Tom Sawyer Literary Analysis
05/25/2020
Elliot J and Connor S
8th grade English
Tom Sawyer Analysis
The Fenn School
10/19/18
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
An analysis of adolescence in the 1840s.
“The less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it”
― The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Everyone has gone through adolescence, it’s a complicated time. It appears to be similar in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. However much a troublemaker that he is,Tom Sawyer is also going through adolescence. Because he seems to be “chasing” Becky, not saying that it’s a serious thing, it’s as stupid and awkward as a middle school dance. But that’s what is a prominent amount theme in this book, because even though we’re separated by 170 years, things are still nearly the same, schools are much stricter, with Tom and other children getting smacked and the like. Church is also ten times worse, because it’s two hours of Sunday school, then four of worship. But one thing is still the same, and that is the way the children, including Tom act. Especially when he first properly introduced himself to Becky at school, already seemingly infatuated with her:
“Good—that's a whack. What's your name?"
"Becky Thatcher. What's yours? Oh, I know. It's Thomas Sawyer."
"That's the name they lick me by. I'm Tom when I'm good. You call me Tom, will you?"
"Yes.”
Chapter VI, The adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.
One of the examples is how Tom completely forgot about his previous “Fiancé” as soon as he saw Becky, although that whole thing with the previous girl was undoubtedly as lame as the “engagement” with Becky at school was, something similar could totally happen today. I’m saying that, “girlfriends” at 10-11-12-13 years old is something still happening now, but society is different and teenagers in adolescence act much different and they are now commonly embarrassed or ashamed by their feelings. But then, kids were more tough, they had to be. Because, after all, most of them didn’t even reach adulthood.
These things still happen and will continue to happen for the rest of the history of the human race. So, adolescence still comes on and a child isn’t ready yet and the child still forms “relationships” that are pretty stupid and won’t last six months, exactly like Tom and the girl before Becky. However, it was funny when Tom messed up badly and spilled the beans about how he was already “engaged”. So, despite the vast differences of our lives, everywhere on earth and at any time, teenagers are and have always been the same.