Tom Sawyer Essay Assignment

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Essay: Your assignment over break was to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. We will have only two planned discussion periods for the novel, Friday of this week and Monday of next week. All of your questions and comments on the novel will be reserved for those days. On Friday you will hand in an essay discussing one of the following essay questions. Each family will choose one of them (two families may share only numbers 3 & 4). Each should make specific reference to the text and may include 3rd party research.


1. What does Tom learn by the end of the novel. Discuss the ways in which he changes as a person and in society. Be sure your answer reflects not only changes in Tom’s personality, but also in his feelings toward St. Petersburg. How does his conversation with Huck in Chapter 35 reflect this? Be sure to cite instances from the conversations in your essay.

 

2. Write a comparison/contrast essay c/cing the characters of Tom and Huck. In your essay, reference specific instances from Chapters 26, 33 & 35 to support your views.

3. Discuss the role of superstition in the novel. How do the superstitions and beliefs in the supernatural shape the residents of St. Petersburg? What types of comments is Twain making about mid-19th Century America.

4. In what ways is Tom Sawyer a satire? How does Twain use irony to accent his story? Use reference to the character Dobbins or other minor characters to support your thesis.