Tom Sawyer
10/03/2018
Tom Sawyer and me
The less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it
Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Being a kid is a confusing experience. If not given the proper guidance then it’s possible that you could be led astray in your later life. Tom Sawyer is a perfect example of this. He’s constantly disobedient, he lies, and steals, and is an overall violent person. But he’s relatable. He’s had past trama. He lost his parents and in a way he lost himself and his desire to become anything else than what people expect from him. Tom Sawyer, to me represents the struggle in adolescence. The struggle of responsibility. The struggle of learning how to be an adult, and the struggle of belonging.
In chapter one Tom is seen stealing, lying, and fighting. The reasons of his actions can be broken down into three categories, one for each of his deeds. He steals to prove to himself that he can do whatever he wants, and get always with it. He lies because he thinks that nobody wants to help him and that they won’t accept him for who he wants to be. And finally he fights to try and prove himself in the brutal social pool. He uses his aggression to show his masculinity because he feels that’s the only way he can.
The part of Tom I feel that I can most relate with is the not belonging. All children have secrets, but growing up I never truly felt I had anyone I could confide in with my darker thoughts and questions. I feel like Tom might feel some of this too because of the loss of his parents.
Growing up is tough, and is filled with emotion which can’t always be seen from a first glance, which is why I think Tom Sawyer can be a relatable example for any boy.