The adventures of Tom Sawyer?

Question

I have to do a study guide for school and these were the questions I need help with.

What does the first chapter reveal about Tom's personality?

What does the whitewashing scene reveal about Twain's attitude towards work?

Answer 1

Ooh, never read Tom Sawyer. Sorry... But I'd bet that you could find enough information on Spark Notes to wing these questions.

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/tomsawyer/...

"Tom swindles his friends out of all their favorite objects through a kind of false advertising when he sells them the opportunity to whitewash the fence. He then uses his newly acquired wealth to buy power and prestige at Sunday school—rewards that should be earned rather than bought."

You could probably say that Tom has a desire to have the power and prestige that is often associated with hard work, but that was not always willing to put in the time to earn it. He instead often bartered and traded amongst his friends to obtain items that he would use as symbols of power.

Or something along those lines...

As for the other question, from the summary of the first chapter (COPIED BELOW), you could probably say that Tom is a very adventurous and sometimes mischievous boy. Not only does he cut school and lie about it, but he also goes as far as to cover his tracks by resewing the collar of his shirt. Tom also is very mild mannered and carefree, often easily distracted by the most whimsical things.

"The novel opens with Aunt Polly scouring the house in search of her nephew, Tom Sawyer. She finds him in the closet, discovers that his hands are covered with jam, and prepares to give him a whipping. Tom cries out theatrically, “Look behind you!” and when Aunt Polly turns, Tom escapes over the fence. After Tom is gone, Aunt Polly reflects ruefully on Tom's mischief and how she lets him get away with too much.



Tom comes home at suppertime to help Aunt Polly's young slave, Jim, chop wood. Tom also wants to tell Jim about his adventures. During supper, Aunt Polly asks Tom leading questions in an attempt to confirm her suspicion that he skipped school that afternoon and went swimming instead. Tom explains his wet hair by saying that he pumped water on his head and shows her that his collar is still sewn from the morning, which means he couldn't have taken his shirt off to swim. Aunt Polly is satisfied, but Sid, Tom's half-brother, points out that the shirt thread, which was white in the morning, is now black. Tom has resewn the shirt himself to disguise his delinquency.



Tom goes out of the house furious with Sid, but he soon forgets his anger as he practices a new kind of whistling. While wandering the streets of St. Petersburg, his town, he encounters a newcomer, a boy his own age who appears overdressed and arrogant. Tom and the new arrival exchange insults for a while and then begin wrestling. Tom overcomes his antagonist and eventually chases the newcomer all the way home.



When he returns home in the evening, Tom finds Aunt Polly waiting for him. She notices his dirtied clothes and resolves to make him work the next day, a Saturday, as punishment."

Good Luck!!