Adventures of Tom Sawyer description of the main characters. Characterization of Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer is a twelve year old cheerful boy. He is very resourceful, cunning, sometimes playful. Everyone around suffers from his leprosy. Skipping classes, swimming without his aunt's permission, constant fights with boys, emptying jars of jam - these are just a small part of what he does almost daily. Poor Aunt Polly, with whom Tom lives, cannot re-educate him. All her attempts to punish the boy for pranks end up with him distracting her and running away.

Tom's rich imagination and the energy that bubbles out of him do not allow him to live in peace, not for himself, not for those around him. He is constantly looking for adventure. He doesn't like boring classes at school, so he has to invent new ways to have fun.

No one can compare with him in cunning! When Aunt Polly made him paint the fence, he pretended to like this job very much and said that almost no one but him could cope with this business. After that, everyone who was next to him not only painted the fence instead of the cunning one, but also paid him for it with what was with them.

Tom does not like sneaks and his peers, who were dressed as "dandies". Seeing such a boy one day, he did not hesitate to rush to fight with him and, of course, won. Do not take his courage. He proved this many times. For example, when he and a friend went to the cemetery at night, where they became accidental witnesses of the illegal splitting of the grave and the murder of a person. He confirmed his fortitude when he and his classmate got lost in a cave, where they stayed for several days. After they ran out of water, food and the last candle burned out, the boy himself went to look for a way out of the cave and found it.

Despite all the antics of Tom, he cannot be called soulless. He is hurt by Aunt Polly's tears, he does not want her to suffer. But still, like many boys, he does not take his aunt's lectures and reproaches seriously, sometimes he deceives her, but his tricks never harm her.

Tom Sawyer has a very rich imagination, a huge amount of energy, an insatiable thirst for adventure, a cunning that can only be envied. These qualities help him succeed or avoid punishment. In the future, they can help him achieve more serious goals.

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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.

The writing


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. Church attendance and especially Sunday school are 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 showing us Tom with better 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 keep all his best qualities, will become a wonderful person and, turning into an adult man, will do many more wonderful deeds.

Other writings on this work

Characters in Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" My attitude to the protagonist of Mark Twain's novel "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" The Adventures of "Tom Sawyer" Mark Twain - Artistic Analysis The Sunny World of Childhood in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a wonderful book, magical, mysterious. It is beautiful above all in its depth. Everyone at any age can find something of their own in it: a child - a fascinating story, an adult - the sparkling humor of Mark Twain and memories of childhood. Main character novel during each reading of the work appears in a new light, i.e. Tom Sawyer's characterization is always different, always fresh.

Tom Sawyer is an ordinary child

It is unlikely that Thomas Sawyer can be called a bully, rather he is a mischievous one. And, more importantly, he has the time and opportunity to do everything. He lives with an aunt who, although she tries to keep him strict, is not good at it. Yes, Tom is punished, but despite this, he lives quite well.

He is quick-witted, resourceful, like almost every child of his age (about 11-12 years old), one has only to remember the story of the fence, when Tom convinced all the children in the district that work is a sacred right and privilege, and not a heavy burden.

This characterization of Tom Sawyer gives him a person who is not very bad. Further, the personality of the most famous inventor and mischief-maker will be revealed with more and more new facets.

Friendship, love and nobility are not alien to Tom Sawyer

Another virtue of Sawyer - the ability to love and sacrifice - appears before the reader in all its glory when the boy discovers that he loves. For her sake, he even makes a sacrifice: he exposes his body to the blows of the teacher's rods for her misconduct. After all, this is a wonderful characteristic of Tom Sawyer, which highlights the sublime attitude towards the lady of the heart.

Tom Sawyer has a conscience. He and Huck witnessed the murder, and even despite the far from illusory danger to their lives, the boys decided to help the police and rescue the poor fellow Meff Potter from prison. The act on their part is not only noble, but also courageous.

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn as a confrontation between the world of childhood and the world of adulthood

Why is Tom like this? Because he is relatively good. Tom, though difficult, is a beloved child, and he knows it. Therefore, almost all the time he lives in the world of childhood, in the world of dreams and fantasies, only occasionally looking out into reality. The characterization of Tom Sawyer in this sense is no different from that of any other prosperous teenager. Such a conclusion can only be drawn if we compare the two images - For Sawyer, fantasy is like the air he breathes. Tom is full of hope. There are almost no disappointments in him, so he believes in imaginary worlds and in imaginary people.

Gek is completely different. He has a lot of problems, no parents. Rather, there is an alcoholic father, but it would be better if he did not exist. Father for Huck is a source of constant anxiety. His parent, of course, disappeared several years ago, but it is known for certain that he did not die, which means that he can appear in the city at any moment and begin to bully his unfortunate son again.

For Huck, fantasy is an opium, thanks to which life can still be somehow endured, but an adult cannot live in a world of illusions all the time (and Finn is just like that).

Sawyer is even a little sorry, because he does not know how things really are. His world is without tragedy, while Huck's existence is a constant struggle. Just like an ordinary adult: he comes out of the world of childhood and realizes that he was deceived. Thus, another characteristic of Tom Sawyer is ready.

How could Tom be an adult?

A tempting question for all those who have read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. But it seems that the story about the boys does not say anything about their adult lives for nothing. There can be at least two reasons for this: either there will be nothing remarkable in these lives, or for someone, life will not bring pleasant surprises further. And all this can be.

What will Tom Sawyer be like? The characteristic may be as follows: in the future he is an ordinary, ordinary person without special life achievements. His childhood is full of various adventures, but by and large they always happened in some comfort zone, and this allowed Tom to constantly fabricate fantasies.

Gek is a different story. At the end of the adventure, Finn leaves the bourgeois world, where satiety and morality reign, into the world of the streets, where freedom reigns, in his opinion. The tramp boy does not tolerate limits. But it is impossible to live forever outside the framework and breathe only the air of freedom, because any life needs one form or another. If a single vessel (man) is not limited, then it will break out, destroying the vessel itself. Simply put, if Huck does not choose a certain value system for himself, he may well become drunk and die under the fence, like his father, or disappear in a drunken brawl. Adulthood not as bright as the life of a child, which is a pity.

On this not too joyful note, Tom Sawyer says goodbye to us. The characterization of the hero ends here.