Finley Stevens And Jack Moscow

Tom Sawyer literary analysis #1

8th Grade English, Fenn School

October 19, 2018

A literary analysis of boyhood in Tom Sawyer

“Adolescence is like having only enough light to see the step directly in front of you.”

-Sarah Addison Allen

By Jack Moskow and Finely Stevens

    You will never be a man without being a boy. So far in the book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain,  boyhood and rebellion fuels the fire for Toms adventures. Boyhood has played a key role in Toms life. Tom overcomes a key part of boyhood. Tom had his first kiss like many boys will in adolescence. This was one of the first steps of becoming a man.

Recuring Themes In Tom Sawyer 

“Boys will be boys” -James Rogers

     Over the past week we read the classic, Tom Sawyer, in class. In chapters 5 through 10, we learned more about the book’s characters and themes. These themes, including fantasy , boyhood and rebellion, were fairly easy to follow.

“He would be a pirate! That was it! Now his future lay plain before him, and glowing with unimaginable splendor. How his name would fill the world, and make people shudder! How gloriously he would go plowing the dancing seas, in his long, low, black-hulled racer, the Spirit of the Storm, with his grisly flag flying at the fore!”

     This quote was a great example of the recurring theme of fantasy. I found myself being able to quickly pick up on themes in the book, while I struggled to stay focused in chapters five and six. In my opinion, the later chapters where better than the earlier chapters. I lost interest in the book in the early chapters while chapters 7-10 were intriguing to read. Personally, I find the overall plot of rebellion and boyhood hard to follow in the book. In fact, in reading Tom Sawyer I sometimes forget what I’ve read because I don’t feel the book pulling me into the plot. The book requires your full attention, which I’ve learned to accept, but occasionally I will read pages without really seeing the scene in my head, that makes it more difficult for me to follow or to forget what has happened in the story. Overall though, the beginning of the book has been very good, had I’m excited to read more. I hope my reaction to these recent chapters is not how I will feel about the book in the end because I know it is supposed to be a classic for boys.

 

How Family Plays A Role In My Life 

“The most important thing in the world is family and love” -John Wooden

By, Jack Moskow 

     Family is a essential part of growing up. Family has helped me develop my personality and who I am as a person. Since I was little, my family has been there, guided me through my life and taught me many lessons.

The Boy In Me 

”The best liar is he who makes the smallest amount of lying goes the longest way”

- Samuel Buttler

by, Jack Moskow 

     Tom Sawyer has always been a mischievous boy, in ways similar to me. He is a “bad boy” always looking for trouble. Although I’ve never chased and beat up a new kid like Odin, I relate to Tom Sawyer in other ways.