He was appointed very deliberately by Judge Taylor to be Tom's lawyer. He stands for truth, no matter what the personal consequences. He stands for Christianity and truth when the rest cannot. The judge believed he would be too busy and too weak to defend Tom properly. He is the person to do this community's "dirty work."
He stands for truth, no matter what the personal consequences. He stands for Christianity and truth when the rest cannot. The judge believed he would be too busy and too weak to defend Tom properly. He is the person to do this community's "dirty work."
When Tom is called to the witness stand, we realize that Tom has revealed to Muff Potter's defense lawyer what he witnessed in the cemetery on the night of the murder. On the witness stand, in spite of the real danger to himself, Tom bravely tells the truth. This is his most mature, heroic, and courageous action.
A series of witnesses testifies to Potter’s peculiar behavior, and in each case Potter’s lawyer declines to cross-examine. Finally, Potter’s lawyer calls Tom Sawyer as a witness for the defense, much to everyone’s amazement. Tom, deeply frightened, takes the witness stand and tells the court what he saw that night.
Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Chapter Summary. Find summaries for every chapter, including a The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Chapter Summary Chart to help you understand the book.
A summary of Part X (Section1) in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
Interesting question! In the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyerby Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn witness a murder.Because the boys are afraid of the murderer, they make an oath with ...
From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the SparkNotes The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Study Guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays.
Chapter 1 Summary: The novel opens with Aunt Polly searching for Tom Sawyer, the young protagonist of the novel who, along with his younger brother Sidney, was sent to live in St. Petersburg, Missouri, after his mother's death.After hearing no answer to her calls, Polly finds Tom eating out of the jam closet. Tom escapes Aunt Polly's beating by diverting her attention, leading Polly into a ...
One morning, according to Graysmith, after a " momentous bender", Twain told his friend: "Tom, I'm going to write a book about a boy and ...
The pair met in the steam rooms in San Francisco in 1863, writes Robert Graysmith in the Smithsonian, where Sawyer recounted the incredible story of how he had saved dozens of people from a shipwrecked steamer off Baja California – a story close to Twain's heart as his brother had been killed by a steamboat explosion.
The "real" Tom Sawyer was a heavy-drinking firefighter and local hero whom Mark Twain befriended in the 1860s, according to new analysis by the Smithsonian magazine.
The belief that Twain named his character after his friend was never disputed while they were both alive. Graysmith also quotes a 1898 newspaper article in which Sawyer told a reporter about the influence he had had on Twain's most famous novel.
Muff Potter’s trial approaches, and Tom and Huck agonize about whether they should reveal what they know. They agree that Injun Joe would kill them, so they continue to help Potter in small ways, bringing him tobacco and matches and feeling guilty when he thanks them for their friendship. The trial finally arrives, and Injun Joe gives his account of the events. A series of witnesses testifies to Potter’s peculiar behavior, and in each case Potter’s lawyer declines to cross-examine. Finally, Potter’s lawyer calls Tom Sawyer as a witness for the defense, much to everyone’s amazement. Tom, deeply frightened, takes the witness stand and tells the court what he saw that night. When he reaches the point in the story where Injun Joe stabs the doctor, Injun Joe leaps from his seat, pulls free of everyone, and escapes through a window.
The animal claws at the air and yanks off Mr. Dobbins’s wig, revealing a bald head that the sign-painter’s boy gilded while Mr. Dobbins slept off a bout of drinking.
At the beginning of summer, Tom joins the Cadets of Temperance in order to wear one of their showy uniforms. Unfortunately, to join he must swear off smoking, tobacco chewing, and cursing—prohibitions that prove very difficult. He resolves to hang on until Judge Frazier, the justice of the peace, dies, because then he can wear his red sash in the public funeral. When the judge recovers, Tom resigns from the Cadets. The judge suffers a relapse and dies that night.
Dobbins is a prime example of an authority figure who, ironically, has no true authority, because he is clearly dissatisfied with who he is. Both Mr. Dobbins’s obsession with his anatomy textbook and his false hair manifest his desire to be something that he is not. Previous section Chapters 18–20 Next page Chapters 21–24 page 2.
A series of witnesses testifies to Potter’s peculiar behavior, and in each case Potter’s lawyer declines to cross-examine. Finally, Potter’s lawyer calls Tom Sawyer as a witness for the defense, much to everyone’s amazement.
Tom, deeply frightened, takes the witness stand and tells the court what he saw that night. When he reaches the point in the story where Injun Joe stabs the doctor, Injun Joe leaps from his seat, pulls free of everyone, and escapes through a window.
Tom was a glittering hero once more —the pet of the old, the envy of the young. . . . There were some that believed he would be President, yet, if he escaped hanging. Tom is acclaimed as a hero and enjoys the adulation and gratitude of Muff Potter and the rest of the town during the day.
They conceive of a wonderful plan, and they swear the sign-painter's boy into their plot because the schoolmaster boards at his father's house. The night set aside for a display of learning arrives, and the school hall is lavishly decorated. Everyone in the town is present.
Thus he is very liberal in the use of the rod and other punishments. He is very faithful in whipping the younger students vigorously, frequently, and effectively. The smaller boys rack their brains for some suitable revenge against Mr. Dobbins' excessive floggings.
Analysis—Chapters 18–20. In these chapters, Tom fluctuates between petty, immature behavior—lying to his aunt about his alleged dream and trying to make Becky jealous at the expense of Amy’s feelings—and nobler conduct—saving Becky from punishment. The fact that Tom’s story about his dream fools his aunt but not Sid may ironically indicate ...
The snubbing war between Tom and Becky forms a counterpart to the make-believe military battle fought between generals Tom and Joe early in the novel.
Until Tom takes Becky’s punishment, the two remain trapped in this cycle of nasty behavior. Tom’s act of self-sacrifice breaks the cycle and enables the pair to reunite.
Both characters, who vanish from the novel after Chapter 18 , remain tools. Not only are they tools for Tom and Becky in their love war, but they are also rather dull characters for Twain himself—he doesn’t even consider going beyond the letter “A” in giving them names. Mr.
In this chapter, however, we see Tom's moral integrity emerge. During the course of the trial, Tom sees justice being perverted, and he, of course, recognizes the evil--and guilt--of Injun Joe. Although he is still frightened to reveal the truth, Tom begins to change.
When Tom is called to the witness stand, we realize that Tom has revealed to Muff Potter's defense lawyer what he witnessed in the cemetery on the night of the murder. On the witness stand, in spite of the real danger to himself, Tom bravely tells the truth. This is his most mature, heroic, and courageous action.
Every report about the trial makes Tom shudder, and he finds Huck Finn in order to reassure himself that Huck has told no one. Huck tells Tom that he will tell only when he decides that he wants Injun Joe to drown him, for he knows that they will not be alive for two days if they reveal what they know.
The boys then swear again not to reveal the truth because the consequences of their telling would be tantamount to their own deaths. Tom and Huck discuss the rumors going about town and how it is obvious that Muff Potter will be convicted and executed.
When Tom reaches the climax of the story, Injun Joe jumps through the courthouse window and escapes. Upon Tom's revelation, the fickle town, which had openly condemned Muff Potter, now takes him "to its bosom.". Once more, Tom is the "glittering hero" and the envy of every boy in the village. While Tom's days are ones of exultation ...
When they recall all of the little things that Muff has done for them, their consciences are aroused, and they conclude that actually Muff is a simple, harmless person who would never hurt anyone.
The trial scene is presented almost entirely from Tom's point of view. Through his eyes, we see Muff Potter as pale, weak, haggard, and hopeless. In fact, Tom had considered helping Muff escape, but he knows it would be useless because the man is too incompetent and would be caught immediately.