Suggestions

Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.
  • Shakespeare dark gray
    • No Fear Shakespeare Translations
    • Shakespeare Study Guides
    • Shakespeare Life & Times
    • Glossary of Shakespeare Terms
  • Literature dark gray
    • No Fear Literature Translations
    • Literature Study Guides
    • Glossary of Literary Terms
    • How to Write Literary Analysis
  • Other Subjects dark gray
    • Biography
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Computer Science
    • Drama
    • Economics
    • Film
    • Health
    • History
    • Math
    • Philosophy
    • Physics
    • Poetry
    • Psychology
    • Short Stories
    • Sociology
    • US Government and Politics
  • Test Prep PLUS dark gray
    • Test Prep Lessons
    • AP® English Literature
    • AP® English Language
  • Teacher dark gray
    • SparkTeach
    • Teacher's Handbook
  • Blog
My PLUS Dashboard
  • Account Details
  • Subscription & Billing

Please wait while we process your payment

Reset Password

  • Please wait while we process your payment

    Log in Create account

    Sparknotes

  • By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy.

    Don’t have an account? Subscribe now

    Step 1 of 4

    Create Your Account

    Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial. Get instant access to all the benefits of SparkNotes PLUS! Cancel within the first 7 days and you won't be charged. We'll even send you a reminder.

    • Ad-free experience
    • Study notes
    • Flashcards & Quizzes
    • AP® English Test Prep
    • Plus much more

  • Already have an account? Log in

    Step 1 of 4

    Create Your Account done

    Step 2 of 4

    Choose Your Plan

    BEST VALUE

    Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan!

    Step 2 of 4

    Choose Your Plan done

    Step 3 of 4

    Add Your Payment Details

  • We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country.

  • Step 3 of 4

    Add Your Payment Details done

    Step 4 of 4

    Payment Summary

    SparkNotes Plus

    You'll be billed only after your free trial ends.

    7-day Free Trial

    Renews August 25, 2022

    Discounts (applied to next billing)

    DUE NOW

    $0.00

    SNPLUSROCKS20  |  20% Discount

    This is not a valid promo code.

    Promo Code (one code per order)

    SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only.

    Step 2 of 4

    Choose Your Plan

    Step 3 of 4

    Add Your Payment Details

    Step 4 of 4

    Payment Summary

    Please wait while we process your payment

    expired-logo

    Welcome to PLUS! Let us show you around so you can easily find all of your new PLUS study tools.

    Welcome to PLUS!

    • Let us show you around so you can easily find all of your new PLUS study tools.

    Suggestions

    Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.
    • My Account Icon My Account white
      • Account Details
      • Subscription & Billing
      My PLUS Dashboard
    • Shakespeare white
      • No Fear Shakespeare Translations
      • Shakespeare Study Guides
      • Shakespeare Life & Times
      • Glossary of Shakespeare Terms
    • Literature white
      • No Fear Literature Translations
      • Literature Study Guides
      • Glossary of Literary Terms
      • How to Write Literary Analysis
    • Other Subjects white
      • Biography
      • Biology
      • Chemistry
      • Computer Science
      • Drama
      • Economics
      • Film
      • Health
      • History
      • Math
      • Philosophy
      • Physics
      • Poetry
      • Psychology
      • Short Stories
      • Sociology
      • US Government and Politics
    • Test Prep PLUS white
      • Test Prep Lessons
      • AP® English Literature
      • AP® English Language
    • Teacher white
      • SparkTeach
      • Teacher's Handbook
    • Blog
    • Help

    Please wait while we process your payment

    expired-logo

    Your PLUS subscription has expired

    • We’d love to have you back! Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools.
    Renew your subscription

    Please wait while we process your payment

    expired-logo

    snpromo-logo
    • Start the school year strong with
      SparkNotes PLUS!
    • Start the school year strong with PLUS!

    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

    Mark Twain

    Study Guide Full Text
    • Study Guide
    • Full Text
    • Summary
      • Summary & Analysis
      • Chapters 1–3
      • Chapters 4–6
      • Chapters 7–10
      • Chapters 11–13
      • Chapters 14–17
      • Chapters 18–20
      • Chapters 21–24
      • Chapters 25–26
      • Chapters 27–29
      • Chapters 30–32
      • Chapters 33–Conclusion
      • Full Book
      • Full Book Summary
      • Key Facts
    • Characters
      • Character List
      • Tom Sawyer
      • Huckleberry Finn
      • Injun Joe
    • Literary Devices
      • Themes
      • Motifs
      • Symbols
    • Quotes
      • Important Quotes Explained
      • By Theme
      • Nature
      • Youth and Innocence
      • Individualism versus Conformity
      • Imagination
      • Morality
      • By Section
      • Chapters 1–3
      • Chapters 4–6
      • Chapters 7–10
      • Chapters 11–13
      • Chapters 14–17
      • Chapters 18–20
      • Chapters 21–24
      • Chapters 25–26
      • Chapters 27–29
      • Chapters 30–32
      • Chapter 33–Conclusion
      • By Character
      • Tom Sawyer
      • Huckleberry Finn
      • Injun Joe
      • Aunt Polly
      • Becky Thatcher
    • Quick Quizzes
      • Book
      • Full Book Quiz
      • Chapters 1-3
      • Chapters 4-6
      • Chapters 7-10
      • Chapters 11-13
      • Chapters 14-17
      • Chapters 18-20
      • Chapters 21-24
      • Chapters 25-26
      • Chapters 27-29
      • Chapters 30-32
      • Chapters 33-Conclusion
        • More
        • Context
        • Plot Overview
        • Character List
        • Analysis of Major Characters
        • Themes, Motifs & Symbols
        • Essays
          • Mini Essays
          • Sample A+ Essay
          • Suggested Essay Topics
        • Further Study
          • Suggestions for Further Reading
          • Mark Twain and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Background

        Please wait while we process your payment

        snplus-logo

        Unlock your FREE SparkNotes PLUS trial!

        Unlock your FREE Trial!

        Sign up and get instant access to bookmarks.
        • Ad-Free experience
        • Easy-to-access study notes
        • Flashcards & Quizzes
        • AP® English test prep
        • Plus much more
        Already have an account? Log in
        Characters

        Character List

        Characters Character List
        • Tom Sawyer

          The novel’s protagonist. Tom is a mischievous boy with an active imagination who spends most of the novel getting himself, and often his friends, into and out of trouble. Despite his mischief, Tom has a good heart and a strong moral conscience. As the novel progresses, he begins to take more seriously the responsibilities of his role as a leader among his schoolfellows.

          Read an in-depth analysis of Tom Sawyer .

        • Aunt Polly

          Tom’s aunt and guardian. Aunt Polly is a simple, kindhearted woman who struggles to balance her love for her nephew with her duty to discipline him. She generally fails in her attempts to keep Tom under control because, although she worries about Tom’s safety, she seems to fear constraining him too much. Above all, Aunt Polly wants to be appreciated and loved.

        • Huckleberry Finn

          The son of the town drunk. Huck is a juvenile outcast who is shunned by respectable society and adored by the local boys, who envy his freedom. Like Tom, Huck is highly superstitious, and both boys are always ready for an adventure. Huck gradually replaces Tom’s friend Joe Harper as Tom’s sidekick in his escapades.

          Read an in-depth analysis of Huckleberry Finn .

        • Becky Thatcher

          Judge Thatcher’s pretty, yellow-haired daughter. From almost the minute she moves to town, Becky is the “Adored Unknown” who stirs Tom’s lively romantic sensibility. Naïve at first, Becky soon matches Tom as a romantic strategist, and the two go to great lengths to make each other jealous.

        • Joe Harper

          Tom’s “bosom friend” and frequent playmate. Joe is a typical best friend, a convention Twain parodies when he refers to Joe and Tom as “two souls with but a single thought.” Though Joe mostly mirrors Tom, he diverges from Tom’s example when he is the first of the boys to succumb to homesickness on Jackson’s Island. As the novel progresses, Huck begins to assume Joe’s place as Tom’s companion.

        • Sid

          Tom’s half-brother. Sid is a goody-goody who enjoys getting Tom into trouble. He is mean-spirited but presents a superficial show of model behavior. He is thus the opposite of Tom, who is warmhearted but behaves badly.

        • Mary

          Tom’s sweet, almost saintly cousin. Mary holds a soft spot for Tom. Like Sid, she is well behaved, but unlike him, she acts out of genuine affection rather than malice.

        • Injun Joe

          A violent, villainous man who commits murder, becomes a robber, and plans to mutilate the Widow Douglas. Injun Joe’s predominant motivation is revenge. Half Native American and half Caucasian, he has suffered social exclusion, probably because of his race.

          Read an in-depth analysis of Injun Joe .

        • Muff Potter

          A hapless drunk and friend of Injun Joe. Potter is kind and grateful toward Tom and Huck, who bring him presents after he is wrongly jailed for Dr. Robinson’s murder. Potter’s naïve trust eventually pushes Tom’s conscience to the breaking point, compelling Tom to tell the truth at Potter’s trial about who actually committed the murder.

        • Dr. Robinson

          A respected local physician. Dr. Robinson shows his more sordid side on the night of his murder: he hires Injun Joe and Muff Potter to dig up Hoss Williams’s grave because he wants to use the corpse for medical experiments.

        • Mr. Sprague

          The minister of the town church.

        • The Widow Douglas

          A kindhearted, pious resident of St. Petersburg whom the children recognize as a friend. Tom knows that the Widow Douglas will give him and Becky ice cream and let them sleep over. She is kind to Huck even before she learns that he saved her life.

        • Mr. Jones

          A Welshman who lives with his sons near the Widow Douglas’s house. Mr. Jones responds to Huck’s alarm on the night that Injun Joe intends to attack the widow, and he takes care of Huck in the aftermath.

        • Judge Thatcher

          Becky’s father, the county judge. A local celebrity, Judge Thatcher inspires the respect of all the townspeople. He takes responsibility for issues affecting the community as a whole, such as closing the cave for safety reasons and taking charge of the boys’ treasure money.

        • Jim

          Aunt Polly’s young slave.

        • Amy Lawrence

          Tom’s former love. Tom abandons Amy when Becky Thatcher comes to town.

        • Ben Rogers

          One of Tom’s friends, whom Tom persuades to whitewash Aunt Polly’s fence.

        • Alfred Temple

          A well-dressed new boy in town. Like Amy Lawrence, Alfred gets caught in the crossfire of Tom and Becky’s love games, as Becky pretends to like him in order to make Tom jealous.

        • Mr. Walters

          The somewhat ridiculous Sunday school superintendent. Because he aspires to please Judge Thatcher, Mr. Walters rewards Tom with a Bible, even though he knows that Tom hasn’t earned it.

        • Mr. Dobbins

          The schoolmaster. Mr. Dobbins seems a slightly sad character: his ambition to be a medical doctor has been thwarted and he has become a heavy drinker and the butt of schoolboy pranks.

        Next section Tom Sawyer
        Test your knowledge

        Take the Character List Quick Quiz

        Take a study break

        Every Shakespeare Play Summed Up in a Single Sentence

        Take a study break

        The 7 Most Embarrassing Proposals in Literature

        Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? x

        Popular pages: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

        • Tom Sawyer: Character Analysis CHARACTERS

        • Quotes by Theme QUOTES

        • Themes LITERARY DEVICES

        • Review Quiz FURTHER STUDY

        Take a Study Break

        • Every Shakespeare Play Summed Up in a Single Sentence

        • The 7 Most Embarrassing Proposals in Literature

        • The 6 Best and Worst TV Show Adaptations of Books

        • QUIZ: Which Greek God Are You?

        Sign up for our latest news and updates!
        By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. You can view our Privacy Policy here. Unsubscribe from our emails at any time.

        SparkNotes—the stress-free way to a better GPA

        • Quick Links
        • No Fear Shakespeare
        • Literature Guides
        • Other Subjects
        • Blog
        • Teacher’s Handbook
        • Premium Study Tools
        • SparkNotes PLUS
        • Sign Up
        • Log In
        • PLUS Help
        • More
        • Help
        • How to Cite SparkNotes
        • How to Write Literary Analysis
        • About
        • Contact Us
        • Advertise

        Copyright © SparkNotes LLC

        • Terms of Use
        • |
        • Privacy
        • |
        • Cookie Policy
        • |
        • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
               
        >