TheKaitlynBlog

Mark Twain

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“Little wonder that Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher, Aunt Polly and Injun Joe have been elevated to the status of icons of American literature and culture. Who among us, as playful children, did not scramble over a fallen down tree pretending to be swashbuckling captains of an English privateer scanning the Spanish Main for easy pirate loot? Who among us does not recall the first embarrassing onset of puppy love for a young girl in our class and the steadfast internal decision to not let our young male friends know about any such foolish feelings? Who among us does not recall playing hookey for a day, laying in a sunlit field staring at the moving clouds with a blade of grass between our teeth? Who among us does not recall running away from the yoke of parental supervision and realizing, probably within the hour, how lonely and frightened we really were? Who among us does not recall swearing blood oaths of eternal friendship with our closest mates and swearing to keep secrets even under pain of the direst torture? Who among us cannot recall the trepidation and almost overwhelming fear of overhearing an adult conversation to which we were not supposed to be privy? Who among us does not recall ever escalating games of “dare ya!” and “double dare ya!”?” – Paul Weiss.

My earliest recollection of Tom Sawyer comes from growing up on MGM Animation’s Tom Sawyer in the 2000s. This film is now a nostalgic experience for me and when I finally got ahold of the book, life as I knew it changed.

Tom Sawyer has been in my life since I can remember. I loved being able to read it for my English degree, as it felt like a peak in intellect and reading. So despite knowing the story front-to-back, it’s a story I always get lost in and have loved its humor, characters, and plot with every re-read.

There are few books and stories as memorable and timeless as Tom Sawyer and his rebellious and troublemaking manner. Twain’s story is witty, funny, and a tribute to the charm and adventure of boyhood.