Tom Sawyer’s adventures along the Mississippi River included fishing and swimming in its waters, as well as chaperoning his aunt Polly’s small boat up and down its length. In the novel, Tom is also depicted as an excellent carpenter who often built rafts from scraps and wood he gathered from the banks of the Mississippi. Tom and his crew often developed elaborate schemes of entertainment, such as hunting for buried treasure and chasing strange creatures.
Tom Sawyer’s adventures on the river also provided a much needed escape from the tedious life of chores and school that he led in town. While swimming in its waters, trying to evade the town constable Injun Joe, or searching for adventure, Tom was able to enjoy himself and forget his mundane day-to-day life.
The Mississippi River serves as a backdrop for many of Mark Twain’s portraits of boyhood adventures. Historians have long admired Twain’s skillful use of the Mississippi for portraying the wild spirit of youth. Arnold Rabkin, a professor of English and American Literature, has even suggested that the river symbolizes a pathway to freedom, saying “the characters are so often seen fighting their way over, around, up, and down its length that the river becomes a metaphor for Tom Sawyer’s passage from innocence to experience.”
Clearly, Tom Sawyer viewed the Mississippi River with a certain reverence, often spending hours there and never seeming to tire of its presence. In 1876, Twain took his own family down the Mississippi by steamboat and it has been said that observing the voyage of this majestic river inspired some of the most memorable scenes between Tom and Huckleberry Finn.
Romantic Sensibilities
A romantic spirit pervades many of the Mississippi’s passages in the novel. Tom and Huckleberry, while aboard their raft, often get caught up in the fantasy of sailing away, as if the Mississippi itself imposed a romantic spell on them. They would sometimes pretend to be a King and his court, or a band of captains, sailing in search of a land of dreams. The freedom they felt while floating down the river lead them to indulging in their wildest fantasies.
The Mississippi River also has a spiritual and philosophical presence in Tom Sawyer’s mind. Twain writes that Tom and his friends were often drawn to it for solace and reflection. In more than one passage, Tom Sawyer is depicted as a philosopher, regarding the Mississippi and its constant movement as a sort of home, saying “… it’s always the same, and it does seem so good to see the same old river, awhile…”
Adaptability and Optimism
It is also worth mentioning Tom Sawyer’s unique adaptability to different situations. When he finds himself in a dangerous spot, such as being kidnapped by the criminal Injun Joe, Tom takes a positive attitude and tries to think of a way out. With each trial and adventure, Tom gets into and out of, he gains experiences and a better understanding of society’s values, law and justice.
The underside of society depicted in the novel is also the result of the interactions of Tom and his friends with the Mississippi River, often following the law of kin, ethics, and personal honor. One particular example is when Tom, against his own better judgment, decides to help Jim escape slavery and free himself from the oppressive hands of his captor by sailing off down the Mississippi.
Learning Life Lessons
Tom Sawyer exhibits growth and maturity throughout his adventures, which often take place against the backdrop of the Mississippi River. His escapades on the river, while seeming to be mindless play of a young boy, are in fact full of inner reflection and contemplation.
Involvement in a dangerous adventure, such as taking part in a graveyard robbery and trying to cover it up, teaches him that disobedience and disrespect of the law have serious consequences. It also shows him that certain values are necessary for the functioning of any society.
The Serious Nature of Childs Play
The playfulness portrayed throughout the novel serves as a secret lesson on the consequences of carelessness and impulsive behavior, often cheered on and celebrated by the locals of St Petersburg. In certain situations, this type of carefree attitude is a sign of bravery, helping Tom to go on and face his problems such as eluding Injun Joe and facing the terrifying ghosts of the graveyard.
Tom’s beloved Mississippi River serves as his playground, where daydreams take place alongside serious contemplation. It brings games of imagination, but also grave danger. It can bring solace to a lonely soul, and help it to discover the moral and serious aspects of every day life.
Practicalities of Real Life
Tom Sawyer’s Mississippi adventures also enable him to transition from the carefree days of childhood to the responsibilities of adulthood. He acquires knowledge on the practicalities of everyday life, such as how to use money, make smart decisions, and be honest and kind. This often requires him to take upon himself responsibilities that age and the society of the time dictate.
In the process of growing up, Tom Sawyer also develops a more concrete sense of social norms and machinations, learning that good and bad are not as straightforward as childhood often simplifies them to be. His repeated misadventures with the law provide him with a more comprehensive understanding of the way the world works and shapes his beliefs and perspective.
Weapon of Revenge
The most notable example of such revelations is Tom’s decision to use the law as a weapon against his teeming enemies. Specifically, Tom decides to testify in court against Injun Joe and turns what would have been a natural solution—by giving in to a revengeful urge—into something deeper. He chooses to use justice and a knowledge of the law to win his fight against Injun Joe, representing a moment of both important moral growth, as well as a practical lesson in life.
Tom’s many hours spent exploring the Mississippi River have enabled him to both understand himself and the often complex nature of life. The savviness he gains through his adventures help him realize that real life is oftentimes more nuanced than it appears.
Final Fight of Justice
But perhaps what is most remarkable about Tom’s behavior throughout his many adventures is his refusal to submit to the apathy surrounding injustice. Despite all of his practical knowledge, he always manages to remain courageous and retain a sense of justice that is often absent in adults.
At the very end of the book, Tom returns to the river with a vengeance and hunts for the hidden treasure that Injun Joe has been hiding for the past several chapters. After finding the treasure, Tom turns his gains in to the court and, using his own understanding of the law, proves that Injun Joe’s resource belonged to someone else.
Tom Sawyer’s escapades along the Mississippi have provided him with an opportunity to explore the duality of life: both its unavoidable danger and its glorious possibilities. By sailing along the great river, he becomes an ever-evolving being, learning to make his way through life’s diverse and ever-changing challenges.
Attaining Maturity
The many perils of the Mississippi River aid in Tom Sawyer’s maturing process, as they frequently force him to think logically and become an adept problem-solver. Through his many experiences, he is able to acquire a realistic outlook on life, learning how to make and defend decisions based on traditional rules and morality, but also on his developing inner compass.
Through his journey on the Mississippi, Tom also glimpses the beauty of nature, the strength of friendship, and the power that each person has to make decisions and arrive at justice. This understanding allows him to look beyond injustice and discomfort to find a resolution.
Epitome of Youthful Exuberance
The Mississippi is an epitome of youthful exuberance, while also being a lesson in the moral and ethical workings of life. Tom Sawyer, who kindly teaches and entertains us throughout the novel, embodies the power of the river to transform the wildness and unpredictability of adolescence into something of substance and knowledge.
Tom’s relationship with the Mississippi, with its danger and potential gains, is one of the novel’s many attempts to illustrate the path to true maturity. As readers, our understanding of Tom Sawyer’s journey changes with each new experience, all of which are overshadowed and magnified by the presence of the iconic and mysterious Mississippi River.
