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Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: land of many balloons
Posts: 9
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Tom Sawyer Analysis
Analysis of Tom's character ( up till chapter 12 or so. was an english assignment ) :
Roaming in the wild beast of a boy, the true spirit of Tom Sawyer lives. One of wit, youth, and life. Such a burning fire of life inside, fueled by the tinder of authority and the urge for a vibrant sense of fun. His energy and source of life seems to often come from the times he escapes the fingers of obedience and tyranny from those older and seemingly more mature than him . It is as though he lives for that moment, the adrenaline gained. He lives for the thrill of victory from those who try to contain his animalistic, wild, and childish character ¾ victory that makes the reward of freedom afterwards so much greater.
To the naked eye blinded by the willies of age and fraud vision of sophistication created by society, Tom Sawyer may appear as one of lower knowledge, primitive to the humanities that exist today or even then. “ What a crude development of character,” the ‘higher’ ones may think. Little do the know the true intelligence and genius of one so young. Tom truly is a genius, his ability to see past the artificial covers of the human nature and know how to manipulate it is pure brilliance. Uncovering one of the many laws of which humans work by, he in turn reveals to himself a way to control it. This is of the time when Tom ‘tricked’ a fellow boy into whitewashing his fence. Seeing the intricate workings of the mind, he realized the simple truth. He learned to use reverse psychology. Simple and cunning, that is what his intellect is. Not only that, but more proof of Tom’s intelligence comes from school as well. Though he may appear to be only a vessel for mischief at school, he is actually very smart. He bears a metal related to some achievement at school with which he wears proudly. Not only that, but the ways he achieved the tickets were also very clever. In the end, Tom is simply just a young boy who is very smart, maybe even wise for his age.
With his deeper side hidden, the image of a young boy he portrays also holds much truth in a revelation to his character. Still filled with the flesh of immaturity, Tom’s childish nature always seems to show itself. Two sides of the coin, reflections in the mirror, there are times when both sides of Tom are revealed. Like the moment Tom pretended to be sick. The thought and concept itself was childish, yet the way he calculated what his aunt would have done if he had mentioned his tooth, the ways to make his story believable, the talent of his groans, all a wonderful mix if cunning wit and sheer immaturity. Like many boys, Tom does not enjoy work but only the calling lures of his youth. Drawn to the advertisements of fun in the world, Tom eagerly takes the bait and comes running.
And like any healthy young boy, Tom Sawyer is a suffering victim from the consummation of pride. Though sometimes a good quality, when added in great amounts to a young boy like Tom, it can be highly dangerous. Like the time Tom fought with that other young boy, it gives you another glance into the true nature of his intricate character. He boasts, speaking of all the painful things he can do to this lad, and in a way, it very much resembles the way of many male animals. He marks his territory, speaks big words to warn of his strength, uses his pride as a shield, and in the end, finally attacks. Through the dialog however, you can see how he hesitates, and that could be a result of cowardice but also one of conscience.
Therefore, another side of Tom is uncovered, and that is the one of his heart. He can be careless and troublesome but never cruel. Though the ‘fight’ may be an example of violence to some, it seems more of the regular rough-housing that most boys engage in. Tom may be impish, but never does he often work in ways to purposely hurt people. A different side of his heart would be the one left only for the great point of his love and affections; Becky Thatcher. And yet, even though the way he expresses his love (through displaying the many talents he seems to be proud of and showing off himself to prove how great he is) may not be as ‘mature’ in a sense, it still shows his feelings toward a girl. In his own words, he says that he loves her. It may not show much. However, at least it shows to us that Tom is open with his emotions and not always shy.
Within only a few chapters, we are able to see that Tom’s character is much more than what it seems. Hidden behind the face of a child could thrive the mind of a genius. Complex and convolute, his nature seems to have much more to be learned by readers.
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