The Adventures of Tom Sawyer By Mark Twain

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer By Mark Twain Tom and Jim floating down the Mississippi River The original cover on the novel “MOST OF THE ADVENTURES RECORDED IN THIS BOOK REALLY OCCURRED…PART OF MY PLAN HAS BEEN TO TRY TO PLEASANTLY REMIND ADULTS OF WHAT THEY ONCE WERE THEMSELVES, AND HOW THEY FELT AND THOUGHT AND TALKED, AND WHAT QUEER ENTERPRISES THEY SOMETIMES ENGAGED IN. ” -TWAIN

Mark Twain Often called “eye witness to history” Watched a young United States evolve from a nation torn apart by internal conflicts to one of international power Experienced country's growth and change - from westward expansion to industrialization, end of slavery, advancements in technology, big government and foreign wars. Included historical issues into all of his plots

Twain Continued… Birth name= Samuel Clemens Born on November 30, 1835 in Florida, Missouri Sixth of seven children At four, he and his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri on the banks of the Mississippi River Father owned one slave and his uncle owned several On his uncle's farm Sam spent summers playing in the slave quarters

Continued Worked on several newspapers & career as a riverboat pilot on Mississippi River During Civil War in 1861, he joined a volunteer Confederate unit called the Marion Rangers Began writing for a newspaper and used pen name, Mark Twain Saw a picture of his friend’s sister, Olivia, and fell in love at first sight (married in 1870) First child, Langdon Clemens (died at 2 from diphtheria) First daughter Susy was born, Clara (1874), Jean (1880)

Historical Context During 1876 the U. S. had become a powerful Industrial country with large cities, factories and railroads Many people (including Mark Twain) longed for a simpler time Small towns and farming communities seemed friendlier than the cities He uses this novel to reflect on a simple, peaceful, and innocent country life (like his own childhood) Evil seems to be floating around the edges of a small town including: Divided social classes Lack of education for the poor Enslaved African Americans Treatment of homeless people

Twain's Purpose Makes fun of books written during this time that portrayed admirable boys who: Worked hard Behaved themselves Made touching sacrifices for others Attended church Studied hard Saved their money Never ditched school He felt these stories were completely lacking in fun and humor of real children’s lives

Dark Twist Although the story may seem light and fun, pay attention to Twain’s dark side Looks closely at cruelty, greed, hypocrisy, and dishonesty

Continued… ‘Twain spent his life observing and reporting on his surroundings. In his writings he provided images of the romantic, the real, the strengths and weaknesses of a rapidly changing world. By examining his life and his works, we can read into the past - piecing together various events of the era and the responses to them. We can delve into the American mindset of the late nineteenth century and make our own observations of history, discover new connections, create new inferences and gain better insights into the time period and the people who lived in it. As Sam once wrote, "Supposing is good, but finding out is better. ”’ Sam and Olivia Clemens

Themes Childhood vs. Adulthood Look at the behaviors between the two The contrast between civilization and nature What nature offers and what towns offer The contrast between social norms and honest morality Do social norms always fit in with your own morality?