Mark Twain The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Mark Twain "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" duration

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Illustration from the 1876 edition
Author Mark Twain
Genre adventures
Original language English
Original published
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« The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"(eng. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) - a story by Mark Twain published in 1876 about the adventures of a boy living in the small American town of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg) in Missouri. The novel takes place before the events of the American Civil War, while a number of points in this book and its sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as the circumstances of the author’s life, which largely formed the basis of the books, confidently point to the first half of the 1840s.

There are at least 9 translations into Russian, one of which belongs to K. I. Chukovsky ().

Plot

Characters

Main characters

Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Becky Thatcher, Aunt Polly, Injun Joe, Joe Harper, Sid Sawyer, Mary Sawyer, Jim

Tom Sawyer

A boy aged 9 to 14 years, more often called 12 years old. Witty, cunning, lazy, but kind and sympathetic, an adventurer by nature. Loves to read, mostly adventure literature. He is short, has brown, curly hair and blue eyes. The ears stick out a little to the sides.

Huckleberry Finn

First appearance: Chapter 6 "Tom Meets Becky."

A tramp boy, Tom's best friend, who does not attend school and has no permanent residence. Of his relatives, his only father is an alcoholic (at the beginning of the book “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” the boy becomes an orphan because his father dies).

Aunt Polly

First Appearance: Chapter 1 "Tom Plays, Fights, Hides"

A woman who is the sister of Tom's late mother. Raises Tom and Sid. She is very strict with Tom, punishing him with rods twice within a short period of time.

Rebecca (Becky) Thatcher

A girl who is Tom's classmate and then the object of his love. “... A lovely blue-eyed creature with golden hair braided in two long braids, wearing a white summer dress and embroidered pantaloons.”

Injun Joe

First appearance: Chapter 9 "Tragedy in the Cemetery." Dies in Chapter 33, "The Death of Injun Joe."

Antagonist. Metis. Murderer.

Joe Harper

First appearance: Chapter 3 "Busy with War and Love"

A boy who is a classmate and best friend Tom. "Great military leader." Arranges war games with Tom.

Sid Sawyer

First Appearance: Chapter 1 "Tom Plays, Fights, Hides"

A boy who is Tom's half-brother (in the original "half-brother", that is, having only one common parent with Tom). Quiet, good boy and sneak.

Mary Sawyer

First appearance: Chapter 3 "Busy with War and Love"

Tom's cousin.

History of writing

The texture and, partly, the event outline of the story are based on the author’s own memories of his childhood; his hometown of Hannibal in Missouri is a prototype of San Petersburg (even its position relative to the real St. Louis is derived there, 200 km up the Mississippi). Initially, the author intended his work for adult readers, but the book became popular among teenagers. There are four stories in total about Tom Sawyer: “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, “

Written in 1876, but still remains the favorite for many girls and boys . This is not surprising, because he is known for his humor and irony. You return to his books again and again.

The book about the tomboy Tom attracts young readers with many funny stories and adventures that happen to him. The boy is not only naughty. It has a lot positive qualities. In addition to cunning and ingenuity, Tom has very valuable qualities.

He knows how to be friends, love, support and help . The plot never gets boring for a second. Main character constantly on the move. Undoubtedly, we recommend reading the book to everyone who loves adventure, humor, jokes, funny situations and unforgettable characters.

Tom Sawyer is an orphan. He lives with his Aunt Polly and his cousin Sid. Unlike the exemplary Sid, Tom loves to be naughty . He often gets it from his aunt, but the woman cannot be angry with him for long and feels sorry for the boy.

One day Tom managed to commit mischief on many counts: he ate jam without permission, tore his clothes in a fair fight, outwitted his aunt to avoid punishment, and Polly decided to take an extreme measure - to punish Tom, even despite the holiday.

The boy had to paint the fence on Saturday. Tom got out of it this time too. The little playful pretended that his work brought him real pleasure. Soon all the boys lined up to also have the opportunity to paint the fence.

They even paid the sly man, and one of the guys gave him a dead rat and a kitten without an eye. Tom always got what he wanted! The fence is painted in a few hours and the amazed aunt lets her nephew go for a walk. Returning home, Tom noticed a new girl of extraordinary beauty and immediately falls in love with her.

On Sunday, the aunt sends the boy to Sunday school. With the money he earns, Tom exchanges tickets from his classmates for the Bible verses he has learned. Whoever collects the most tickets will receive a free Bible. On this day, an important guest visited the school - lawyer Thatcher.

He came with his daughter Becky. Tom recognized the girl as the one he fell in love with on Saturday . He gives away the tickets and receives a Bible as a reward. Tom is at his best again! On Monday before class, Tom meets his friend Huckleberry Finn, the son of a local alcoholic.

Huck brought a dead cat, with which he hopes to remove warts. They agree to meet at the cemetery at midnight to perform a “secret ceremony.” They hid behind the grave and saw something that shocked the guys.

They witnessed the murder of drunkard Math by Injun Joe. The criminal slipped a bloody knife to the unconscious Mr. Robinson. Real adventures didn't take long to arrive . You can read about all the incidents of two friends Tom and Huck in the book in full.

Why is Tom Sawyer attractive to readers?

It's interesting to watch how a mischievous boy can get out of any situation. Even such a punishment as painting a fence turned out to be a profitable business for him. Self-sacrifice is no stranger to Tom. For the sake of the girl he liked, Becky, Tom took the blame for which he received lashes.

This characterizes Tom as a brave and noble boy. Our hero showed especially courage and courage when he and Becky got lost in a cave . Tom gathered his strength into a fist and that’s the only reason they survived. And also the boy could not tolerate injustice.

Having learned with his friend Huckleberry the circumstances of Mathew's death, he knew that Potter was innocent, that the real killer, Joe, was at large. Risking his life, Tom appears in court to defend an innocent man. . We hope the book is about this literary hero you will like it!

Written in 1876, but still remains the favorite for many girls and boys . This is not surprising, because he is known for his humor and irony. You return to his books again and again.

The book about the tomboy Tom attracts young readers with many funny stories and adventures that happen to him. The boy is not only naughty. It has many positive qualities. In addition to cunning and ingenuity, Tom has very valuable qualities.

He knows how to be friends, love, support and help . The plot never gets boring for a second. The main character is constantly on the move. Undoubtedly, we recommend reading the book to everyone who loves adventure, humor, jokes, funny situations and unforgettable characters.

Tom Sawyer is an orphan. He lives with his Aunt Polly and his cousin Sid. Unlike the exemplary Sid, Tom loves to be naughty . He often gets it from his aunt, but the woman cannot be angry with him for long and feels sorry for the boy.

One day Tom managed to commit mischief on many counts: he ate jam without permission, tore his clothes in a fair fight, outwitted his aunt to avoid punishment, and Polly decided to take an extreme measure - to punish Tom, even despite the holiday.

The boy had to paint the fence on Saturday. Tom got out of it this time too. The little playful pretended that his work brought him real pleasure. Soon all the boys lined up to also have the opportunity to paint the fence.

They even paid the sly man, and one of the guys gave him a dead rat and a kitten without an eye. Tom always got what he wanted! The fence is painted in a few hours and the amazed aunt lets her nephew go for a walk. Returning home, Tom noticed a new girl of extraordinary beauty and immediately falls in love with her.

On Sunday, the aunt sends the boy to Sunday school. With the money he earns, Tom exchanges tickets from his classmates for the Bible verses he has learned. Whoever collects the most tickets will receive a free Bible. On this day, an important guest visited the school - lawyer Thatcher.

He came with his daughter Becky. Tom recognized the girl as the one he fell in love with on Saturday . He gives away the tickets and receives a Bible as a reward. Tom is at his best again! On Monday before class, Tom meets his friend Huckleberry Finn, the son of a local alcoholic.

Huck brought a dead cat, with which he hopes to remove warts. They agree to meet at the cemetery at midnight to perform a “secret ceremony.” They hid behind the grave and saw something that shocked the guys.

They witnessed the murder of drunkard Math by Injun Joe. The criminal slipped a bloody knife to the unconscious Mr. Robinson. Real adventures didn't take long to arrive . You can read about all the incidents of two friends Tom and Huck in the book in full.

Why is Tom Sawyer attractive to readers?

It's interesting to watch how a mischievous boy can get out of any situation. Even such a punishment as painting a fence turned out to be a profitable business for him. Self-sacrifice is no stranger to Tom. For the sake of the girl he liked, Becky, Tom took the blame for which he received lashes.

This characterizes Tom as a brave and noble boy. Our hero showed especially courage and courage when he and Becky got lost in a cave . Tom gathered his strength into a fist and that’s the only reason they survived. And also the boy could not tolerate injustice.

Having learned with his friend Huckleberry the circumstances of Mathew's death, he knew that Potter was innocent, that the real killer, Joe, was at large. Risking his life, Tom appears in court to defend an innocent man. . We hope you enjoy the book about this literary hero!

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"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"(English) "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" ) is an 1876 novel by Mark Twain about the adventures of a boy growing up in a fictional small American town in Missouri. The novel takes place before the events of the American Civil War.

There are at least two translations into Russian, one of them is by K. Chukovsky.

Plot

Characters

Main characters

Tom Sawyer

A boy aged 9-14, more often called 12 years old. Witty, cunning, lazy, but kind and sympathetic. Loves to read, mostly adventure literature. Loves and cares for Aunt Polly (in the first chapter, Tom, instead of going to school, went to the river. To take off his T-shirt, he had to rip the collar sewn up by Aunt Polly. At home he sewed it up again). He is short, has brown, curly hair and blue eyes. The ears stick out a little to the sides.

Huckleberry (Huck) Finn

First Appearance: Chapter 6 "Tom Meets Becky"

Aunt Polly

First Appearance: Chapter 1 "Tom Plays, Fights, Hides"

Raises Tom and Sidda. She is the sister of Tom's late mother. Loves him very much.

Rebecca (Becky) Thatcher

"... A lovely blue-eyed creature with golden hair braided in two long braids, wearing a white summer dress and embroidered pantaloons."

Injun Joe

First appearance: Chapter 9 "Tragedy in the Cemetery." Dies: Chapter 33 "The Death of Injun Joe". Antagonist

Joe Harper

First appearance: Chapter 3 "Busy with War and Love"

"Great military leader" Starts wars with Tom.

Sid Sawyer

First Appearance: Chapter 1 "Tom Plays, Fights, Hides"

Tom's half-brother. Relations with him are unfriendly.

Mary Sawyer

First appearance: Chapter 3 "Busy with War and Love"

Tom's cousin.

Tom Sawyer case

This is what they call a business in which you have to work and, moreover, pay for it yourself. Something similar happens to the characters in the second chapter of the book, where Tom Sawyer convinces his peers that whitewashing a fence is such a responsible and honorable job that he can only give it up for payment.

Mark Twain himself claimed that this work was perhaps the first literary work, the manuscript of which was typed on a typewriter. [ ] Initially, the author intended his work for adult readers, but the book became popular among teenagers. [ ] In total, there are four stories about Tom Sawyer: “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, “Tom Sawyer Abroad” and “Tom Sawyer the Detective”, as well as one unfinished one - “The Tom Sawyer Conspiracy” and several stories.

Books

  • Twain, Mark.= The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer. - 1876 Translation by Korney Chukovsky. Drawings by Georgy Fitingof. Design by S. Pozharsky.

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Excerpt characterizing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

At the beginning of 1806, Nikolai Rostov returned on vacation. Denisov was also going home to Voronezh, and Rostov persuaded him to go with him to Moscow and stay in their house. At the penultimate station, having met a comrade, Denisov drank three bottles of wine with him and, approaching Moscow, despite the potholes of the road, did not wake up, lying at the bottom of the relay sleigh, near Rostov, which, as it approached Moscow, came more and more to impatience.
“Is it soon? Soon? Oh, these unbearable streets, shops, rolls, lanterns, cab drivers!” thought Rostov, when they had already signed up for their holidays at the outpost and entered Moscow.
- Denisov, we’ve arrived! Sleeping! - he said, leaning forward with his whole body, as if by this position he hoped to speed up the movement of the sleigh. Denisov did not respond.
“Here is the corner of the intersection where Zakhar the cabman stands; Here he is Zakhar, and still the same horse. Here is the shop where they bought gingerbread. Soon? Well!
- To which house? - asked the coachman.
- Yes, over there at the end, how can you not see! This is our home,” said Rostov, “after all, this is our home!” Denisov! Denisov! We'll come now.
Denisov raised his head, cleared his throat and did not answer.
“Dmitry,” Rostov turned to the footman in the irradiation room. - After all, this is our fire?
“That’s exactly how daddy’s office is lit up.”
– Haven’t gone to bed yet? A? How do you think? “Don’t forget to get me a new Hungarian at once,” Rostov added, feeling the new mustache. “Come on, let’s go,” he shouted to the coachman. “Wake up, Vasya,” he turned to Denisov, who lowered his head again. - Come on, let's go, three rubles for vodka, let's go! - Rostov shouted when the sleigh was already three houses away from the entrance. It seemed to him that the horses were not moving. Finally the sleigh took to the right towards the entrance; Above his head Rostov saw a familiar cornice with chipped plaster, a porch, a sidewalk pillar. He jumped out of the sleigh as he walked and ran into the hallway. The house also stood motionless, unwelcoming, as if it did not care about who came to it. There was no one in the hallway. "My God! Is everything all right?” thought Rostov, stopping for a minute with a sinking heart and immediately starting to run further along the entryway and familiar, crooked steps. The same door handle of the castle, for the uncleanness of which the countess was angry, also opened weakly. One tallow candle was burning in the hallway.
Old man Mikhail was sleeping on the chest. Prokofy, the traveling footman, the one who was so strong that he could lift the carriage by the back, sat and knitted bast shoes from the edges. He looked at the opened door, and his indifferent, sleepy expression suddenly transformed into an enthusiastically frightened one.
- Fathers, lights! Young Count! – he cried out, recognizing the young master. - What is this? My darling! - And Prokofy, shaking with excitement, rushed to the door to the living room, probably to make an announcement, but apparently changed his mind again, returned back and fell on the young master’s shoulder.
-Are you healthy? - Rostov asked, pulling his hand away from him.
- God bless! All glory to God! We just ate it now! Let me look at you, Your Excellency!
- Is everything all right?
- Thank God, thank God!
Rostov, completely forgetting about Denisov, not wanting to let anyone warn him, took off his fur coat and ran on tiptoe into the dark, large hall. Everything is the same, the same card tables, the same chandelier in a case; but someone had already seen the young master, and before he had time to reach the living room, something quickly, like a storm, flew out of the side door and hugged and began to kiss him. Another, third, same creature jumped out of another, third door; more hugs, more kisses, more screams, tears of joy. He couldn’t make out where and who dad was, who was Natasha, who was Petya. Everyone was screaming, talking and kissing him at the same time. Only his mother was not among them - he remembered that.
- I didn’t know... Nikolushka... my friend!
- Here he is... ours... My friend, Kolya... He has changed! No candles! Tea!
- Yes, kiss me!
- Darling... and then me.
Sonya, Natasha, Petya, Anna Mikhailovna, Vera, the old count, hugged him; and people and maids, filling the rooms, muttered and gasped.
Petya hung on his legs. - And then me! - he shouted. Natasha, after she had bent him to her and kissed his entire face, jumped away from him and holding onto the hem of his Hungarian jacket, jumped like a goat all in one place and squealed shrilly.
On all sides there were eyes shining with tears of joy, loving eyes, on all sides there were lips seeking a kiss.
Sonya, red as red, also held his hand and was all beaming in the blissful gaze fixed on his eyes, which she was waiting for. Sonya was already 16 years old, and she was very beautiful, especially at this moment of happy, enthusiastic animation. She looked at him without taking her eyes off, smiling and holding her breath. He looked at her gratefully; but still waited and looked for someone. The old countess had not come out yet. And then steps were heard at the door. The steps are so fast that they couldn't be his mother's.

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

The history of writing "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

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

Main characters- two friends, Tom, who is being raised by his lonely aunt, and Huck, a city street child. Inseparable in their fantasies and adventures, both boys are typical images, but the main character remains Tom Sawyer. He has a younger brother, more rational and obedient, he has school friends, and a boyish crush - Becky. And like any boy, the main events in life are connected 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. Things like running away from home or going to a cemetery at night are easy to believe. And these adventures, interspersed with descriptions of ordinary boyish everyday life, ordinary pranks, joys and annoyances, become reality thanks to the genius of the author. The description of American life at that time is impressive. What is lost in 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 mixed into a single society, despite differences in property, race and even age. Negro Jim, in slavery to Aunt Polly, mestizo Injun Joe, Judge Thacher and his daughter Becky, street child Huck and rascal Tom, Doctor Robenson and undertaker Potter. Tom's life is described with such humor and with such naturalness that the reader forgets in which country it happens, as if he is remembering what happened to himself.

The boy Tom Sawyer, together with his younger brother, who is clearly more positive than him, is raised by his old aunt after the death of his mother. He goes to school, plays on the street, fights, makes friends and falls in love with a beautiful peer, Becky. One day he met his old friend Huckleberry Fin on the streets, with whom they had a deep debate about ways to remove warts. Huck told a new method of mixing using a dead cat, but it is necessary to visit the cemetery at night. This is where all the significant adventures of these two tomboys began. Previously occurring conflicts with his aunt, entrepreneurial ideas with receiving a bonus Bible at Sunday school, whitewashing the fence as a punishment for disobedience, which Tom successfully transformed into personal success, fade into the background. Everything except love for Becky.

Having witnessed a fight and a murder, two boys for a long time doubt the need to bring everything they saw to the attention of adults. Only sincere pity for the old drunkard Potter and a sense of universal justice force Tom to speak at the trial. By doing so, he saved the life of the accused and put his own life in mortal danger. Injun Joe's revenge is a very real threat for the boy, even under the protection of the law. Meanwhile, Tom and Becky's romance began to crack, and this distracted him from everything else for a long time. He suffered. It was finally decided to run away from home from unhappy love and become a pirate. It’s good that there is a friend like Huck who agrees to support any adventure. A school friend, Joe, also joined them.

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

Before you start academic year Judge Thacher threw a lavish party for the kids to celebrate his returning daughter's birthday. A trip on a river boat, a picnic and a visit to caves, this is something even modern children could dream about. Here Tom's new adventure begins. Having made peace with Becky, the two of them run away from the company during a picnic and hide in a cave. They got lost in passages and grottoes, the torch that lit their way burned out, and they had no provisions with them. Tom behaved courageously, this reflected all his enterprise and responsibility as a growing man. Quite by accident, they came across Injun Joe hiding the stolen money. After wandering around the cave, Tom finds a way out. The children returned home to the joy of their parents.

The secret seen in the cave haunts him, Tom tells Huck everything, and they decide to check the Indian's treasure. The boys go to the cave. After Tom and Becky safely got out of the maze, the city council decided to close the entrance to the cave. This became fatal for the mestizo; he died in the cave from hunger and thirst. Tom and Huck carried away a whole fortune. Since the treasure did not belong to anyone in particular, two boys became its owners. Huck received the protection of the widow Douglas, coming under her tutelage. Tom is also rich now. But Huck could endure the “high life” no more than three weeks, and Tom, who met him on the shore near the barrel hut, openly declared that no wealth could keep him from his career “ noble robber" The romanticism of the two friends had not yet been suppressed by the “golden calf” and the conventions of society.

The main characters and their characters

All the main characters of the story are the thoughts and feelings of the author, his memories of childhood, his feeling of that very American dream and universal human values. When Huck complained that he could not live in idleness, Tom answered him uncertainly: “But 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 has seen more bad things, shares with Tom: “It’s just embarrassing for all people,” when he talks about the insincerity of relationships in high society. Against the romantic background of a story about childhood, written with good humor, the writer clearly best qualities little man, and the hope that these qualities will remain throughout life.

A boy raised without a mother or father. The author does not reveal what happened to his parents. According to the story, one gets the impression that Tom gained all his best qualities on the street and at school. Aunt Poly's attempts to instill in him basic behavioral stereotypes cannot be crowned with success. Tom is the ideal 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 truly represents the best that a growing man can have. He is brave, with a keen sense of justice. In many episodes, it is precisely these qualities that he displays in difficult situations. life situations. Another feature that cannot affect the feelings of an American. This is savvy and enterprise. All that remains is to remember the story of whitewashing 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 a small reflection of themselves in it.

A homeless child with a living father. The drunkard appears in the story only in conversations, but this already somehow characterizes the living conditions of this boy. Tom's constant friend and faithful companion in 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 has the impression that Huck is described by the author as the other side of the coin of a growing person, a citizen of America. 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 reader’s soul, these two images are mixed and always receive sympathy.

Becky, Aunt Polly, Negro Jim and half-breed Injun Joe

These are all people with whom the best in the protagonist’s character is revealed. Tender love in a girl of the same age and real care for her in moments of danger. A respectful, although sometimes ironic, attitude towards the aunt, who spends all her strength to raise Tom as a real respectable citizen. A Negro slave, who is an indicator of America at that time and the attitude towards slavery of the entire progressive public, because Tom is friends with him, justifiably considering him an equal. The author’s, and therefore Tom’s, attitude towards Injun Joe is far from clear. The romance of the Indian world was not yet so idealized at that time. But internal pity for the mestizo who died of hunger in the cave characterizes not only the boy. The realities of the Wild West are visible 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 do so. We do not see the deep condemnation that it would seem should have been for a thief and murderer.

Continuation of the epic adventure

Later, Mark Twain wrote several more stories about Tom and his friend Huck. The author grew up along with his heroes, and America changed too. And in subsequent stories there was no longer 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.