Children's Classics.

Tom Sawyer                                                                                                                November 22, 2014.

               THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER, written by Mark Twain, is one of America's best loved tales. It is the endearing story of a young school boy and protagonist, Thomas Sawyer, whose reputation precedes him for causing mischief and strife. The outspoken Tom Sawyer is spectacularly imaginative in a boyish, romantic way. He fills his peaceful rural surroundings with exciting and dangerous adventures. "He was not the model boy of the village. He knew the model boy very well though -- and he loathed him."(379)  Twain's novel is a portrayal of small town life. Petersburg is a quiet, tight knit community on the Mississippi River.  An idyllic mid-1800's American setting where Tom and his playmates, skip school, make believe they are Indians , and run away to be pirates. It is a story of "boys before they become men," searching for love, acceptance, and treasure.  Mark Twain's satirical depiction of early America is a portrait of a young nation's growing sense of moral right and wrong. The free spirited and dynamic nature of the novel's All-American hero makes THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER a true classic children's adventure tale.

               One of the major themes of the book is superstition and religion.  Early in the novel, religion strikes a metaphoric pose in the form of Mary and Joe(seph). Mary (Tom's cousin) is the proper (Victorian) young lady. She is the merry mentor of Christian formalities. "The girl put him to rights after he had dressed himself." (390) She is a vision of religious conformity. In contrast, Joe is Tom's closest friend and sidekick…(other than Huck Finn) He accompanies Tom on all his childish adventures and reinforces the notion of superstition as an important part of everyday childhood life. Mary and Joe are symbolic characters that introduce the dichotomy of religion and superstition.

               Tom Sawyer is somewhat religious and very superstitious.  As a young boy, he has a naive and immature view of his Christian faith. "...as solely as Tom's hands itched to grab it they did not dare --- he believed his soul would be instantly destroyed if he did such a thing while the prayer was going on."(395)  In this passage, Tom blends Christian dogma with the back woods superstitions of his community. He doesn't care about being religious, but conforms to religious ceremony because of his superstitious nature. He values the status getting a bible will give him. "Tom was therefore elevated to a place with the judge and the other elect..."(393)  Yet, when Tom goes to bed without saying his prayers, it is a powerful act of defiance. Tom Sawyer doesn't show much interest in Sunday school and is a poor student of the bible, but he exemplifies a number of Christian principles through his actions. In chapter 13 Tom's feelings of guilt about stealing shows that he does have a religious side. "There was a command against that in the bible. So they inwardly resolved that so long as they remained in the business, their piracies should not again be sullied with the crime of stealing."(425)  Religion is a strong component of Tom's life in the small rural Missouri community. However, superstition is a convenient distraction for Tom. It takes the place of more tedious tasks like studying school books or memorizing passages of the bible. In essence, the fantasies of "the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main" are more important than the realities of adulthood.

               In Mark Twain's fictitious Christian community, organized religion is often presented as ridiculous in the same way that Tom Sawyer's superstitions are ridiculous. For example, in chapter 5 the adults of Petersburg place a huge importance on going to church. Yet, during the Sunday service, a large black bug garners more attention than the preacher's sermon. "A vagrant poodle dog" sniffing for salvation finds the beetle, and together both dog and beetle take a circus leap out the church window. "The discourse was resumed presently, but it went lame and halting, all possibility of impressiveness being at an end; for even the gravest sentiments were constantly being received with a smothered burst of unholy mirth."(396)        

               Tom's superstition's demand absolute adherence to correct procedure in the same way that religion does. While religion is a routine obligation, superstition is the true faithful belief of Tom and his young companions. Tom's constant struggle between his need for adventure and his will to "be good" fuels his passion for all things magical. He is fascinated by the intricate details of charms, magical cures, and other varieties of folk wisdom. The boy's unwavering belief in the effectiveness of the wart cures resembles a kind of childish, religious fervor. "He wouldn't have a wart on him if he'd knowed how to work spunk-water. I've took thousands of warts off of my hands that way, Huck. I play with frogs so much that I've always got considerable many warts. Sometimes I take 'em off with a bean."(400) His unwillingness to take Aunt Polly's adult medicine is the antithesis of this fervor. "The boy was mending the health of a crack in the sitting room floor with it."(420)  Sawyer's dependence upon explanations that exist outside the bounds of human understanding exhibit his immaturity. He wants so strongly to believe in the supernatural that when a charm seems to not work, he is quick to furnish what he considers a rational explanation for its failure rather than concede that the unfounded charms don't work at all. Before departing on a life of piracy, Tom "collects all his resources together," when he tries to conjure up all his lost marbles. "He put his hand there and uttered this incantation impressively: 'What hasn't come here, come! What's here, stay here! "When he is unsuccessful, "he puzzled over the matter some time, and finally decided that some witch had interfered and broken the charm."(407) Eventually, he does find a lost marble, even though the method of his adolescent madness takes three attempts. Still, he is able to convince himself that the tricks of superstition work.

               In chapter 6 we are introduced to the community outcast, Huckleberry Finn. His antisocial lifestyle is exemplified by the way he and Tom view their various rituals and superstitions. Together they take a dead cat to a graveyard for a midnight cure for warts.  The graveyard scene is a turning point in the plot. They witness the murder of Dr. Robinson, and are propelled forever into the world of adults. The shadowy figures approaching the grave are assumed to be devils "sure enough. Three of 'em! Lordy, Tom, we're goners! Can you pray?"(410) In fact, the real men become more frightening than any childhood superstition. Tom and Huck's belief in superstition, their adherence to the blood oath, "They buried the shingle close to the wall, with some dismal ceremonies and incantations, and the fetters that bound their tongues were considered to be locked and the key thrown away."(414)  and their assumption that God will punish Injun Joe for his wickedness guide their actions. Even though the boys fear Injun Joe, they also fear superstition and ultimately, God or a higher power that they hope will protect them. "...they expected every moment that the clear sky would deliver God's lightnings upon his head."(417)

               The "Dire Prophecy of the Howling Dog" in chapter 10 exhibits the heights to which superstition can cloud the judgement of the misinformed. At first, Huck and Tom believe the stray dog is howling in their direction. Tom laments, "This comes of playing hookey and doing everything a feller's told not to do."(414) when they see the dog howling in the direction of a sleeping Muff Potter, they understand that the town drunk is in trouble. Since they never doubt such things, they rationalize that nothing they do will change his fate. However, a deepening sense of responsibility, and a guilty conscience convinces Tom to take action. His confession to Muff's lawyer saves Potter from the noose, and denotes progress in Tom's maturity towards adulthood. Tom breaks a blood oath with Huck Finn to stay quiet about what they saw in the graveyard. However, by coming clean with the authorities Sawyer overcomes his childish dependence on an irrational belief, and clears his conscience. It is a selfless act of Christian pathos.

               Tom can explain away certain superstitions when they don't serve his higher purpose. He overcomes his fear of the ghostly Injun Joe by believing the cross on the cave wall will protect him."Looky-here, Huck, what fools we're making of ourselves! Injun Joe's ghost ain't a-going to come around where there's a cross."(487) In doing so, Tom exhibits confidence in religious symbolism, and overcomes the mysterious superstitions related to the afterlife. With his maturing faith, he convinces himself to bravely moves forward towards the hidden gold.

               The convenient aspect of Tom's superstitious beliefs is that there are so many of them.  As the novel winds down, the maturation of Tom Sawyer begins to take its toll on these irrational beliefs. He becomes more decisive, and socially conscious. In the end, the pendulum has swung in favor of a more rational and compassionate hero with a sense of duty to his friends, his community, and his Christian faith. Childish superstitions are a passing phase for Tom Sawyer because "the elastic heart of youth cannot be compressed into one constrained shape long at a time."(407) The uncertain world of ignorance and piracy is replaced with a new world order. "A robber is more high-toned than what a pirate is---as a general thing. In most countries they're awful high up in the nobility---dukes and such."(492) Hence, Tom Sawyer's view of his changing world is leveled with a less superstitious posture albeit with a more guarded and pragmatic suspicion of authority.