Midterm Flashcards
Tom’s aunt and guardian
Aunt Polly
Tom’s half brother; behaves well but likes to see Tom get in trouble
Sid
son of the town drunk; social outcast
Huckleberry Fin
Judge Thatcher’s daughter; Tom’s crush
Becky Thatcher
one of Tom’s close friends; sometimes joins Tom and Huck on their adventures
Joe Harper
Frustrated in his attempts to become a doctor, he settles for being a schoolteacher, a job he doesn’t much like. He seems to prefer disciplining his students – that is, mercilessly beating them – to actually teaching them, and he spends as much time as possible perusing an anatomy textbook during class. He’s definitely not a positive influence on anyone.
Mr. Dobbins
a villain, murderer, and robber
a. socially outcast because of his race
b. motivated by revenge
Injun Joe
one of the town drunks and friend of Injun Joe
a. naive and used by Injun Joe
Muff Potter
Recently moved from St. Louis, he has very nice clothes. Tom beats him up when he first comes to town. Later, Becky flirts with him to make Tom jealous, and he destroys Tom’s spelling book.
Alfred Temple
a kind elderly woman in St. Petersburg who the children respect and see as a friend
Widow Douglas
chases Injun Joe away from the Widow Douglas’s house after Huck warns him of the danger.
The Welshman
What is the source of many of the characters and adventures in the novel?
They were drawn from Mark Twain’s life and people he knew as a child.
What is the setting for the action in the novel?
St. Petersburg, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River, and Pre-Civil War Era.
Describe the relationship between Tom and Sid and between the boys and Aunt Polly.
Sid and Tom are half-brothers but they act completely opposite from each other. Sid shows his affection to her by always behaving. Tom feels guilty when she cries or feels upset.
What does the first scene reveal about Tom’s personality?
He is very mischievous but loves Aunt Polly. He doesn’t like that the newcomer is dressed better than him. He’s proud. The boys insult each other. He has an inflated view of how strong he is.
What does the whitewashing scene reveal about Tom, his friends, and Twain’s attitude toward work?
Tom is very good at persuading his friends to do his work. Twain loathes to work. He’s a con artist. Tom hates doing chores. His friends are gullible and are doing his work to make him happy. They also fall for his scheme. They treasure small objects like Tom. Twain says that work is something you’re forced to do and playing is something you choose to do.
How does Aunt Polly respond when Tom reports that the fence is completely whitewashed?
She is amazed at how fast he did it and she totally falls for the trick and rewards him.
How does Tom act when he meets the new girl at the Thatcher house?
He immediately falls in love with her and he starts to show off to get attention.
How does Tom behave after he is punished for breaking the sugar bowl?
He gets very upset and wonders what Aunt Polly would feel if he died. Tom has a flair for the dramatic. He claims that he will never forgive Aunt Polly.
What doesn’t Aunt Polly apologize for hitting Tom?
She doesn’t want to feel like he won. She’s terrified that she’ll show weakness.
What does the description of Tom’s preparations for Sunday school reveal about his appearance and
wardrobe?
He doesn’t have a really large wardrobe and always wears the same clothes for Sunday school. His normal appearance is very sloppy and disheveled. He hates being clean.
Describe the Sunday’s school ticket system.
The tickets are like a reward system for the amount of verses read and memorized to get a bible. 10 blue tickets = 1 red ticket, 10 red=1 yellow, 10 yellow=a bible.
How does Tom acquire tickets and what does he do with them?
He trades with the other boys for their tickets. He’s not after the bible, he’s after the attention from getting it. Becky and Judge Thatcher are there the day he gets the bible. The Sunday school teacher cares so much about impressing Judge Thatcher that he didn’t care that Tom Sawyer had enough tickets somehow.
Who is the Model Boy? Why do you think the term is capitalized?
The Model Boy is Willy Mufferson. He’s a goody-two-shoes. Twain puts the Model Boy in it so the reader can see the big comparison. The other boys despises him. Its capitalized because it’s a title that the other boys call him.
What occupies the attention of many members of the congregation, including Tom, during the church
service?
Tom gets bored with the homily so he plays with a beetle. The beetle flys off Tom Sawyer and the poodle chases it. The beetle bits its nose and its behind and it distracts the congregation. This was all Tom’s fault.
Describe Tom’s efforts to stay home from school. How does Aunt Polly react?
Tom is moaning in bed to get Sid’s attention, says he has a sore toe, and complains that his tooth is loose. Aunt Polly pulls it out.
Describe Huckleberry Finn’s clothing.
His clothing is way too big like hand me downs, very dirty, tattered, and rags.
What does Tom and Huck’s discussion about the various cures for warts reveal about them?
They are very superstitious. They are also fascinated by magic, urban legends, and old wise tales.
Why does Tom tell the truth about why he is late for school?
He wants to get in trouble so he could sit by Becky. He likes Becky and he gets attention.
What does Tom mean when he says, “That’s the name they lick me by?”
That’s the name that they call him by when he’s in trouble. He would rather have Becky call him by “Tom” because his friends call him that.
Why does Tom insist that Becky kiss him when they become engaged?
To seal the relationship. It’s his promise of love to Becky.
Why does Becky become angry with Tom just after their engagement?
He was once engaged to Amy Lawrence.
Hoe does Tom react to Becky’s anger?
He tries to cheer her up, and she denies all attempts at the apology. Tom goes to Cardiff Hill. He reacts like he did when he was accused of breaking the sugar bowl.
Why does Tom begin to pray “Now I lay me down to sleep” when he and Huck think spirits are coming after them in the graveyard?
They think that prayer will keep away the evil spirits. The prayed is morbid and has nothing to do with warding off the spirits.
What are Tom and Huck doing at Hoss Williams’ grave at midnight? Why are Muff Pitter, Injun Joe, and Dr. Robinson there?
They must be at the gravesite of someone who recently died that was evil to test their cat wart cure. When the devil comes to take the soul of the evil person, they have to hurl the cat at the devil and say that the devil follows the corpse, the cat follows the devil, the warts follow the cat. Dr. Robinson, Muff Potter, and Injun Joe are there to steal the body of Hoss Williams. Dr. Robinson killed him and Injun Joe kills Dr. Robinson.
Why does Tom insist that Huck and he swear a blood oath?
This is another superstition. They believe a blood oath is a binding contract that says that they won’t say anything because they are scared of Injun Joe.
How is Tom punished when Aunt Polly discovers that he has been out most of the night? And how does Tom react to his punishment?
Aunt Polly guilts Tom and makes him feel worse. Tom would rather been beat or yelled at then this. He can’t bear to see Aunt Polly cry.
When Muff Potter is falsely accused of murder, Tom and Huck consider telling what really happened.
What dissuades him?
They are afraid of Injun Joe killing them. They hear him lie about the murder. They believe so strongly that Injun Joe is protected by the devil, that they don’t want to get involved. They think that it would foolish to do so.
What is Tom feeling low?
Becky rejects his gift (a doorknob), she’s been absent from school, he witnessed a murder, sod told on him for running away at night, he made his Aunt cry, and the headmaster beat him for skipping school.
