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

Tom's rich imagination and the energy gushing out of him do not allow him to live in peace, not to himself, not to those around him. He is constantly looking for adventure. He doesn't like boring school activities, 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 that he really liked this work and said that almost no one except him could cope with this matter. 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 him.

Tom does not like sneak and his peers, who were dressed like "dandies". Seeing once such a boy, he did not hesitate to rush to fight him and, of course, won. Not to take his courage. He has proven this many times. For example, when she and a friend went to the cemetery at night, where they accidentally witnessed the illegal splitting of the grave and the murder of a person. He confirmed his resilience when he and a 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 him.

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

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

Several interesting compositions

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  Platonov, as a Soviet writer, very often turned to the themes of the Soviet political system, which, as he thought, was incorrect to the concept of building a new socialist society.

• Civil motives in the lyrics of Pushkin composition

  The poet and writer Pushkin is one of the most famous writers in our entire literary history. His works have always turned out to be very rich and interesting.

• The image and characteristics of Chartkov in the story Portrait of Gogol composition

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• Composition Why I want to become a teacher

  When I was ten years old, young children began to arouse particular interest in me. As a rule, we were often visited by my father's relatives, who had three small children - my half-brothers and sisters.

• Composing Clever speeches is pleasant to listen to

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Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn

TOM SAWYER AND HUCKLEBERRY FINN (eng. Tom Sawyer, Hucklberry Finn) - heroes of the novels by Mark Twain "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" (1876) and "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884). Twelve-year-old boys, residents of the small provincial American town of St. Petersburg, playmates and amusements, which every now and then gives rise to their irrepressible imagination. T.S. - an orphan. He is raised by his late mother's sister, the pious Aunt Polly. The boy is completely uninterested in the life that flows around him, but he is forced to abide by the generally accepted rules: go to school, attend church services on Sundays, dress neatly, behave well at the table, go to bed early - although every now and then breaks them, causing the aunt's indignation ... Entrepreneurship and resourcefulness Tom does not hold. Well, who else, having received the task of whitewashing a long fence as punishment, could turn things around so that the fence would be painted by other boys, and besides, having paid for the right to take part in such a fascinating event with “treasures”: some with a dead rat, and some with a fragment of a tooth whistle. And to receive the Bible as a reward for the excellent title of its content, in fact, not knowing a single line, too, not everyone will be able to. But Tom could! To play a prank, fool someone, come up with something unusual - this is Tom's element. Reading a lot, he seeks to make his own life as bright as the one in which the heroes of the novels act. He embarks on "love adventures", arranges games of Indians, pirates, robbers. In whatever situations Tom finds himself, thanks to his surging energy: either at night in the cemetery he witnesses the murder, or attends his own funeral. Sometimes Tom in life is capable of almost heroic deeds. For example, when she accepts the blame of Becky Thatcher - the girl she's awkwardly trying to court - and withstands the spanking of the teacher. He's a charming guy, this Tom Sawyer, but he is a child of his time, of his city, used to leading a double life. When necessary, he is quite capable of assuming the image of a boy from a respectable family, realizing that everyone does this. The situation is quite different with Tom's closest friend, Huck Finn. He is the son of a local drunkard who has nothing to do with the child. Nobody forces Huck to go to school. He is completely on his own. Pretense is alien to the boy, and all the conventions of civilized life are simply unbearable. For Huck, the main thing is to be free, always and in everything. “He didn’t have to wash or put on a clean dress, and he knew how to swear amazingly. In a word, he had everything that makes life beautiful, ”the writer concludes. Huck is undeniably attracted to the entertaining games Tom invented, but what is most important to Huck is his personal freedom and independence. Having lost them, he feels out of place, and it is precisely in order to regain them that Huck in the second novel is already alone on a dangerous journey, leaving his hometown forever. In gratitude for saving Indian Joe from revenge, the widow Douglas took Huck into foster care. The widow's servants washed him, combed him with a comb and brush, and laid him down every night on disgustingly clean sheets. He had to eat with a knife and fork and attend church. Poor Huck survived only three weeks and disappeared. They were looking for him, but without Tom's help, they could hardly have found. Tom manages to outwit the simple-minded Huck and return him to the widow for a while. Then Huck mystifies his own death. He himself gets into the shuttle and floats with the flow. During the trip, Huck also experiences many adventures, shows resourcefulness and ingenuity, but not out of boredom and the desire to have fun, as before, but out of vital necessity, primarily for the sake of saving the fugitive Negro Jim. It is Huck's ability to think about others that makes him especially attractive. This is probably why Mark Twain himself saw in him a hero of the 20th century, when, from the point of view of the writer, there would be no racial prejudice, poverty and injustice.

Lit .: Mendelssohn M. Mark Twain. M., 1958; Romm A. Mark Twain and his books about children. L., 1958; Foner F. Mark Twain is a social critic. M., 1961.

All characteristics alphabetically:

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 has not read the novel by the famous American prose writer M. Twain. He created many wonderful works such as The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, Jeanne d'Arc and others. But it is "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" that is best known and loved by adults and young readers all over the world. What is the secret of such a great and long-term popularity? It seems to me that it lies in the tremendous charm that the author's talented pen has endowed the image of this restless, restless boy.

In world literature, there are a great many images of boys - adventure seekers, 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 worn clothes to an elegant suit, and as for shoes, he tries to do without them altogether. Attending church and especially Sunday school is a real torture for him. Tom has a lot of friends - the same mischief-makers as himself. His clever head is constantly filled with all kinds 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 diligence, could not cope with the restless nephew entrusted to her cares. But it was precisely this freedom that allowed Tom to remain a sincere, direct, organic being. Of course, cunning is inherent in him, he can lie without any remorse, "steal" a treat 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, like 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 loves Aunt Polly dearly. Not knowing how to pacify his inclinations, the boy nevertheless worries if he sees that he is giving his aunt anxiety and grief. This is characterized by a sense of justice. He 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 often fails to curb his irrepressible temper. With all the boys in the world, Tom Sawyer has in common the fact that he does not tolerate boredom, routine, monotony. He will always prefer spanking or other physical punishment to cramming, to a dull being in a church service. This is a lively, impressionable person with a rich imagination.

Not every adult is able to admit that he is wrong, but the same man can do it. Repented of his escape from home, the boy convinces his friends to return to the city.

Tom Sawyer has many outstanding personality traits. One of them is his entrepreneurial spirit. It is not without reason that the episode with the fence has become a textbook. Here the boy shows remarkable abilities of a psychologist and 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 endure resentment, injustice. Despite his fear of Indian Joe, Tom, together with his bosom friend Huckleberry Finn, risking his life, rescues the hapless Maff Potter, giving evidence in court. Not every adult is capable of such a brave act, committed by a sympathetic boy. This, in my opinion, is real heroism.

Another episode that shows us Tom from his best side is the pages about how he got lost in a cave with Becky Thatcher. The boy managed to maintain his composure, to find a way out, while still constantly supporting, comforting and encouraging the girl. In the finale, Tom helps to neutralize a gang of bandits, to save the life of a respectable city woman.

The author rewards his hero - Tom becomes a rich man, a heroic person, 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 spontaneous, charming teenager.

Saying goodbye to him, the reader remains convinced that Tom Sawyer will retain all his best qualities, become a wonderful person and, having turned into an adult man, will perform many more wonderful deeds.

Tom Sawyer is a restless, funny boy who does not like to obey adults and dreams of becoming as free as his friend, homeless Huckleberry Finn. Consider briefly the characterization of Tom Sawyer - the hero from the book of Mark Twain.

Tom Sawyer has plenty of energy. He always comes up with something interesting, his wit and enterprise for the age of twelve seems to be genius. Tom is an orphan, and Aunt Polly is raising the boy. She cannot be called evil, she is generally good and kind, but is guided by a principle from the Bible, which says about 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 goody and the scary sneak Siddi - Tom Sawyer's half-brother, and also a 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 character and views on how to live. Therefore, Siddi is a lover of beauties, and Tom is not averse to nagging.

What the book tells about Tom Sawyer

For example, once Tom accidentally acted as a witness to a murder and even managed to expose the culprit. Then he became engaged to a girl from his class, ran away from home in order to start living on a distant island where there was no one. Tom Sawyer attended his funeral, and once he got lost in a cave, but was able to find a way out in time. He also found a treasure. All of these adventures show what the 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 children in the middle of the 19th century.

A striking episode characterizing Tom

The characterization of Tom Sawyer is very well revealed 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 dip. Aunt Polly found out about these tricks and roughly punished her pupil - Tom should have whitewashed a long fence. But this is not so bad. We had to do whitewashing in the midst of Saturday - the day off! The guys at this time played merrily, and Tom had already imagined how they would laugh at him, seeing his friend at tedious work.

Tom Sawyer was not taken aback, he made a cunning plan. There were many useful things in his pockets, for example, a dead rat with a string (for more convenience, spin it in the air) or a key that could not open anything. But is it possible to buy even a little bit of freedom for these "jewels"? The boy Ben approached Tom, clearly with the intention of bullying. And then the characterization of Tom Sawyer was revealed in all its glory. What did Tom come up with?

Our sly guy 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 was surprised to ask what kind of work Ben thought was good, and then announced to him that Aunt Polly had barely agreed to entrust Tom with this responsibility for whitewashing the fence. Tom's idea and his plan turned out to be correct, because soon not only the rogue Ben, but others also begged Tom to let them work on the whitewash ...

Tom made an important conclusion, and so did we: when a job, even a difficult and tedious one, is not paid for, it becomes not a job, but a hobby, and doing it is interesting. But as soon as they start paying for it, the hobby turns into work, and this is already boring.

You learned what is the characteristic of Tom Sawyer, what kind of character he is and what we can learn from him. Be sure to read about his adventures.

The work of the famous American publicist and writer Mark Twain about the adventures of two boys is still the most beloved and read in the whole world. And not only a favorite piece for boys, but also for adults who remember their mischievous childhood. This is the story of young America, the romanticism of which touches boys all over the world to this day.

The Writing History of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The first work in a series of adventures of American boys was published in 1876, the author was just over 30 years old at the time. Obviously, this played a role in the brightness of the book's images. America at the end of the 19th century had not yet got rid of slavery, half of the continent was "Indian territory", and the boys were boys. According to many testimonies, Mark Twain described himself in Tom, not only real himself, but all his dreams of adventure. Feelings and emotions are described real, which worried the boy of that time, and which continue to excite the boys today.

The main characters are two friends, Tom, who is raised by his own lonely aunt, and Huck, a city street child. Both boys, inseparable in their fantasies and adventures, are typical characters, but Tom Sawyer remains the main character. He has a younger brother, more rational and obedient, there are schoolmates, boyish crush - Becky. And like any boy, the main events in life are associated with a thirst for adventure and first love. An ineradicable thirst constantly draws Tom and Huck into dangerous adventures, some of which, of course, are invented by the author, some are real events. It’s easy to believe in things like running away from home or going to the cemetery at night. And these adventures, interspersed with descriptions of ordinary boyish everyday life, ordinary pranks, joys and annoyances, come true thanks to the genius of the author. The description of the life of Americans at that time is impressive. What is lost in the modern world, democracy and the spirit of freedom.

Chronicle of young America (plot and main idea)

A town on the banks of the Mississippi, in which residents have mixed into a single society, regardless of property, racial and even age differences. Negro Jim, in slavery by Aunt Polly, half-breed Injun Joe, Judge Thatcher and his daughter Becky, homeless boy Huck and the prankster Tom, Dr. Robenson and the undertaker Potter. Tom's life is described with such humor and with such naturalness that the reader forgets which country it is in, as if recalling what happened to himself.

The boy Tom Sawyer, along with his younger brother, who is clearly more positive than him, is brought up by an old aunt after the death of his mother. He goes to school, plays on the street, fights, befriends and falls in love with the beautiful peer Becky. Once they met their old friend Huckleberry Fin on the streets, with whom they had a deep controversy about how to remove warts. Huck described a fresh method of mixing with a dead cat, but it is necessary to visit the cemetery at night. From this began all the significant adventures of these two tomboy. Previous conflicts with his aunt, entrepreneurial ideas with obtaining a bonus Bible at Sunday school, whitewashing the fence in the form of punishment for disobedience, which Tom transformed from success into personal success, fade into the background. Everything except love for Becky.

Having witnessed a fight and murder, the two boys have long doubted the need to bring everything they saw to the court of adults. Only sincere pity for the old drunkard Potter and a sense of universal justice make Tom appear at the trial. Thus, he saved the life of the accused and put his life in mortal danger. Injun Joe's revenge is a very real threat to the boy, even under the protection of the law. Meanwhile, Tom and Becky's romance cracked, and this distracted him from everything else for a long time. He suffered. Finally, it was decided to escape from home from unhappy love and become a pirate. It's good that there is such a friend as Huck, who agrees to support any adventure. A school friend, Joe, joined them.

This adventure ended as it should. Tom's heart and Huck's rationality forced him to return to the town from the island on the river, after they realized that the whole city was looking for them. The boys returned just for their own funeral. The joy of the adults was so great that the boys were not even given a thrashing. Several days of adventure brightened up the life of the boys with the memories of the author himself. After that, Tom was sick, and Becky left for a long and far away.

Before the start of the school year, Judge Thatcher threw a lavish party for the kids to celebrate the birthday of his returning daughter. A boat trip along the river, a picnic and a visit to the caves, modern children could also dream of this. This is where Tom's new adventure begins. Having reconciled with Becky, the two of them run away from the company during a picnic and hide in a cave. They got lost in the passages and grottoes, the torch that illuminated their path burned out, and there was no provisions with them. Tom behaved courageously, this reflected all his enterprise and responsibility as a growing man. Quite by accident, they stumbled upon Injun Joe hiding the stolen money. After wandering around the cave, Tom finds a way out. The children returned home to the delight of their parents.

The mystery seen in the cave haunts, Tom tells everything to Huck, and they decide to check the Indian's treasure. The boys go to the cave. After Tom and Becky got out of the labyrinth safely, the City Council decided to close the cave entrance. This became fatal for the mestizo, he died in a cave of hunger and thirst. Tom and Huck endured a wealth of wealth. Since the treasure did not belong to anyone in particular, two boys became its owners. Huck received the patronage of the widow Douglas, falling under her care. Tom is also rich now. But Huck was able to endure the "secular" life for no more than three weeks, and Tom, who met him on the shore at the barrel-hut, frankly declared that no wealth could keep him from becoming a "noble robber". The romanticism of the two friends has not yet been crushed by the "golden calf" and the conventions of society.

Main characters and their characters

All the main characters of the story are the thoughts and feelings of the author, his childhood memories, his feeling of that very American dream and universal values. When Huck complained that he could not live in idleness, Tom answered him uncertainly: "Why, everyone lives like that, Huck." In these boys, Mark Twain writes out his attitude to human values, to the value of freedom and understanding between people. Huck, who saw more bad things, shares with Tom: "It just becomes a shame for all people" when he talks about the insincerity of relations in high society. Against the romantic background of a story about childhood, written with good humor, the writer clearly outlines all the best qualities of a little man, and the hope that these qualities will persist for life.

A boy brought up without a mother and father. What happened to his parents, the author does not reveal. According to the story, it seems that Tom received all his best qualities on the street and at school. Aunt Paulie's attempts to instill in him elementary stereotypes of behavior cannot be crowned with success. Tom is the perfect boy and tomboy in the eyes of boys all over the world. On the one hand, this is hyperbole, but on the other hand, having real prototypes, Tom really carries in himself all the best that a growing man can carry. He dared, with a keen sense of justice. In many episodes, it is these qualities that he displays in difficult life situations. Another trait that cannot affect the feelings of an American. This is quickness and enterprise. It remains only to remember the story of the whitewashing of the fence, which is also a far-reaching project. Burdened with various boyish prejudices, Tom looks like a completely ordinary boy, which captivates the reader. Everyone sees in him a small reflection of himself.

A homeless child with a living father. The drunkard appears in the story only in conversations, but this somehow characterizes the living conditions of this little boy. Tom's unchanging friend and loyal companion on all adventures. And if Tom is a romantic and a leader in this company, then Huck is a sober mind and life experience, which is also necessary in this tandem. An attentive reader is of the opinion that Huck is registered by the author as the second side of the medal of a growing person, an American citizen. Personality is divided into two types - Tom and Huck, which are inseparable. In subsequent stories, the character of Huck will be revealed more fully, and often, in the soul of the reader, these two images are mixed and always get sympathy.

Becky, Aunt Polly, Negro Jim and Mestizo Indian Joe

These are all people, in communication with whom all the best in the character of the protagonist is manifested. Tender love in a girl of the same age and real care for her in times of danger. Respectful, albeit sometimes ironic, attitude towards the aunt who spends all her efforts to raise Tom to a real respectable citizen. The Negro slave, who is an indicator of the then America and the attitude to slavery of the entire progressive society, because Tom is friends with him, justifiably considering him an equal. The attitude of the author, and therefore of Tom, to Indian Joe, is far from unambiguous. The romance of the Indian world at that time was not yet so idealized. But the inner pity for the mestizo who died of hunger in the cave characterizes not only the boy. The realities of the Wild West are seen in this image, a cunning and cruel mestizo takes revenge with his life on all whites. He is trying to survive in this world, and society allows him to. We do not see the deep condemnation that should have seemed to be for a thief and a murderer.

Continuation of the epic adventure

Subsequently, Mark Twain wrote several more stories about Tom and his friend Huck. The author grew up with his heroes, and America also changed. And already in subsequent stories there was not that romantic recklessness, but more and more of the bitter truth of life appeared. But even in these realities, Tom, Huck, and Becky retained their best qualities, which they received in childhood on the banks of the Mississippi in a small town with the distant name of the Russian capital - St. Petersburg. I don't want to part with these heroes, and they remain ideals in the hearts of the boys of that era.