Themes

• Coming of age and loss of innocence

• Freedom versus responsibility

• The conflict between social morality and individual conscience

• Superstition and folk beliefs

• The romanticism and adventure of childhood

• Friendship and loyalty

• Social class and race relations in the antebellum South

Setting

Mark Twain's classic novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is set in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri, in the 1840s. The town is based on Twain's own boyhood home of Hannibal, located along the Mississippi River. St. Petersburg is depicted as a quintessential small Midwestern town of the era, with a close-knit community where Christianity is the predominant faith and everyone knows their neighbors.

The broader setting encompasses the Mississippi River and surrounding wilderness areas that play a key role in Tom's adventures. Landmarks like Jackson's Island in the river and McDougal's Cave outside town provide atmospheric backdrops for pivotal scenes. The untamed natural environment contrasts with the more structured life in town, allowing Tom and his friends to escape into a world of freedom and imagination.

Twain vividly evokes the culture and attitudes of the antebellum South through his portrayal of St. Petersburg. Social hierarchies, racial dynamics, superstitions, and small-town customs are woven throughout the story. The novel's setting in this specific time and place allows Twain to offer social commentary on issues like slavery while nostalgically depicting the simple pleasures and misadventures of boyhood in mid-19th century America.

Characters

• Tom Sawyer: The mischievous and adventurous protagonist. A clever and charismatic boy, Tom often skips school and gets into trouble, but he is also brave and kindhearted. He lives with his Aunt Polly in the town of St. Petersburg, Missouri. Throughout the novel, Tom experiences many adventures and learns important life lessons.

• Huckleberry Finn: Tom's best friend and fellow adventurer. Huck is the town outcast, living a carefree life without parental supervision. He is more worldly and practical than Tom, often serving as a voice of reason. Huck plays a crucial role in several key events in the novel.

• Becky Thatcher: Tom's love interest and the judge's daughter. Becky is new to town and becomes the object of Tom's affections. She is sweet and proper but also shows courage during their cave adventure. Her relationship with Tom is central to much of the story's drama.

• Aunt Polly: Tom's guardian and mother figure. Aunt Polly is a kindhearted woman who struggles to discipline Tom. She often wavers between exasperation over his antics and deep affection for him.

• Injun Joe: The primary antagonist of the novel. Injun Joe is a violent and vengeful criminal who commits murder and seeks to harm others. His presence creates much of the danger and suspense in the story.

• Sid Sawyer: Tom's half-brother. Sid is well-behaved and often tattles on Tom, serving as a foil to highlight Tom's mischievous nature.

• Mary: Tom's cousin who lives with him and Aunt Polly. She is kind and motherly towards Tom.

• Muff Potter: A harmless drunk who is framed for Dr. Robinson's murder. Tom's testimony at his trial is a pivotal moment in the story.

• Judge Thatcher: Becky's father and a respected member of the community. He plays a role in several important events in the novel.

• Widow Douglas: A kind woman who takes in Huck Finn at the end of the novel. She represents civilization and attempts to “reform” Huck.

Quick facts

• Mark Twain based the character of Tom Sawyer on three boys he knew growing up, including himself.

• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was one of the first novels to be written on a typewriter.

• Twain named his titular character after a San Francisco firefighter he befriended in 1863.

• The town of St. Petersburg in the book is based on Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri.

• Twain originally envisioned Tom’s story as a play before deciding to write the novel.

• Though initially a commercial failure, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer later became Twain's bestselling work during his lifetime.

• The famous whitewashing scene was inspired by a chore Twain hated doing as a child.

• Twain wrote much of the novel at Quarry Farm in Elmira, New York.

• The character of Huckleberry Finn was based on Twain's childhood friend Tom Blankenship.

• Among numerous screen adaptations is the 1938 Technicolor film starring Tommy Kelly, featuring a memorable cave sequence designed by William Cameron Menzies. 

• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has never been out of print since it was first published in 1876.

About the Author

Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was one of America's most beloved authors and humorists. Born in Florida, Missouri, in 1835, Twain grew up along the Mississippi River, which would serve as inspiration for some of his most famous works. After working as a printer and riverboat pilot in his youth, Twain found success as a writer, lecturer, and satirist in the late 19th century. His novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are considered classics of American literature.

Twain was renowned for his wit, social criticism, and mastery of American vernacular. He gained international fame for his travel books like The Innocents Abroad and his lectures, which took him around the world. As he aged, Twain's views became increasingly radical. Though he had supported American imperialism earlier in his life, by 1899 he was a vocal critic of US foreign policy and joined the Anti-Imperialist League. Twain was also an outspoken supporter of abolition, women's suffrage, and labor unions. His political and social commentary often employed biting satire to critique what he saw as injustice and hypocrisy in American society.

Twain's relationship with religion was complex. Though raised as a Presbyterian, he became increasingly critical of organized religion later in life. Some of his most controversial writings on faith were published posthumously, including Letters from the Earth. Twain predicted he would die when Halley's Comet next passed by Earth, just as he had been born during its previous appearance. True to his prophecy, Twain died on April 21, 1910, one day after the comet's closest approach. His wit, insight, and distinctly American voice have ensured his place as one of the country's most influential writers.