List of characters in the Tom Sawyer series
Encyclopedia
Mark Twain
's series of books featuring the fictional character
s Tom Sawyer
and Huckleberry Finn
include:
Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn also appear in at least three unfinished Twain works, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians (a sequel to Huckleberry Finn), Schoolhouse Hill (a version of The Mysterious Stranger
) and Tom Sawyer's Conspiracy (a sequel to Tom Sawyer, Detective). While all three uncompleted works had been posthumously published, only Tom Sawyer's Conspiracy boasts a complete plot and nearly complete story. Twain abandoned the other two works after only finishing a few chapters.
Tom Sawyer is a cunning and playful boy. He is around twelve years old. His best friends include Joe Harper and Huckleberry Finn. He has a half-brother, Sid, a cousin, Mary, and his aunt Polly.
Pap Finn's backstory is explored in the 2007 book by Jon Clinch Finn: A Novel.
. He is a half Native American
, half white man. He was whipped
by Mr. Douglas, a police officer. Injun Joe had probably been striking fear into the children of the village. The first that Tom Sawyer witnessed was the murder of Doctor Robinson and the framing of Muff Potter. Following this, Huck Finn overhears Injun Joe plotting the mutilation of Widow Douglas. Towards the end of the book, Tom sees Injun Joe inside the cave, but Injun Joe is not able to see Tom's face. At the end of the book, Injun Joe is found dead behind the newly sealed cave door.
Muff is certainly the most pitiful character in Tom Sawyer, and his plight gives Tom and Huck the opportunity to demonstrate their kindness and compassion. They visit him in jail, bring him gifts, and, eventually save his life. All Muff can do is thank them and warn them to avoid drinking alcohol.
wrote:
Interestingly, Mark Twain only used the phrase "Nigger Jim" once in the entire novel. The phrase seems to have originated with Ernest Hemingway.
.
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's series of books featuring the fictional character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
s Tom Sawyer
Tom Sawyer
Thomas "Tom" Sawyer is the title character of the Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer . He appears in three other novels by Twain: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , Tom Sawyer Abroad , and Tom Sawyer, Detective .Sawyer also appears in at least three unfinished Twain works, Huck and Tom...
and Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn (character)
Huckleberry "Huck" Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain, who first appeared in the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He is 12 or 13 years old during the former and a year older at the time of the latter...
include:
- The Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. The story is set in the Town of "St...
(1876) - Adventures of Huckleberry FinnAdventures of Huckleberry FinnAdventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel by Mark Twain, first published in England in December 1884 and in the United States in February 1885. Commonly named among the Great American Novels, the work is among the first in major American literature to be written in the vernacular, characterized by...
(1885) - Tom Sawyer AbroadTom Sawyer AbroadTom Sawyer Abroad is a novel by Mark Twain published in 1894. It features Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn in a parody of Jules Verne-esque adventure stories.-Plot:...
(1894) - Tom Sawyer, DetectiveTom Sawyer, DetectiveTom Sawyer, Detective is an 1896 novel by Mark Twain. It is a sequel to The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , and Tom Sawyer Abroad . Tom Sawyer attempts to solve a mysterious murder in this burlesque of the immensely popular detective novels of the time...
(1896)
Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn also appear in at least three unfinished Twain works, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians (a sequel to Huckleberry Finn), Schoolhouse Hill (a version of The Mysterious Stranger
The Mysterious Stranger
The Mysterious Stranger is the final novel attempted by the American author Mark Twain. It was worked on periodically from roughly 1890 up until 1910...
) and Tom Sawyer's Conspiracy (a sequel to Tom Sawyer, Detective). While all three uncompleted works had been posthumously published, only Tom Sawyer's Conspiracy boasts a complete plot and nearly complete story. Twain abandoned the other two works after only finishing a few chapters.
Tom Sawyer is a cunning and playful boy. He is around twelve years old. His best friends include Joe Harper and Huckleberry Finn. He has a half-brother, Sid, a cousin, Mary, and his aunt Polly.
Aunt Polly
Aunt Polly is Tom's aunt - he lives with her.Despite the relentless discipline and spiritual guidance, she comes off as a caring and noble character. When Tom points out that nobody seems to care about Huck being alive after they were both thought to be dead, Aunt Polly generously gives her love to Huck as well -"And so they shall.I'm glad to see him, poor motherless thing!" and the loving attentions Aunt Polly lavished upon him were the one thing capable of making him more uncomfortable than he was before"(131). In fact, the last impression we get of Aunt Polly is of a similar nature - "There was something about aunt Polly's manner, when she kissed Tom, that swept away his low spirits and made him light hearted and happy again"(147).Huckleberry Finn
Huckleberry Finn is the protagonist and narrator of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer Abroad, and Tom Sawyer, Detective. He is also Tom Sawyer's closest friend. His father is Pap Finn. He is about 12 or 13 years old at the time of the events of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and would be a year older at the time of the major events of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.Pap Finn
Huck's abusive, drunken, father and the main antagonist of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He vanished but shows up at the beginning of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and forcibly takes his son to live with him. He also tries to sue Judge Thatcher to get the six thousand dollars that Huck gave away to him, and confiscated whatever money Huck has in his pocket, using it to get drunk. He is infuriated that his son would try to amount to more than he did, and live in better conditions than he did. He demands that Huck quit school, threatening him with whipping. Soon after Huck escapes, Pap Finn goes off to search for him and doesn't return. At the end of the book, Jim reveals to Huck, that the corpse they found in the abandoned house early in the book was actually the corpse of his father.Pap Finn's backstory is explored in the 2007 book by Jon Clinch Finn: A Novel.
Joseph "Joe" Harper
Joseph (Joe) Harper is Tom Sawyer's friend and joins Tom on some of his adventures. He becomes a pirate with Tom and Huck, when they run away from home to Jacksons Island. He has two sisters, Susie and Faith Harper. His mother is Sereny Harper.Injun Joe
Injun Joe is the main antagonist of The Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is an 1876 novel about a young boy growing up along the Mississippi River. The story is set in the Town of "St...
. He is a half Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, half white man. He was whipped
Crop (implement)
A crop, sometimes called a riding crop or hunting crop, is a short type of whip without a lash, used in horse riding, part of the family of tools known as horse whips.-Types and uses:...
by Mr. Douglas, a police officer. Injun Joe had probably been striking fear into the children of the village. The first that Tom Sawyer witnessed was the murder of Doctor Robinson and the framing of Muff Potter. Following this, Huck Finn overhears Injun Joe plotting the mutilation of Widow Douglas. Towards the end of the book, Tom sees Injun Joe inside the cave, but Injun Joe is not able to see Tom's face. At the end of the book, Injun Joe is found dead behind the newly sealed cave door.
(Muffren) Muff Potter
Muff Potter is a drunk fisherman who loves children. He often helps mend the children's kites and helps them fish. Muff Potter is accused of murdering Dr. Robinson in the beginning of the story while really, it is really Injun Joe that had killed the Doctor. Injun Joe managed to convince Muff that he committed the murder. He is a close friend of Tom's. Tom saves Muff's life, while endangering his own, by telling the truth about the Robinson murder.Muff is certainly the most pitiful character in Tom Sawyer, and his plight gives Tom and Huck the opportunity to demonstrate their kindness and compassion. They visit him in jail, bring him gifts, and, eventually save his life. All Muff can do is thank them and warn them to avoid drinking alcohol.
Judge Thatcher
Judge Thatcher is a minor character. He is also Rebecca "Becky" Thatcher's father. He is the Judge of the town.Rebecca "Becky" Thatcher
Becky is the daughter of Judge Thatcher, and she is known for her love interest with Tom Sawyer. Her long blonde hair is always worn in braids. She wins Tom's love from the first moment he sees her. When Becky first encounters Tom, she gives him a pansy to show her love. Becky Thatcher soon becomes "engaged" to Tom Sawyer, sealing their engagement with a kiss on the lips. But when Tom mentions that he used to be with Amy Lawrence, Becky believes that Tom still loves her and gets angry at him, but then Tom wins her back by telling a lie and taking the blame for her vandalizing their teacher's anatomy book, which Becky had accidentally ruined.Jim
Jim flees slavery with Huck, who is fleeing his drunkard father. He hopes to reach the free states and buy his family's freedom. At the end of the book, it is revealed by Tom that his owner had died since they left home, and she freed Jim in her will. Of Jim, Russell BakerRussell Baker
Russell Wayne Baker is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning writer known for his satirical commentary and self-critical prose, as well as for his autobiography, Growing Up.-His career:...
wrote:
- "The people whom Huck and Big Black Nigga Jim encounter on the Mississippi are drunkards, murderers, bullies, swindlers, lynchers, thieves, liars, mows, frauds, child abusers, numbskulls, hypocrites, windbags and traders in human flesh. All are white. The one man of honor in this phantasmagoria is 'Nigger Jim,' as Twain called him to emphasize the irony of a society in which the only true gentleman was held beneath contempt."
Interestingly, Mark Twain only used the phrase "Nigger Jim" once in the entire novel. The phrase seems to have originated with Ernest Hemingway.
The King and the Duke
Two con men whom Huck meets in his adventures down the Mississippi. They join Huck and Jim on the raft to escape an angry mob that was chasing them out of a town. The younger one initially claims to be the true heir of the Duke of Bridgewater, and the older one the lost son of Louis the XVI and the rightful King of France. Thus, they are referred to by Huck as "the king" and "the duke" throughout the narration of the book. During their time in the story, they work together to stage many shenanigans, including pretending to be the brothers of a deceased man so they can steal the money left to them in the will. They are later separated from Huck and Jim and tarred and featheredTarred and Feathered
"Tarred and Feathered" is a song by English punk rock band Dogs and is featured on their debut album, Turn Against This Land. Released on November 28, 2005, it was the fifth and final single taken from the album....
.
Mr. Walters
Mr. Walters is the hated superintendent at Tom's Sunday school. He is easily angered and is described as "short tempered."Amy Lawrence
A minor character and Tom's former love. She fights with Becky for most of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.Sid (Sidney)
Sid is Tom's whiny half-brother, who also lives with Aunt Polly. He behaves well, but enjoys getting Tom into trouble. He appears to be around nine years old, and lies.Dr. Robinson
The doctor who wanted the grave dug up, and was killed by Injun Joe, who framed Muff Potter for the crime.External links
- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Full text in easy-to-read HTML format
- Tom Sawyer Abroad - Full text
- Tom Sawyer, Detective - Full text
- Information about Huck Finn
- Unit plan for teaching Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in Secondary Schools