which was the whole reason they ran away, they were planning a surprise entrance to their funeral. That Saturday Tom, Huck, and Joe made their entrance to their funeral, after they heard all of the nice things people said about them they pop up out of hiding and surprised everyone. In chapters nine and ten Tom and Huck go exploring in the grave at night and they witness Injun Joe’s murder of Dr. Robinson. They swear to each other that they would never say a thing about

Huck decides to fight for Jim and their friendship even when he knows the possible consequences. “You’ll say it’s dirty low-down business; but what if it is,” Huck insists to Tom that he will save Jim no matter what he said (Twain 227). Huck knows that saving Jim could easily be considered low-down, but Huck says that he is dirty and low-down as well, and that helping Jim is what he must do. He knows what he will be labelled as, but to him it is irrelevant. Their friendship and the bond they created travelling down the river is worth more to Huckleberry. Huck knows how society feels, but he decides to follow his heart anyways. Huck later sees how awful the lynching done to the duke and the king is, yet he still feels bad after knowing how awful they are. “Human beings can be awful cruel to each other,” Huck feels awful even though he didn’t really do anything (Twain 233). Huck’s conscience has come back to bite him about these men even though he had nothing to do with it. Huck knows that this lynching, tarred and feathered, is a painful and brutal punishment. He feels that even though they weren’t the best people they didn’t deserve this cruelty even though it’s what society is prone to do. Society sees these mean as ‘bad,’ and therefore think it is okay to basically torture the conmen. Huck knows that isn’t okay, even with knowledge of the men’s nature, freeing

Tom’s mother showed up and busted both Tom and Huck for putting on a huge charade and lying to everybody. His mother exposed Huckleberry Finn and set the two boys straight. Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas were further confused and astonished. Huck felt awful for lying to her and does not want to further hurt her.

Although loved by many, Tom Sawyer is the most selfish character in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. This could be the opinion of many people if it wasn’t for adult characters such as the Duke, the Dauphin, and Pap Finn; Tom Sawyer is a young boy, therefore, his antics are seen as comical and there is less resentment towards his character. The character of Tom Sawyer is extremely egocentric and selfish because he displays blatant disregard for the practical way to make plans in life-or-death situations, doesn’t understand the gravity of murder and robbery, and he will do anything, no matter how crazy or impractical, to make himself seem like a hero.

Tom goes with Huckleberry to a graveyard and both of them witness the murder of Dr. Robinson by Injun Joe. The town thinks Tom, Huck, and Joe are dead after the three of them flee town. Tom secretly goes back to town without anyone knowing and listens in on the commotion that is happening in town. Tom decides to return to town during the funeral planned for him and his fellow friends. When tom returns to school he takes the blame for the book that had been damaged by Becky to get back on her good side. In court Tom testifies against Injun Joe, he ends up escaping the court house. When summer comes the boys decide to go hunting for treasure. While hunting for treasure they find Injun Joe who is looking into burying treasure. Huck stays and watches him while Tom goes on a picnic with the school. Tom and Becky go to the mysterious McDougal’s cave while in the cave the two seem to get lost in the cave for a couple of days. Huck finds out that Joe has planned

After witnessing the murder of Dr. Robinson, Tom and Huck decide not to confess what they witnessed and took an oath. Although, Tom’s conscience is wanting him to tell the police Injun Joe is the murder and not Muff Potter he made a promise to his friend not to tell. Tom should not tell the police what happened because he made a promise, he’s just a boy, and he has no evidence.

I know that if something weighs on your conscience and bothers you then you have to do something about it. Tom and Huck both were witnesses to a murder right in front of their faces. After witnessing this murder Tom and Huck both promise to “keep mum” about what happened and that if they tell “they may drop down dead in their tracks and rot” (71-72). Tom and Huck are both friends and made a promise, but Tom should tell the shariff so that Tom can ease his conscience. The reasons why Tom should tell the sheriff about what he witnessed is because he can save innocent Muff Potter’s life and Tom can get rid of a merciless killer roaming the streets.

Tom enjoyed acting like a convict, he would steal, lie, and trick people. He was also always the leader without giving anyone any chance to deny “‘Now, we'll start this band of robbers and call it Tom Sawyer's Gang. Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood’” (Twain 16). Huck would never argue or question Tom’s leadership until he left. Towards the end of the book the two are reunited. Once again Tom wants an elaborate plan like a convict would. However, this time Huck questions Tom’s thought process, “It was most pesky tedious hard work and slow, and didn't give my hands no show to get well of the sores, and we didn't seem to make no headway, hardly” (Twain 335). As Huck begins to think for himself more he realizes some things he’s doing is stupid. The more and more Huck grows he begins to understand he is able to do and think what he

Huck’s morality grows when he decides to look for Jim after he is sold to Tom’s Uncle. In society's conscience, Jim is returned to where he belongs. On the other hand, Huck’s conscience is telling him to “find [his] nigger”, showing that Huck would keep his promise of freeing Jim (Twain 165). Huck encounters Tom at Aunt Sally’s home, where they find him chain in a small hut. Then Huck and Tom “study up a

My conscience got to stirring me up hotter than ever, until at last I says to it, ‘let up on me-it ain’t too late to tell yet-I’ll paddle ashore at first light and tell. I felt easy and happy and light as a feather right off. All my troubles was gone.’” Huck was just trying to go along with what he and everyone else thought was right, but he didn’t end up telling on Jim because he knew that it was what should be done. He didn’t think it was right or moral, but he as a person didn’t think that Jim should be turned in, so he didn’t turn him in. And his attitude changed later on, as Huck says here, “ It was fifteen minutes before I could work myself up to go and humble myself to a nigger- but I done it, and I warn’t ever sorry for it afterward, neither.” In Huck’s time saying that you were sorry to a slave just wasn’t done, and to not even feel wrong about it was unheard of. Huck’s thinking had modernized to this point, and going back to Tom Sawyer’s plan is unjustifiable in the way that no book should ever