Illustration of a hand holding a paintbrush that is painting a fence white

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

by Mark Twain

Start Free Trial

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Questions on Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Study Tools

Take a quiz Ask a question Start an essay

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Huck is carrying a dead cat because he believes it can cure warts. According to superstition, throwing a dead cat at a devil taking away a wicked person's corpse will make the warts follow the cat....

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer visit the graveyard to test a superstitious method for curing warts, involving a dead cat and a freshly-dug grave. They believe that by saying an incantation and...

3 educator answers

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom and Huck find treasure after overhearing Injun Joe and his accomplice discuss their hidden loot. Huck follows them, while Tom accidentally discovers the treasure in a cave with Becky. Injun Joe...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom and Huck swear a blood oath to ensure secrecy about their graveyard observations, with Huck suggesting it as a more serious commitment than a simple promise. Tom, drawn to the drama and ritual,...

2 educator answers

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was written in the mid 1800s and takes place in Missouri, along the Mississippi River. The southern dialect used by Twain is unique to this time period and helps create...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn's friendship thrives on mutual admiration and shared interests. Despite societal disapproval, they bond over their love for adventure,...

3 educator answers

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom and Huck decide to keep mum about the graveyard incident because they are afraid of the wrath of Injun Joe. Huck's statement that "Injun Joe would kill us..." is a reflection of the racism that...

2 educator answers

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

In Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom Sawyer is portrayed as a mischievous, adventurous, and clever boy with a caring nature, although his actions often reflect self-interest. His best...

7 educator answers

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn meet one morning as Tom is on his way to school. The boys discuss cures for warts and decide to go to the cemetery that night to try out one of those cures.

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

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.

2 educator answers

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The "juvenile pariah of the village" in "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" is Huckleberry Finn, the son of the town drunkard. Huck is depicted as a boy who lives freely without parental guidance, dressed...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom and Huck seal their agreement to never disclose the murder they witnessed by writing an oath and signing it in their own blood. This symbolic act is driven by their fear of the murderer, Injun...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The "boom" that made the "pirates" happy in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was the sound of explosive charges being fired over the river to locate their presumed drowned bodies. Tom, Huck, and Joe...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom and Huck visit the old tree because Tom believes it is a potential location for buried treasure left by pirates. Tom explains that treasures are often hidden under dead trees with a limb sticking...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom convinces Huck to return to Widow Douglas by promising him a place in their gang of robbers. He tells Huck that being part of the gang requires a "respectable" reputation, which Huck lacks if he...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom justifies the value of digging for treasure by appealing to Huck's desires for entertainment and financial gain. He highlights the fun and adventure of treasure hunting, likening it to playing...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Huck helps Widow Douglas by secretly warning the Welshman about Injun Joe's plan for revenge against her. Injun Joe seeks vengeance because Widow Douglas's late husband had him horsewhipped. Huck...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Huck says, "Well the things is ours anyway, ain't they?" in the context of discussing with Joe whether they can keep the gifts Tom left behind. Tom had faked his death and left notes and treasures,...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Huckleberry Finn is portrayed as a rebellious and independent character in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He is described as "idle and lawless and vulgar and bad," embodying the qualities feared by...

1 educator answer

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer is often depicted as imaginative and adventurous, with a knack for leadership and manipulation, while Huck Finn is portrayed as practical, independent, and morally grounded despite his...

1 educator answer