Tom Sawyer Essay, Research Paper

This story takes place in St. Petersburg, Missouri, in the mid-1800’s. The main problem in this story is the many ways which Tom tries to avoid Injun Joe because as a witness to the murder of Dr. Robinson, Injun Joe is trying to kill Tom. Tom also has to deal with being punished on a Saturday when he could be out playing. The last problem is how Becky and Tom will escape from a cave. Tom, Sid, Tom’ half brother, and Tom’s Aunt Polly were sitting down at the table eating supper, Aunt Polly asked Tom questions hinting that she suspected him of playing hooky and going swimming instead of going to school. Aunt Polly gave up but then Sid pointed out that Tom had a different color thread than the one Aunt Polly sewed on Tom’s collar. Tom’s punishment was to whitewash the fence, but Tom wanted to go out and play. Tom used reverse psychology to make his friends think that whitewashing was an honor and they even gave him trinkets for the honor of whitewashing the fence. At school, Tom meets a new girl, Becky Thatcher, daughter of Judge Thatcher. Becky and Tom both like each other but Tom mentioned that he was engaged to Amy, and Becky hated him for it. Tom and his friend Huck go to the cemetery with a dead cat, a supposed wart cure. While at the cemetery they see Injun Joe kill Dr. Robinson while blaming Muff Potter. Both Tom and Huck swear to themselves that they will not say a thing about the murder. One day when looking for treasures in a haunted house, Tom and Huck overhear Injun Joe talking with another man about finding treasures. Tom and Huck decide to track the men in order to find the treasures which the men hide in “the number 2″. Becky invites Tom to a picnic and they both get lost inside a cave. Finally they find an opening in the cave and slip out without Injun Joe, who was there, realizing that Tom and Becky were there also. Becky’s father decides to close the cave and make it off limits to everyone so that no one will get lost or inside there. Tom asks that Judge Thatcher open the cave and they find Injun Joe’s dead body. Tom returns to the cave with Huck and they notice a number 2 printed on the wall, the mark of the hidden treasure. Tom and Huck find the treasures under a big rock and bring their treasures back with them from the cave.

?Injun Joe sprang to his feet, his eyes flaming with passion, snatched up Potter?s knife, and went creeping, cat like and stooping round and round about the combatants, seeking an opportunity. All at once the doctor flung himself free, seized the heavy headboard of Williams? grave and felled Potter to the earth with it and in the same instant the half-breed saw his chance and drove the knife to the hilt in the young man?s breast?. I chose that part because it was an exciting and thrilling moment because it is about a man getting murdered and the other is being framed and Tom and Huck are watching the whole thing.

I enjoyed reading this book because it is funny and has lots of adventures and is an exciting book. This book was not hard to follow but it did have some hard words. I would rate this book a 4 out of 5. I would recommend this book to most people. I think anyone from 13 and up would like this but I wouldn?t recommend it to anyone 12 and under because they might get confused and it would be hard for them to follow.