The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by
Mark Twain
2008, Form B.
In some works of literature, childhood and adolescence are portrayed as times
graced by innocence and a sense of wonder; in other works, they are depicted as
times of tribulation and terror. Focusing on a single novel or play, explain
how its representation of childhood or adolescence shapes the meaning of the
work as a whole.
In
his book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark
Twain uses the immature context of Tom Sawyer’s childhood – the games,
imagination and blamelessness – as a platform to address more mature topics of
the boy’s world on the 19th century Mississippi River.
Twain
describes those who attempt to make the boys grow up and mature as oppressive
through imagery; his view of childhood reflects one of freedom, away from the
pressures of society. As Mary helps Tom get ready for church, she forced him
into a bath and his Sunday attire, until he “looked exceedingly improved and
uncomfortable” but “there was a restrain about whole clothes and cleanliness
that galled him” (Twain 40). This sense of feeling – the uncomfortableness and restraint
of his Sunday “best” - reflects the restraints being placed on Tom’s childhood.
The physical imagery echoes the unspoken disturbance of freedom. Mary is
forcing Tom into the mold society has created for him as an adult, clean and
kept and stiff – yet he is still a child. His family forces him to Sunday
school – “a place that Tom hated with his whole heart” (Twain 40), taking him
away from the excitement, adventures and escapades that create the almost ideal
American youth. By characterizing childhood as free and adulthood as
constrictive, Twain is able to portray adulthood with a negative connotation,
implying its negative ideologies and conventional beliefs.
This negative portrayal of adults is
partially why Mark Twain only followed the story of children. Their adventures
contrasted with the racism, religious hypocrisy, and societal pressures more
often found in adulthood. On the very last page of the book, Twain writes, “It
being strictly a history of a boy, it
must stop here; the story could not go much further without becoming the
history of a man” (Twain 319). His
use of juvenile context serves to satirize adulthood in a way that a more
mature setting could not.
“But
the elastic heart of youth cannot be compressed into one constrained shape long
at a time.” (Twain 84).
I really enjoyed your presentation! You were entertaining and energetic throughout your presentation and you surely kept my attention. I like the approach you took in this essay as it is unique and not something I would expect but you did support the points you made well. Also, I thought the food portion of your presentation worked really well. It was unique and you made good connections and you also used textual evidence.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, in your presentation I liked how you brought up that Twain writes to the younger generation by having a negative portrayal of adults. Overall, you did a great job and integrated text well to support your thesis.
I loved the enthusiasm in your presentation! It was easy to see that you enjoyed reading the books and were passionate about the structure and background knowledge that went into and shaped both The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The enthusiasm throughout the presentation helped carry the research, and nicely complemented the themes of childhood and lighthearted freedom.
ReplyDeleteIn your AP Open Question #1, I enjoyed the way you dove deeper into the nuances of the main characters being children in a morally compromised society and situations. This would be a complicated and delicate situation for many. And although I do not think he drew this connection on purpose, I notice that Tom’s reaction to being forced into his sunday best are a lot like society reading Mark Twain’s novels. They became uncomfortable with the idea of forcing their issues and confronting the problems like slavery. Whether that was one purpose or not, I thought it was interesting. Good job on your project!