The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Mark Twain

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Study Questions & Essay Topics

Study Questions

1. How does Tom Sawyer change over the course of the story?


2. Analyze the character of Aunt Polly and her relationship to Tom.


3. What role do alcohol and images of drunkenness play in the novel?


Suggested Essay Topics

1. Analyze the relationship between Tom and Huck Finn, paying close attention to their trip to the graveyard and their hunt for treasure.

2. Analyze Tom’s relationship to the other boys his age, paying close attention to the whitewashing scene and the scenes at school.

3. Discuss how Twain uses satire in the Sunday school scene.

4. Trace Tom’s courtship of Becky. In what ways is their romance adultlike? In what ways is it childish?

5. Discuss Twain’s portrayal of the town’s authority figures, especially Judge Thatcher, Mr. Dobbins, and the minister.

6. Analyze Twain’s portrayal of Injun Joe. Does Twain want us to feel sympathy for Injun Joe? How can you tell?

7. Analyze the relationship between the adults and children of St. Petersburg. Focus especially on the adult reaction to Tom Sawyer.

Tom Sawyer

by muymuymuymuy, December 06, 2012

The key to reading this book is to concentrate on the anwsers and actually analyze what they are saying.

24 out of 38 people found this helpful

0

Just a bit of advice....

by fieldhockeylover101, March 25, 2013

If u have a big exam on this novel coming up.......instead of reading all the chapter analysis's,read the overall anylsis, quotes and come up with the most important charcters and write out WHO they really are. Just a helpful idea.......!

7 out of 8 people found this helpful

0

Important.. Read!

by _hi123, April 09, 2013

After chapter 17, all the chapters are one chapter behind. So chapter 19 is under chapter 18 and so on. I am not positive if this goes on through the rest of the chapters but I know that after chapter 17, this does happen. Hope this helps!

11 out of 13 people found this helpful

0

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