Study Guide
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
General Information
Author of Book-Samuel Clemens, usually known by his pen name, Mark Twain.
Time and Place written- 1874-1875; Hartford, Connecticut
Date of first publication- The novel appeared in England in June 1876, and six months later in the United States.
Setting Time- Not specified, but probably around 1845
Setting Place- The fictional Town of St. Petersburg, Missouri(which resembles Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri)
Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in the town of Florida, Missouri, in 1835, and grew up in nearby Hannibal, a small Mississippi River town. Hannibal would become the model for St. Petersburg, the fictionalized setting of Twain's two most popular novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The young Clemens grew up in a prosperous family�his father owned a grocery store as well as a number of slaves�but was sent out to work at the age of twelve after his father's death. As a young man, he traveled frequently, working as a printer's typesetter and as a steamboat pilot. In this latter profession he gained familiarity with the river life that would furnish much material for his writing. He also gained his pen name, Mark Twain, which is a measure of depth in steamboat navigation.
Twain enlisted in the Confederate militia in 1861, early in the Civil War, but he soon left to pursue a career in writing and journalism in Nevada and San Francisco. His articles and stories became immensely popular in the decades that followed. On the strength of this growing literary celebrity and financial success, he moved east in the late 1860s and married Olivia Langdon, the daughter of a prominent Elmira, New York, family. Twain and Langdon settled in Hartford, Connecticut; there Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which he published in 1876. Twain proceeded to write, among other things, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) and two sequels to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894) and Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896). He died in 1910, one of America's most beloved humorists and storytellers.
Twain based The Adventures of Tom Sawyer largely on his personal memories of growing up in Hannibal in the 1840s. In his preface to the novel, he states that "most of the adventures recorded in this book really occurred" and that the character of Tom Sawyer has a basis in "a combination � of three boys whom I knew." Indeed, nearly every figure in the novel comes from the young Twain's village experience: Aunt Polly shares many characteristics with Twain's mother; Mary is based on Twain's sister Pamela; and Sid resembles Twain's younger brother, Henry. Huck Finn, the Widow Douglas, and even Injun Joe also have real-life counterparts, although the actual Injun Joe was more of a harmless drunk than a murderer.Quiz-Circle the correct answer
1. How does Tom trick his friends into helping him whitewash the fence?
A. He offer them marblesB. He promises to go swimming with them when the job is doneC. He tells them Aunt Polly wants them to helpD. He convinces them that the job is fun.2. Why do Tom and Huck first go to the graveyard?
A. To dig up a bodyB. To charm away wartsC. To dig for buried treasureD. To kill a cat3. What is Jackson's Island?
A. A small island in the middle of the Mississippi RiverB. A tavern in townC. An amusement park in St. LouisD. The setting of Tom's favorite adventure book4. Who is Sid?
A. Aunt Polly's boyfriendB. Tom's cocker spanielC. Tom's younger half-brotherD. Tom's father5. What does Injun Joe do after Tom testifies against him?
A. He denies his guiltB. He fleesC. He terrorizes the boysD. He kills Muff Potter6. Who is blamed for the murder of Dr. Robinson?
A. Muff PotterB. Injun JoeC. Hoss WilliamsD. Tom Sawyer7. Who is the first of the boys to suggest abandoning the pirating expedition?
A. Tom SawyerB. Huckleberry FinnC. Ben RogersD. Joe Harper8. Who adopts Huck Finn at the end of the novel?
A. Aunt PollyB. Widow DouglasC. Judge ThatcherD. Muff PotterDiscussion Questions
1. How does Tom Sawyer change during the story?
2. Discuss Aunt Polly and her relationship to Tom.
3. Discuss the relationship between Tom and Huck Finn, paying close attention to their trip to the graveyard and their hunt for treasure.
4. Discuss Tom's relationship to the other boys his age, paying attention to the whitewashing scene.
5. Discuss Tom's courtship of Becky.
6. Discuss the author's portrayal of the town's authority figures, especially Judge Thatcher.
7. Discuss Mark Twain's portrayal of Injun Joe?
For more information on Tom Sawyer try the following web sites:
http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/tomsawye/tomhompg.html
http://www.bibliomania.com/0/0/54/98/frameset.html
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tomsawyer/edition.html
For Further Reading
Clemens, Samuel L. Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1990.
Emerson, Everett H. Mark Twain: A Literary Life. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000.
Evans, John D. A Tom Sawyer Companion: An Autobiographical Guided Tour with Mark Twain.Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1993.
Hutchinson, Stuart. Mark Twain: Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.
Information for this study guide was provided by Sparknotes