Characteristics of all the characters from Tom Sawyer. Mark Twain "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer": description, characters, analysis of the work

Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn

TOM SAWYER AND HUCKLEBERRY FINN (eng. Tom Sawyer, Hucklberry Finn) are the heroes of Mark Twain's novels “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 that their indefatigable imagination gives birth to every now and then. T.S. - 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 follow 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 he breaks them, causing his aunt’s indignation . Tom is no stranger to enterprise and resourcefulness. Well, who else, having received the task of whitewashing a long fence as punishment, could turn things around so that other boys would paint the fence, and besides, paying for the right to take part in such an exciting event with “treasures”: some with a dead rat, and some with a piece of a dental buzzer. And not everyone will be able to receive the Bible as a reward for the excellent title of its content, without actually knowing a single line. But Tom did it! Playing a prank on someone, fooling someone, coming up with something unusual is Tom’s element. Reading a lot, he strives and own life make it as bright as the one in which the heroes of the novels act. He embarks on “love adventures”, arranges games of Indians, pirates, and robbers. Tom finds himself in all sorts of situations thanks to his bursting energy: either at night in a cemetery he witnesses a murder, or he is present at his own funeral. Sometimes Tom is capable of almost heroic actions in life. For example, when he takes the blame for Becky Thacher - the girl he awkwardly tries to look after - and endures the teacher's spanking. He is a charming guy, this Tom Sawyer, but he is a child of his time, of his city, accustomed to leading a double life. When necessary, he is quite capable of taking on the image of a boy from a decent family, realizing that everyone does this. The situation is completely different with Tom's closest friend, Huck Finn. He is the son of a local drunkard who doesn't care about the child. Nobody forces Huck to go to school. He is completely left to his own devices. 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 need to wash or put on a clean dress, and he could swear amazingly. In a word, he had everything that makes life wonderful,” the writer concludes. Huck is undoubtedly attracted to the entertaining games Tom invents, but what Huck values ​​most is personal freedom and independence. Having lost them, he feels out of place, and precisely in order to find them again, Huck in the second novel already undertakes a dangerous journey alone, leaving his hometown forever. In gratitude for saving him from Injun Joe's revenge, the Widow Douglas took Huck into her care. The widow's servants washed him, combed and brushed his hair, and laid him down on disgustingly clean sheets every night. He had to eat with a knife and fork and attend church. Poor Huck lasted only three weeks and disappeared. They were looking for him, but without Tom’s help they would hardly have been able to find him. Tom manages to outwit the simple-minded Huck and return him to the widow for some time. Then Huck mystifies his own death. He himself gets into the shuttle and floats with the flow. During the journey, 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 runaway black man Jim. It is Huck's ability to think about others that makes his character especially attractive. This is probably why Mark Twain himself saw him as a hero of the 20th century, when, from the writer’s point of view, there would no longer be 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 - social critic. M., 1961.

All characteristics in alphabetical order:

Tom Sawyer is a restless, funny boy who does not like to listen to adults and dreams of becoming as free as his friend, the homeless Huckleberry Finn. Let's take a brief look at the characterization of Tom Sawyer, a hero from Mark Twain's book.

Tom Sawyer has more than enough energy. He always comes up with something interesting, his wit and enterprise seem 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 talks about proper punishment for a child. Therefore, Aunt Polly considers it her duty to punish the pupil for the cause.

Although we are talking about the characterization of Tom Sawyer, it is worth mentioning that the good boy and terrible sneak Siddy, Tom Sawyer’s half-brother, is being raised by Aunt Polly, and a sweet and patient girl Mary, who is Tom’s cousin, also lives with them. It is clear that Siddy is the opposite of Tom, they are so different in character and views on how to live. That's why Siddy likes to tell tales, and Tom is not averse to telling jokes.

What is told in the book about Tom Sawyer

For example, one day 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 in order to start living on a distant island where there was no one. Tom Sawyer attended his funeral, and one day he got lost in a cave, but was able to find his way out in time. He also found a treasure. All these adventures show the characteristics of Tom Sawyer.

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 children in the mid-19th century.

A striking episode characterizing Tom

The characterization of Tom Sawyer is revealed very well at the very beginning of the story. Let's look at one episode from his life.

One day, instead of going to school, Tom decided to go for a swim. Aunt Polly found out about these pranks and roughly punished her pupil - Tom had to whitewash the long fence. But that's not so bad. I had to do the whitewashing in the middle of Saturday - a day off! The guys were playing happily at this time, and Tom could already imagine how they would laugh at him, seeing their friend doing tedious work.

Tom Sawyer was not at a loss; he made a cunning plan. There were a lot of useful things in his pockets, for example, a dead rat with a string (for greater convenience, untwist it in the air) or a key that could not open anything. But is it really possible to buy at least a little freedom with these “jewels”? The boy Ben approached Tom, clearly with the intention of getting behind him. 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 a fence is his favorite thing to do, and that's why he's happy to do it. Ben 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 barely agreed to entrust this responsibility for 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 work, even difficult and tedious work, is not paid, it becomes not work, but a hobby, and doing it is interesting. But as soon as they start paying for it, the hobby will turn into work, and this is already boring.

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

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 heroes 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”, “Joan of Arc” and others. But it is “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” that is best known and loved by adult and young readers all over the world. What is the secret of such great and long-lasting popularity? It seems to me that it lies in the enormous charm that the author’s talented pen endowed on 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, he 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. Attending church and especially Sunday school is real torture for him. Tom has a lot of friends who are just as naughty as he is. His intelligent head is constantly filled with all kinds of fantasies and inventions. Most likely, if the boy's parents were alive, he would have grown up more obedient and less wayward. The old maid - Aunt Polly - with all her efforts could not 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, he is characterized by cunning, he can lie without any remorse, “steal” 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 he is a special hero, since 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 causing his aunt anxiety and grief. This is characterized by a sense of justice. He does not tolerate pretense, hypocrisy, or insincerity. That is why the obedient brother Sid often becomes the object of Tom's hostility. Sometimes the boy is overcome by the desire to become a good, “correct” child; it is not his fault that he most often fails to curb his irrepressible temper. What Tom Sawyer has in common with all the boys in the world is that he does not tolerate boredom, routine, or monotony. He will always prefer spanking or other physical punishment to cramming and sadness at a church service. This is a lively, impressionable nature with a rich imagination.

Not every adult is capable of admitting that he is wrong, but anyone can do it. Repenting of his escape from home, the boy convinces his friends to return to the city.

Tom Sawyer has many extraordinary character traits. One of them is his entrepreneurial spirit. It’s not for nothing that the episode with the fence has become a textbook one. Here the boy shows remarkable abilities as a psychologist and organizer. Leadership qualities are generally inherent in Tom. He easily manages to inspire his less inventive and brave friends to take risky actions. Tom is able to wholeheartedly sympathize with those who undeservedly suffer insult and injustice. Despite his fear of Injun Joe, Tom, along with his bosom friend Huckleberry Finn, risking their lives, helps out the hapless Muff Potter by testifying in court. Not every adult is capable of such a brave act committed by a sympathetic boy. This, in my opinion, is true heroism.

Another episode showing us Tom himself the best side, - pages about how he got lost in a cave with Becky Thatcher. The boy managed to keep his cool and find a way out, while still constantly supporting, comforting and encouraging the girl. In the finale, Tom helps neutralize a gang of bandits and save the life of a respectable townswoman.

The author rewards his hero - Tom becomes a rich man, a heroic figure, and deserves the respect of the most prominent townspeople. However, even this last test the boy passes with flying colors. He does not become arrogant, does not boast of his heroism and wealth. This is still a spontaneous teenager full of charm.

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

Tom Sawyer is a twelve-year-old cheerful boy. He is very resourceful, cunning, and sometimes playful. Everyone around him suffers from his mischief. 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 every day. Poor Aunt Polly, with whom Tom lives, cannot re-educate him. All her attempts to punish the boy for his pranks end with him distracting her and running away.

Tom's rich imagination and the energy surging from him do not allow him to live in peace, not 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 job and said that almost no one except him could cope with this task. After that, everyone who was next to him not only painted the fence instead of the sly one, but also paid him for it with what they had with them.

Tom doesn't like sneaks and his peers who were dressed like "dandies." Having seen such a boy one day, without hesitation he rushed to fight him and, of course, won. He doesn't lack for courage. He proved this many times. For example, when he and a friend went to a cemetery at night, where they became random witnesses to the illegal splitting of a grave and the murder of a person. He confirmed his resilience 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 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 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 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.

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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 heroes 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”, “Joan of Arc” and others. But it is “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” that is best known and loved by adult and young readers all over the world. What is the secret of such great and long-lasting popularity? It seems to me that it lies in the enormous charm that the author’s talented pen endowed on 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, he 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. Attending church and especially Sunday school is real torture for him. Tom has a lot of friends who are just as naughty as he is. His intelligent head is constantly filled with all kinds of fantasies and inventions. Most likely, if the boy's parents were alive, he would have grown up more obedient and less wayward. The old maid - Aunt Polly - with all her efforts could not 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, he is characterized by cunning, he can lie without any remorse, “steal” 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 he is a special hero, since 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 causing his aunt anxiety and grief. This is characterized by a sense of justice. He does not tolerate pretense, hypocrisy, or insincerity. That is why the obedient brother Sid often becomes the object of Tom's hostility. Sometimes the boy is overcome by the desire to become a good, “correct” child; it is not his fault that he most often fails to curb his irrepressible temper. What Tom Sawyer has in common with all the boys in the world is that he does not tolerate boredom, routine, or monotony. He will always prefer spanking or other physical punishment to cramming and sadness at a church service. This is a lively, impressionable nature with a rich imagination.

Not every adult is capable of admitting that he is wrong, but anyone can do it. Repenting of his escape from home, the boy convinces his friends to return to the city.

Tom Sawyer has many extraordinary character traits. One of them is his entrepreneurial spirit. It’s not for nothing that the episode with the fence has become a textbook one. Here the boy shows remarkable abilities as a psychologist and organizer. Leadership qualities are generally inherent in Tom. He easily manages to inspire his less inventive and brave friends to take risky actions. Tom is able to wholeheartedly sympathize with those who undeservedly suffer insult and injustice. Despite his fear of Injun Joe, Tom, along with his bosom friend Huckleberry Finn, risking their lives, helps out the hapless Muff Potter by testifying in court. Not every adult is capable of such a brave act committed by a sympathetic boy. This, in my opinion, is true heroism.

Another episode that shows us Tom at his best is the pages about him getting lost in the cave with Becky Thatcher. The boy managed to keep his cool and find a way out, while still constantly supporting, comforting and encouraging the girl. In the finale, Tom helps neutralize a gang of bandits and save the life of a respectable townswoman.

The author rewards his hero - Tom becomes a rich man, a heroic figure, and deserves the respect of the most prominent townspeople. However, even this last test the boy passes with flying colors. He does not become arrogant, does not boast of his heroism and wealth. This is still a spontaneous teenager full of charm.

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 do many more wonderful things.