The Metamorphosis Of A Larva Into A Butterfly

The Metamorphosis Of a Larva into a Butterfly

“It is not a boy's book, at all. It will only be read by adults. It is only written for adults.”

-------- Mark Twain

1.The brief introduction about Mark Twain

Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Clemens---America's most famous literary icon----was born in the small town of Florida on Nov. 30, 1835. He is a mastermind of humor and realism, is seen as a giant in world literature. His humor had great impact on the following men of letters. "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", which is seen as one of his famous works, was written in 1876. The young protagonist of the novel, Tom Sawyer, is drawn from real life, but is a combination of the characteristics of three boys. Through Mark Twain’s vivid portrayal, he introduced the immortal character of Tom to the "Hall of Fame" of American literature.

2. Short Summary

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer centers on the youthful adventures of the young protagonist, Thomas Sawyer, who is bored with the monotonous school life and is always getting into mischief. He has a strong craving for adventure and also has a gift for active imagination. Therefore, many interesting, mysterious and unexpected experiences happen to him and his good friend, Huckleberry Finn.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is considered one of the greatest works of American literature not only because Mark Twain can portray the "idylls of childhood" in such a vivid and impressive way, but also because it reflects so perfectly the culture of mid-1800s America. In other words, these young children present an epitome of those American youth during the frontier period that came before Industrialization.

3. The Analysis of Tom Sawyer

1) His Intelligence Demonstrated in the Plots

(1) At the beginning of the novel, Tom successfully escapes Aunt Polly's beating by diverting her attention.

Analysis:

A vivid Tom Sawyer is so well represented before readers that we are immediately attracted by the lovely boy. Tom’s first impression leaves me thinking he is clever, irresponsible and fond of mischief. In a word, he is a typical mischievous imp.

(2) In the novel, the most impressive scene for me is the one in which Tom tricks the neighborhood boys into completing his entire chore. Tom pretends to love whitewashing and seemingly treasure the chance so much. Actually, he hasn’t enthusiasm for this work in the least. But what he has done takes effect soon: All the neighborhood boys beg Tom for the chance to whitewash in exchange for small trinkets. At last, Tom discovers a great law of human action that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain.

Analysis:

How dramatic the scene is! I appreciate this scene so much that I have read this part for not less than ten times. Especially the sentence that "Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?" made me break into a gentle laugh and even showed my admiration by pounding the table.

In my opinion, Tom is an extremely clever boy. The great law of human action which he has found is astounding for his young age. When he is playing, he is not only playing, but also makes the best use of his true intellect to analyze the character of his friends he has met. Moreover, he also takes stock of the situations around him and then makes decision. He can draw something useful from what he is doing, which is very uneasy even for the children now. In a word, blessed with full intellect, Tom is good at thinking and processes an incredible insight.

2) His Craving for attention

(1) Tom has trade his worldly possessions for the Bible given by the Sunday school, which only the most diligent students earned.

Tom always plays the game acting as a noble robber such as Robin Hood or a pirate with his friends.

Analysis:

From the portrayal above, Tom's craving for attention is well portrayed. He tries his best to trade for enough tickets not because he wants a Bible but because he wants the glory that comes with it. In an effort to gain even more glory and attention, he makes efforts to show off in any situation in order to reach what he calls "glory”.

Moreover, Robin Hood in Tom’s eyes is symbolic of the noblest thieves: Robin Hood protects the poor and only steals from those who do harm to the poor. Therefore, Robin Hood is loved by most people. Tom’s desire to be the image such as Robin Hood reflects he is obsessed with appearing noble and obtaining the envy of his peers. We can also see that Tom's aspiration is not to cause mischief, but to be a "noble" figure like Robin Hood. But in actuality, the only way Tom can gain attention is to behave badly.

(2) When Aunt Polly regards him by mistake as the trouble-maker for dropping the sugar-bowl onto the floor, and when knowing Tom was previously "engaged" to Amy Lawrence, Becky leaves him alone angrily, Tom feels unloved, heartbroken and enraged. At that time, the image of his death and funeral always haunts Tom. "Ah, if only I could die temporarily!" He always considers others’ reaction to the news that he is dead.

Analysis:

Does he really want to be dead? My answer is NO! From my perspective, his aim is to revenge. He wishes to make the people who care about him feel guilty for their "wrong-doings." His wish to "die temporarily" is a possibility, he thinks, that serves to raise his own self-esteem to a higher level.

In addition, it is also a manifestation of doubting his worth of existence. “Will anybody care when I am gone?” Actually, he knows he isn’t a good boy like Sid: He is not religious; he doesn’t do a good job at schoolwork; he constantly gets into mischief. But he will