Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer?

Question

Is Tom Sawyer a real person or just a made-up figure?

Answer 1

He was a composite of Samuel Clemens' own self and that of friends who he grew up with.

Most characters in novels, are reflections of different components of humans or humankind, referred to as archtetypes by Carl Jung.

In answer to your question: fiction (made-up).

Answer 2

Tom Sawyer was a fictional character, but based on Mark Twain's boyhood experiences. Here is a good source: http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/tomsawyer/about.html

Answer 3

He's a fictional character. However, some of his experiences were based on the life of the author, Mark Twain.

Answer 4

The book is fiction. The character Tom Sawyer is as well. Basically no, he is not real.

Answer 5

Although Samuel Clements drew from his past experience, the characters that he portrayed in his books reflect the satire of the events and social morays of the day. They were not real warm blooded, air breathing people.

Answer 6

Yes.........like toad said.....he is a character from a novel by Mark Twain. So is Huckleberry Finn.

Answer 7

work of fiction

Tom Sawyer is the title character of the Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

As the title of the novel suggests, Tom Sawyer is the central character of the novel. Tom appears in almost every scene as the chief character. The one major exception occurs when Tom and Becky are lost in McDougal’s Cave and the focus of the novel switches to Huck Finn’s search for Injun Joe.

Central to Tom’s character is his age. Twain deliberately did not specify his age. For many readers, Tom’s age fluctuates from scene to scene. Most readers like to view Tom’s age as approaching puberty—around eleven or twelve years old. If he were younger, he would not be so interested in Becky Thatcher. His fondness for Becky, while still marked by his youth (turning somersaults and otherwise acting foolish to get her attention, passing “love notes” back and forth in school, and so on), exhibits a caring and maturity that goes beyond only “puppy love.” Consider, for example, his protective attitude toward her when he took the blame and punishment for her and how he cared for her in the cave episode.

Tom’s character is a dynamic one, that is he moves from enjoyment in the most famous of boyhood games—playing “Indians and Chiefs,” pretending to be Robin Hood, and so on—to actions that require a high degree of moral integrity. Consider, for example, his highly moral decision to break the boyish oath he took and to reveal Injun Joe’s guilt in murdering Dr. Robinson—an act that freed an innocent man and placed Tom, himself, in jeopardy.

If we view Tom Sawyer simply as a boyhood adventure story, then we must assume that Twain viewed Tom erratically and used many episodes from his own youth at different times over a long period of time. Thus we have two Toms: one who plays boyish pranks on his Aunt Polly—“hooking” an apple or doughnut when she is not looking, teasing her, and finding ways to get around her—and one who has the maturity to save an innocent man and protect a frightened girl.

However, if we view Tom Sawyer as a tale of maturing, a bildungsroman—a novel whose principal subject is the moral, psychological, and intellectual development of a youthful main character—then we don’t see two Tom’s but one who, through his experiences, matures as a young man. Most readers then choose to see Tom as a dynamic character who occasionally reverts to childish pranks, but one who essentially moves from early childish endeavors and, when called upon to do so, matures to the point where he can make highly moral decisions and commitments, as he did in revealing Injun Joe’s guilt and in protecting Becky while lost in the cave.


The name may also refer to:
Film adaptations of the novel
Tom Sawyer, a 1907 silent film produced by Kalem Studios
Tom Sawyer, a 1930 film starring Jackie Coogan as Tom
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938 film), a 1938 film featuring Walter Brennan in a major supporting role as Muff Potter. The first Technicolor film version of a Mark Twain novel.
Tom Sawyer, a 1973 musical film in which Jodie Foster appeared
Tom Sawyer, a different 1973 film in which Buddy Ebsen appeared
Tom and Huck, a 1995 film starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Brad Renfro
Tom Sawyer, an animated film made in 2000 that featured anthropomorphic animal characters
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (2001 Broadway Musical), a two-act Broadway musical written by Ken Ludwig and composed by Don Schlitz
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (film) featured a dramatically different version of the Tom Sawyer character, portrayed by Shane West. In this adaptation, Sawyer is portrayed as having grown up to become a government agent embittered over the loss of his friend and fellow agent Huck Finn (In "behind the scenes" footage contained on the DVD release of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen the writers tell of Sawyer's depiction as a detective in some later Twain novels, notably, Tom Sawyer, Detective as the inspiration for this character's outline). He is taught how to hit targets at a great distance by Allan Quatermain, and develops feelings for Mina Harker, which it is hinted may be reciprocated. The comic version of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" did not feature this character.
Tom Sawyer no Boken, a 1980 cartoon by Nippon Animation Co, Meisaku and WMT.

Answer 8

authors characterization

Answer 9

He was BRAIN CHILD.