The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Aunt Polly discovers Tom had been swimming when Sid points out that the thread on Tom's collar is black, not white as Aunt Polly had originally sewn. This indicates that Tom removed his collar to...

"He's full of the Old Scratch, but laws-a-me!" means Tom Sawyer is as mischievous as the Devil, with "Old Scratch" referring to the Devil. "Laws-a-me" is an exclamation similar to "Lord-save-me!"...

Tom Sawyer is afraid of Aunt Polly, despite his mischievous behavior. She is a formidable figure who uses physical punishment to enforce discipline, as seen when she catches Tom stealing jam....

Aunt Polly in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is Tom's loving but often exasperated guardian, as she struggles to discipline him while being unable to resist his charm. She took responsibility for Tom...

The lines describe how the old lady uses her fancy, but non-functional, glasses more for appearance than practicality. She doesn't actually look through them because they don't help her see; they are...

Tom feels sorry for Aunt Polly because she believes he is dead after he runs away. Despite her frequent chastisements, Aunt Polly genuinely cares for him, which Tom realizes when he secretly returns...

Tom escapes Aunt Polly's hold by distracting her with a clever trick. When Aunt Polly is about to punish him for eating jam, Tom shouts, "My! Look behind you, aunt!" This causes her to turn around,...

Five characters from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer that merit Mark Twain's admiration (at least in part) are Tom Sawyer himself, Aunt Polly, Widow Douglas, Huckleberry Finn, and Tom's cousin Mary.

Tom avoids punishment from Aunt Polly by using a trick. Caught eating jam, with evidence on his hands and mouth, he can't deny his actions. When Aunt Polly raises her switch to punish him, Tom...

Aunt Polly's behavior satirizes 19th-century medical practices by overusing dubious remedies like the "Pain-killer," reflecting the era's reliance on "patent medicines" often containing harmful...

The discovery of Tom and Becky's disappearance in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer occurs when they fail to return from their outing. Their absence is first noted at church, causing alarm among the...

The bath treatment on Tom Sawyer has mixed effects. Initially, Aunt Polly's "bath treatment" and subsequent "Pain Killer" tonic fail to lift Tom's spirits, though the tonic temporarily invigorates...

On a Sunday, Aunt Polly assigned Tom the task of attending Sunday school and church. Although Tom dislikes these activities, especially wearing his Sunday school outfit and sitting still, he finds...

The relationship between adults and kids is often adversarial, with children like Tom Sawyer trying to outsmart figures like Aunt Polly. However, beneath the surface, there is a layer of affection...