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   ms-charleston-yawp Teacher
   High School - 11th Grade

   eNotes Editor

   Tom Sawyer is a young, upstanding boy with a vivid imagination and a heart of gold.  We learn about Tom thoroughly in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  A smart young lad, Tom is no stranger to mischief.  Particularly well known is the event when Tom tricks his friends into doing one of his most hated chores with glee, specifically the famous whitewashing of the fence.  Another bit of mischief presents itself when Tom Sawyer remains hidden while he watches his own memorial service (which isn't real, of course).  Although Tom's Aunt Polly does her best to bring Tom up in a proper way, Tom can't deny his desire for adventure and imagination.  He finds himself escaping from home in order to meet up with his comrade, Huckleberry Finn, in order to pursue their dreams of becoming either thieves or pirates.  Another aspect of Tom's personality is the typical fashion with which he treats Becky Thatcher, a young girl in town who Tom truly wants to impress.  How do young boys try to impress a girl?  By showing off!  Tom is no exception.  Luckily, Tom's attempts to impress Becky at least once involve her rescue.  This proves Tom to be quite worthy of her attention as well as ours.

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   Posted by ms-charleston-yawp on Thursday July 16, 2009 at 5:44 PM