The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

More about the book

The story follows the youthful escapades of Thomas Sawyer, a mischievous schoolboy known for causing trouble. Living with his Aunt Polly, half-brother Sid, and cousin Mary in the small town of St. Petersburg near the Mississippi River, Tom embodies the spirit of youthful rebellion. Unlike Sid, who is obedient, Tom often faces punishment from Aunt Polly for his antics, preferring to skip school and sneak out at night to explore with his friend, Huckleberry Finn, the town's outcast. Despite his aversion to school, Tom is clever and often escapes the consequences of his pranks, unless Sid reveals his misdeeds. After skipping school to swim, Aunt Polly assigns him the task of whitewashing the fence, but Tom cleverly tricks the neighborhood boys into doing it for him by making the chore seem enjoyable. At school, he seeks attention through playful antics and tries to win over the new girl, Becky Thatcher, by pretending to be engaged to her. However, their budding romance falters when Becky discovers Tom's previous "engagement" to Amy Lawrence. After being shunned by Becky, Tom and Huck venture to the graveyard at night, where they witness a shocking murder.