Tom Sawyer Ap Language Essay

Soryu Vetrini Mr. Connolly AP Language and Composition 15 March 2024.

Tom Sawyer: The Gateway Drug to Incompetence Huckleberry Finn, in paintings by Norman Rockwell and Fred Collins depicting his journey, is often seen indulging in his main drug: his best friend, Tom Sawyer. Though often depicted smoking his pipe, the real drug that hampens Huck’s life from growth is Tom Sawyer and his irresistible charm and antics. He runs away from a barbaric “sivilized” society that considers African Americans like Jim as nothing but chattel. Despite this, as Huck continues down the stream of freedom through the Mississippi River, he embarks on not only Jim’s journey to get his family back, but a journey where he grows as a person as well. Twain signifies

Despite the long journey on the Mississippi and overall growth as a person, Huck relapses again once he meets with his drug Tom Sawyer, regressing all the progress he had made from detoxing from Tom. All the progress he made as a person best signified through his respect for Jim evaporates and returns Huck to his initial immature self due to Tom’s influence. Huck’s actions before leaving the Mississippi demonstrates how he has not purged Tom’s influence on him yet. Huckleberry (Huck) Finn, a 13 year old boy living in Petersburg, Missouri, is seemingly obsessed with Tom Sawyer before he embarks on a journey to run away. They play as robbers with wild imagination, defying reality much like the idealistic and yet mad Spanish knight Don Quixote would to have more fun by terrorizing other people in town, thus showing a lack of empathy and immaturity. While playing around with Tom is fun for a while, an inkling of belief that these activities are too childish for Huck seeps through, lending Huck to abandon these behaviors for the time being. With the added catalyst of getting away from his drunkard father, Huck runs away, where he eventually meets Jim: a runaway slave. Like Huck, Jim

As Canadian journalist Craig Taylor writes, “Huck manages to do the morally right thing despite what his conscience, a conscience distorted by racism, tells him he ought to do.” (Taylor) Huck’s actions mark a step forward from his earlier immaturity and lack of respect towards Jim where he would prank him without thinking about Jim’s feelings. By prioritizing his moral conscience over the expectations of a flawed society, Huck demonstrates a newfound sense of empathy, showing growth from his previous attitudes and actions. Huck's actions symbolize his evolution into a more mature and morally principled individual, willing to stand up for what he believes is right regardless of the consequences. Despite the growth that Huck demonstrates through his actions, Huck regresses to his immature self when he encounters Tom again. As Jim is captured and in need of his new friend, Huck decides to follow Tom’s immature plan to save Jim from captivity. The plan was so ridiculous that “[they] got [...] Jim to raise his bed up and [slide] the chain off of the bed-leg, and wrap it round and round his neck, and crawl out through their hole” (Twain 262). They then proceed to get Jim, who is now no longer confined to the chains that had