Description of Tom Sawyer. Tom Sawyer - an ordinary child from a prosperous family

Tom Sawyer is the owner of a rebellious character, a fidget, a prankster and a great adventurer who settled in four books of the writer. The former journalist went through a path of creative torment before he found the right form for the work and, in fact, the hero, who was destined to become a favorite of young readers. Merry adventures created the author's reputation as a great humorist and master of intrigue. Unbridled fantasy, enthusiasm and mischievous acts - any child will envy the life of a boy from the town of St. Petersburg.

History of creation

Mark Twain gave children four novels with exciting events: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer Abroad and the detective story Tom Sawyer the Detective. Another work called "The Conspiracy of Tom Sawyer" the author did not have time to finish.

The first book was born with difficulty: Twain began it in 1872, and finished it only by the summer of 1875. An interesting fact is that the author wrote this work for the first time in his creative biography on a typewriter. The autobiographical novel is based on the writer's childhood, when the worries of adult life had not yet burst into a serene world filled with dreams of exploits and accomplishments. Mark Twain admitted that, like the heroes of novels, being a boy, he wanted to find a treasure, build a raft, and settle on a desert island.

The author borrowed the name of the character from an acquaintance, Thomas Sawyer, with whom fate brought him together in California. However, three boy friends from distant childhood served as prototypes, as Twain says in the preface. That is why the main character turned out with such a controversial character.

The prose writer wrote not so much for children as for their parents, trying to convey to moms and dads that children do not have enough shelter and clothes. It is necessary to try to understand the magical world of the child, not to evaluate his actions only negatively - behind every act there is a "great" idea. Indeed, simple language, a huge number of curiosities and sparkling humor made the novels an excellent reading material for adults.

The dates for writing subsequent books are 1884, 1894 and 1896. At least a dozen writers tried to translate novels into Russian, but translation was recognized as the best work. The writer presented the work to Soviet children in 1929.

Biography and plot

Tom Sawyer lives in the small town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River in the family of his aunt - after the death of her mother, she took the boy to raise. Days pass by studying at school, fighting and playing on the street, and Tom also befriends a homeless child and falls in love with a beautiful peer, Becky. In general, everything is like a normal teenager.

Incredibly optimistic Tom is able to turn every problem into a profitable event. So, the whitewashing of the fence, which the aunt entrusted to the boy as a punishment, becomes a profitable business. Tom works with a brush with such rapture and pleasure that young acquaintances also want to try it. In this case, Sawyer made a fortune, replenishing his boyish treasures with glass marbles, a one-eyed kitten and a dead rat.

Once the protagonist of the novel met Finn on the street, and a controversy erupted between the boys on the topic of the effectiveness of treating warts. Huckleberry told a new way, which requires a dead cat and a trip to the cemetery at night. From that moment, the exciting adventures of friends started.

The boys witness a murder in a cemetery, decide to become pirates, build a fleet with their school friend Joe and set off on a journey to a nearby island. Friends even managed to find a chest of gold and turn into the richest boys in town.

The adventures of friends continue in the next book, where Huckleberry Finn comes to the fore. Tom helps a friend rescue slave Jim by pulling off a whole scam. And in the third novel, the friends end up in a balloon at all - a series of trials awaits them on a journey across America, over the Sahara and the Atlantic Ocean.

In the future, Tom Sawyer was to visit Arkansas, where, again with Finn, the boy got involved in the investigation of the murder and theft of diamonds.

Screen adaptations

The works of Mark Twain were several times in the work of eminent directors. For the first time, the adventures of the young prankster were transferred to film by William Taylor in 1917. However, the picture was not successful. But the next film, shot by John Cromwell in 1930, became the leader of the box office. 40 years later, the Americans repeated their success - the musical picture directed by Don Taylor was nominated three times for an Oscar and twice for a Golden Globe. The main role went to Johnny Whitaker.

The French decided to approach the adventures of an American boy on a grand scale, revealing the series The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1968), however, in a mini format. Roland Demongeo transformed into restless Tom.

In the country of the Soviets, directors of Mark Twain's novel also did not ignore. Based on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, the black-and-white tape was created by Lazar Frenkel and Gleb Zatvornitsky in 1936. However, the film "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn", which appeared on Soviet movie screens in 1981, won great fame. He tried on the image of Tom, and his friend Huckleberry is a future celebrity, for whom the role became a debut.

Govorukhin gathered actors with a name on the set. The characters of the American book were played by (Aunt Polly Sawyer), (Meff Potter). The role of Tom's beloved - Becky - was played by her daughter. The film crew moved around the world: the geography of the film's creation included Ukraine, the Caucasus, Abkhazia, and the Dnieper convincingly appeared in the image of the Mississippi River.

A new directorial reading of Twain's books was presented to the audience by Hermine Huntgeburt. In Tom Sawyer (2011), the roles are played by Louis Hoffman (Tom) and Leon Seidel (Huckleberry).

Producer Boris Shenfelder said in an interview:

“The idea to make a movie about Sawyer came to me after watching Hands Off the Mississippi and Swindlers of Genius. Thinking about these two films, I decided to make a film for children and young adults that will not blindly cater to children's tastes and will be out of our time.

The idea turned out to be realized quite successfully.

The last film adaptation of the literary brainchild of Mark Twain happened in 2014. The film "Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn" co-production of Germany and the United States was directed by Joe Kastner. Joel Courtney played the restless boy-inventor.

• Under the name of St. Petersburg hides the hometown of Hannibal, where Mark Twain was born and raised. Tom Sawyer's environment has real prototypes. For example, Aunt Polly is "copied" from the writer's mother, and Becky is from the neighbor's girl, Laura Hawkins.
• In 2005, the Children's Musical Theater of the Young Spectator staged the sparkling musical Tom Sawyer. The music and lyrics for the performance were written by the composer Viktor Semenov, especially the audience likes the composition "Star River".

• The two-story house of the Hawkins family still adorns the street of the writer's hometown. The Hannibal authorities are going to renovate the building and open the Becky Thatcher Museum. Nearby, according to Twain's fans, stands the "same" fence that Tom had to whitewash, and Cardiff Hill rises a block from the street, where the children described in the novel played games. The caves in which Tom once got lost with Becky are also located in the vicinity of the village.
• Different artists undertook to illustrate the books of Mark Twain, but the pictures of Robert Ingpen are considered the best work.

Quotes

“It often happens that the less justification there is for some ingrained custom, the more difficult it is to get rid of it.”

“There is no worse fool than an old fool. No wonder they say: "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

“What are you going to do with your share, Tom?
- I will buy a drum, a real saber, a red tie, a bulldog puppy and get married.
- Are you getting married?
- Well, yes.
"Tom, you... you're out of your mind!"

"The only thing that's nice is that it's hard to get."

“The main thing is to believe. If you believe, then everything will definitely be fine - even better than you yourself can arrange.

“Fame, of course, is an important and valuable thing, but for real pleasure, a secret is still better.

"In the Middle Ages, the difference between a man and a locust was that the locust was not stupid."

“You can recognize everything in girls by their faces - they have no self-control.”

The work of the famous American publicist and writer Mark Twain about the adventures of two boys is still the most loved and read all over the world. And not only a favorite work for boys, but also for adults who remember their mischievous childhood. This is the story of young America, the romanticism of which touches the boys of the whole world to this day.

History of writing "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

The first work in the series of adventures of American boys was published in 1876, the author at that time was just over 30 years old. Obviously, this played a role in the brightness of the images of the book. America at the end of the 19th century had not yet got rid of slavery, half of the continent was "Indian territory", and the boys remained boys. According to many testimonies, Mark Twain described himself in the volume, not only his real self, but also all his dreams of adventure. Feelings and emotions are described real, which worried the boy of that time, and which continue to excite the boys today.

The main characters are two friends, Tom, who is brought up by his own lonely aunt, and Huck, a city homeless child. Inseparable in their fantasies and adventures, both boys are typical images, but Tom Sawyer remains the main character. He has a younger brother, more rational and obedient, has school friends, boyish love - Becky. And like any boy, the main events in life are associated with a thirst for adventure and first love. An ineradicable thirst constantly involves Tom and Huck in dangerous adventures, some of which, of course, are invented by the author, some are real events. In such as running away from home or going to the cemetery at night, it is easy to believe. And these adventures, interspersed with descriptions of ordinary boyish everyday life, ordinary pranks, joys and annoyances, become reality thanks to the genius of the author. The description of the life of Americans at that time is impressive. What is lost in the modern world is democracy and the spirit of freedom.

Chronicle of Young America (plot and main idea)

A town on the banks of the Mississippi, in which the inhabitants mixed into a single society, regardless of property, racial and even age differences. Negro Jim, enslaved by Aunt Polly, half-breed Injun Joe, Judge Thatcher and his daughter Becky, homeless child Huck and mischievous Tom, Dr. Robenson and undertaker Potter. Tom's life is described with such humor and such naturalness that the reader forgets in which country it takes place, as if he remembers what happened to himself.

The boy Tom Sawyer, along with his younger brother, who is clearly more positive than him, is brought up by an old aunt after the death of his mother. He goes to school, plays in the street, fights, makes friends and falls in love with a beautiful peer, Becky. One day, they met their old friend Huckleberry Fin on the streets, with whom they had a deep debate about ways to reduce warts. Huck told a fresh method of mixing with a dead cat, but it is necessary to visit the cemetery at night. From this began all the significant adventures of these two tomboys. Previous conflicts with my aunt, entrepreneurial ideas about getting a bonus bible in Sunday school, whitewashing the fence as a punishment for disobedience, which Tom successfully transformed into personal success, fade into the background. Everything but the love for Becky.

Having witnessed a fight and a murder, the two boys have long doubted the need to bring everything they saw to the judgment of adults. Only sincere pity for the old drunkard Potter and a sense of universal justice make Tom speak at the trial. Thus, he saved the life of the accused and put his own life in mortal danger. Revenge of Injun Joe is a very real threat to the boy, even under the protection of the law. Meanwhile, Tom and Becky's romance has taken a turn for the worse, and this has taken him away from everything else for a long time. He suffered. It was finally decided to run away from home from unhappy love and become a pirate. It is good that there is such a friend as Huck, who agrees to support any adventure. They were joined by a school friend - Joe.

The adventure ended as it should have. Tom's heart and Huck's rationality forced them to return to the town from the island on the river, after they realized that the whole city was looking for them. The boys returned just in time for their own funeral. The joy of the adults was so great that the boys were not even given a beating. Several days of adventure brightened the life of the boys with the memories of the author himself. After that, Tom was sick, and Becky left for a long time and far away.

Before the start of the school year, Judge Thatcher hosted a lavish party for the kids to celebrate the birthday of her returning daughter. A boat trip on the river, a picnic and a visit to the caves, even modern children could dream of. This is where Tom's new adventure begins. After reconciling with Becky, the two of them run away from the company during a picnic and hide in a cave. They got lost in the passages and grottoes, the torch that illuminated their path burned out, and there were no provisions with them. Tom behaved courageously, this showed all his enterprise and responsibility of a growing man. Quite by chance, they stumbled upon Injun Joe, hiding the stolen money. After wandering around the cave, Tom finds a way out. The children returned home to the joy of their parents.

The secret seen in the cave does not give rest, Tom tells Huck everything, and they decide to check the treasure of the Indian. The boys go to the cave. After Tom and Becky got out of the maze safely, the city council decided to close the entrance to the cave. This became fatal for the mestizo, he died in a cave from hunger and thirst. Tom and Huck endured a fortune. Since the treasure did not belong to anyone in particular, two boys became its owners. Huck received the patronage of the widow Douglas, falling under her care. Tom is also rich now. But Huck could endure the “social” life for no more than three weeks, and Tom, who met him on the shore at the barrel hut, frankly declared that no wealth could keep him from the career of a “noble robber”. The romanticism of the two friends was not yet crushed by the "golden calf" and the conventions of society.

Main characters and their characters

All the main characters of the story are the thoughts and feelings of the author, his memories of childhood, his sense of that very American dream and universal values. When Huck complained that he could not live in idleness, Tom answered him uncertainly: “But everyone lives like that, Huck.” In these boys, Mark Twain writes out his attitude to human values, to the value of freedom and understanding between people. Huck, who has seen more bad things, shares with Tom: “It just makes you feel ashamed of all people,” when he talks about the insincerity of relations in high society. Against the romantic background of the story about childhood, written with good humor, the writer clearly outlines all the best qualities of a little man, and the hope that these qualities will be preserved for life.

A boy who is brought up without a mother and father. What happened to his parents, the author does not reveal. According to the story, it seems that Tom received all his best qualities on the street and at school. Attempts by Aunt Poly to instill in him elementary stereotypes of behavior cannot be crowned with success. Tom is the perfect boy and a tomboy in the eyes of boys all over the world. On the one hand, this is hyperbole, but on the other hand, having real prototypes, Tom really carries all the best that a growing man can carry in himself. He is bold, with a heightened sense of justice. In many episodes, it is these qualities that he shows in difficult life situations. Another feature that cannot affect the feelings of an American. It's resourcefulness and enterprise. It remains only to remember the story of whitewashing the fence, which is also a far-reaching project. Burdened with various boyish prejudices, Tom looks like a completely ordinary boy, which captivates the reader. Everyone sees in him a small reflection of himself.

A homeless child with a living father. The drunkard appears in the story only in conversations, but this already somehow characterizes the living conditions of this little boy. Tom's constant friend and faithful companion in all adventures. And if Tom is a romantic and a leader in this company, then Huck is a sober mind and life experience, which is also necessary in this tandem. An attentive reader has the opinion that Huck is registered by the author as the other side of the medal of a growing person, a citizen of America. The personality is divided into two types - Tom and Huck, which are inseparable. In subsequent stories, the character of Huck will be revealed more fully, and often, in the soul of the reader, these two images are mixed and always receive sympathy.

Becky, Aunt Polly, Negro Jim and half-breed Injun Joe

These are all people, in communication with which all the best in the character of the protagonist is manifested. Tender love in a girl of the same age and real care for her in moments of danger. A respectful, if sometimes ironic, attitude towards an aunt who spends all her strength to raise Tom as a real respectable citizen. The Negro slave, which is an indicator of the then America and the attitude towards slavery of the entire progressive public, because Tom is friends with him, justifiably considering him equal. The author's attitude to Injun Joe, and hence Tom, is far from unambiguous. The romance of the Indian world at that time was not yet so idealized. But the inner pity for the half-breed who died of starvation in the cave characterizes not only the boy. The realities of the Wild West are seen in this image, a cunning and cruel half-breed takes revenge on all whites with his life. He is trying to survive in this world, and society allows him to do so. We do not see that deep condemnation, which it would seem should have been for a thief and a murderer.

Continuation of the epic adventure

In the future, Mark Twain wrote several more stories about Tom and his friend Huck. The author grew up along with his characters, and America changed. And already in subsequent stories there was no that romantic recklessness, but more and more bitter truth of life appeared. But even in these realities, both Tom, and Huck, and Becky retained their best qualities, received by them in childhood on the banks of the Mississippi in a small town with a distant name of the Russian capital - St. Petersburg. You don’t want to part with these heroes, and they remain ideals in the hearts of the boys of that era.

1. Mark Twain as the creator of a unique image.
2. Advantages and disadvantages of the hero.
3. Tom Sawyer is one of the most beloved characters in world literature.

Perhaps there is no more or less literate person in the world who would not read the novel of the famous American prose writer M. Twain. He created many wonderful works, such as The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, Joan of Arc and others. But it is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer that is best known and loved by adults and young readers around the world. What is the secret of such great and long-term popularity? It seems to me that it lies in the great charm with which the author's talented pen endowed the image of this restless, restless boy.

In world literature, there are a great many images of boys - adventurers, but Twain's hero is unique and original. At first glance, this is a completely ordinary boy from a small provincial American town. Like thousands and millions of his neighbors, Tom does not like to do household chores, hates going to school, prefers shabby clothes to a smart suit, and as for shoes, he tries to do without them at all. But attending church, and especially Sunday school, is a real torture for him. Tom has a lot of friends - the same fools as he is. His intelligent head is constantly crammed with all sorts of fantasies and inventions. Most likely, if the boy's parents were alive, he would grow up more obedient and less wayward. The old maid - Aunt Polly - with all her efforts could not manage to cope with the restless nephew entrusted to her care. But it was precisely this freedom that allowed Tom to remain a sincere, spontaneous, organic being. Of course, cunning is inherent in him, he can lie without any remorse, “pull off” a delicacy without permission, but with all this, it is almost impossible to get angry with him.

At first glance, Tom Sawyer is the same ordinary boy as most of his peers. And yet - a special hero, because Twain endowed him with all the most wonderful qualities that can only be inherent in a teenager.

Tom dearly loves Aunt Polly. Not knowing how to pacify his inclinations, the boy nevertheless worries if he sees that he is causing anxiety and grief to his aunt. It has a sense of justice. From does not tolerate pretense, hypocrisy, insincerity. That is why the obedient brother Sid often becomes the object of Tom's dislike. Sometimes the boy finds a desire to become a good, “correct” child, not his fault that he most often fails to curb his irrepressible temper. With all the boys in the world, Tom Sawyer has in common that he does not tolerate boredom, routine, monotony. He will always prefer spanking or other physical punishment to cramming, dull being in church service. This is a lively, impressionable nature with a rich imagination.

Not every adult is able to admit that he was wrong, but this is also possible for him. Remorseful for his escape from home, the boy convinces his friends to return to the city.

Tom Sawyer has many outstanding character traits. One of them is his entrepreneurial spirit. It was not for nothing that the episode with the fence became a textbook. Here the boy shows remarkable abilities of a psychologist and an organizer. Leadership qualities are generally inherent in Tom. He easily manages to inspire his less inventive and brave friends to take risks. Tom is able from the bottom of his heart to sympathize with those who undeservedly suffer resentment, injustice. Despite his fear of Injun Joe, Tom, along with his bosom friend Huckleberry Finn, risking their lives to help out the hapless Muff Potter by testifying in court. Not every adult is capable of such a bold act, committed by a sympathetic boy. This, in my opinion, is real heroism.

Another episode that shows us Tom from the best side - pages about how he got lost in a cave with Becky Thatcher. The boy managed to keep his cool, find a way out, while still constantly supporting, comforting and encouraging the girl. In the finale, Tom helps to neutralize a gang of bandits, save the life of a respectable townswoman.

The author rewards his hero - Tom becomes a rich man, a heroic personality, deserves the respect of the most prominent citizens. However, even this, the last test, the boy passes with brilliance. He does not become arrogant, does not boast of his heroism and wealth. This is still a direct, full of charm teenager.

Saying goodbye to him, the reader is convinced that Tom Sawyer will retain all his best qualities, become a wonderful person and, turning into an adult man, will do many more wonderful things.

Mark Twain's story "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" tells about a 12-year-old boy with a very mischievous character. Tom lives in England with his old but very beloved Aunt Polly.

She often punishes him, does not allow him to do many things, tries to trace all his actions. He does not listen to her in many ways, he does everything in his own way. His brother Sid is considered a smart and good boy, and Tom is an arrogant and irresponsible bully. Despite all this, when Tom pretends to die, the aunt almost goes crazy, because she loves him and is afraid of losing him. But when Tom runs away from home, he worries about his family, although they often scolded and beat him.

The boy returns home and hears a lot of good things about himself and about all the friends who ran away together with Jack London. When the aunt goes to bed, he kisses her and leaves. some time
later, Tom and his friends can't stand the amount of freedom and return Home. Everyone is happy there, and Tom tells his aunt as if he had a prophetic dream. Auntie is glad that at least in a dream he remembered her, but the truth is revealed very soon. In this story, the author describes the life of a simple mischievous boy.

Tom falls in love with Betty, and it takes him a long time to prove his love. Betty also loves Tom, but she hides it very carefully. The book describes many fights in which Tom considers himself the strongest. This shows his arrogance. I believe that the story gives an example of a bully boy who, for all his irresponsibility, can find a way out in various difficult situations.

Tom Sawyer is a restless, funny boy who does not like to obey adults and dreams of becoming as free as his familiar homeless Huckleberry Finn. Consider briefly the characteristics of Tom Sawyer - the hero from the book of Mark Twain.

Tom Sawyer has more than enough energy. He always comes up with something interesting, his wit and enterprise seem like genius for the age of twelve. Tom is an orphan, and Aunt Polly is raising the boy. She cannot be called evil, she is generally good and kind, but she is guided by the principle from the Bible, which speaks of proper punishment for a child. Therefore, Aunt Polly considers it her duty to punish the pupil.

Although we are talking about the characterization of Tom Sawyer, it is worth mentioning that in the upbringing of Aunt Polly, the good boy and terrible sneak Siddy is Tom Sawyer's half-brother, and the sweet and patient girl Mary, who was Tom's cousin, lives with them. It is clear that Siddi is the opposite of Tom, they are so different in their characters and views on how to live. Therefore, Siddy likes to talk, and Tom is not averse to hacking.

What is told in the book about Tom Sawyer

For example, once Tom accidentally acted as a witness to a murder and even managed to expose the criminal. Then he got engaged to a girl from his class, ran away from home with the goal of starting to live on a distant island where there is no one. Tom Sawyer attended his funeral, and once he got lost, got into a cave, but was able to find a way out in time. He also found a treasure. All these adventures show what a characteristic of Tom Sawyer is.

If you look at the purpose of the book, you can see that the image of Tom Sawyer represents the carefree and wonderful childhood of the guys in the middle of the 19th century.

A bright episode characterizing Tom

The characterization of Tom Sawyer is revealed very well at the very beginning of the story. Consider one episode from his life.

One day, instead of going to school, Tom decided to take a swim. Aunt Polly found out about these tricks and roughly punished her pupil - Tom should have whitewashed the long fence. But this is half the trouble. I had to do whitewashing in the midst of Saturday - a day off! The guys were playing merrily at that time, and Tom already imagined how they would laugh at him, seeing their friend at a tedious job.

Tom Sawyer did not lose his head, he made a cunning plan. There were many useful things in his pockets, for example, a dead rat with a rope (for greater convenience, unwind it in the air) or a key that could not open anything. But is it possible to buy at least a little bit of freedom for these "jewels"? The boy Ben came up to Tom, obviously with the aim of getting behind. And then the characterization of Tom Sawyer was revealed in all its glory. What did Tom think?

Our sly one told Ben that painting the fence is his favorite thing, and therefore he is happy to do it. Ben at first began to tease, but Tom asked in surprise what kind of work Ben thought was good, and then announced to him that Aunt Polly had barely agreed to entrust this responsibility of whitewashing the fence to Tom. Tom's idea and his plan turned out to be correct, because soon not only the rogue Ben, but also others begged Tom to let them work on the whitewash...

Tom made an important conclusion, and so did we: when a job, even if it is difficult and tedious, is not paid, it becomes not a job, but a hobby, and it is interesting to do it. But as soon as they start paying for it, the hobby turns into work, and this is already boring.

You have learned what the characteristic of Tom Sawyer is, what kind of character he is and what we can learn from him. Be sure to read about his adventures.