Introduction :
Book Name: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Author : Mark Twain
Genre : Fiction / Classic /
The Characters : Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher, Aunt Polly, Sidney Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Joe Harper and others.
The Setting : The story involves the childhood days and adventures of Tom Sawyer, an orphan, living with his Aunt Polly and cousins on the banks of the Mississippi River. The author has so beautifully portrayed basic human nature through various emotions that one can't help but feel those nuances and get involved with the lead character of the story. The description of the childhood behaviour is impeccable and rings true even in this era.
The Storyline:
Tom always gets into trouble and is forever making excuses to skip school, however, Aunt Polly always manages to see through his pranks. One day, a very important fact of human nature dawns upon him as he brandishes his punishment of white-washing the fence as a great task involving huge responsibility and a testament of strong character.
He successfully hoodwinks the other boys into not only finishing off this task as well as end up paying him for it!
After Becky Thatcher, his classmate, refuses to be his girlfriend, and also being wrongly punished by Aunt Polly, he finds life not worth living.
He chances upon two other boys who are fed up with their life stances as well. Hence the trio decide to run away and build their own lives as pirates. They think their families won't even miss them a bit. So off they go to an island on the Mississippi River with some food and enjoy their time.
In the meanwhile, the villagers had begun to search for the missing boys in the waters of the river, thinking them to be drowned! Joe Harper begins to miss his mom and even Tom starts to feel homesick. So, they sneak into their own funeral at the church and are found to be alive!
Tom and Huckleberry Finn witness a murder and decide to keep quiet about it. After going through the emotional turmoil laden with guilt, Tom gathers the courage and testifies against the real culprit.
This book has so many emotions with which one instantly relates and is swiftly transported into ones own childhood days. It has a glimpse of that sweet childhood romance, the spirit of adventure and belonging. It also has it's hilarious turns and the pace of events keep one glued to the pages.
The character of Tom Sawyer is built in such a manner that one can't help but feel for him throughout the book.
It is a timeless classic and a must read. It is a gem of a book.
Conclusion
