List of Tom Sawyer characters

Mark Twain's series of books featuring the fictional characters Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn include:

1. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)
2. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885)
3. Tom Sawyer Abroad (1894)
4. Tom Sawyer, Detective (1896)

Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn also appear in at least three unfinished Twain works, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer Among the Indians (a sequel to Huckleberry Finn), Schoolhouse Hill (a version of The Mysterious Stranger) and Tom Sawyer's Conspiracy (a sequel to Tom Sawyer, Detective). While all three uncompleted works had been posthumously published, only Tom Sawyer's Conspiracy boasts a complete plot and nearly complete story. Twain abandoned the other two works after only finishing a few chapters.

Tom Sawyer is a cunning and playful boy. He is around twelve years old. His best friends include Joe Harper and Huckleberry Finn. He has a half-brother, Sid, a cousin, Mary, and his aunt Polly.

LEEEEROOOOYYYY JENKINNS!!!

Aunt Polly is Tom's aunt - he lives with her. Despite the relentless discipline and spiritual guidance, she comes off as a caring and noble character. When Tom points out that nobody seems to care about Huck being alive after they were both thought to be dead, Aunt Polly generously gives her love to Huck as well -"And so they shall.I'm glad to see him, poor motherless thing!" and the loving attentions Aunt Polly lavished upon him were the one thing capable of making him more uncomfortable than he was before"(131). In fact, the last impression we get of Aunt Polly is of a similar nature - "There was something about aunt Polly's manner, when she kissed Tom, that swept away his low spirits and made him light hearted and happy again"(147).

Huckleberry Finn

Main article: Huckleberry Finn (character)

Huckleberry Finn is the protagonist and narrator of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer Abroad, and Tom Sawyer, Detective. He is also Tom Sawyer's closest friend. His father is Pap Finn. He is about 12 or 13 years old at the time of the events of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and would be a year older at the time of the major events of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Pap Finn

Huck's abusive, drunken, father and the main antagonist of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. He vanished but shows up at the beginning of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and forcibly takes his son to live with him. He also tries to sue Judge Thatcher to get the six thousand dollars that Huck gave away to him, and confiscated whatever money Huck has in his pocket, using it to get drunk. He is infuriated that his son would try to amount to more than he did, and live in better conditions than he did. He demands that Huck quit school, threatening him with whipping. Soon after Huck escapes, Pap Finn goes off to search for him and doesn't return. At the end of the book, Jim reveals to Huck, that the corpse they found in the abandoned house early in the book was actually the corpse of his father. Pap Finn's backstory is explored in the 2007 book by Jon Clinch Finn: A Novel.

Joseph "Joe" Harper

Joseph (Joe) Harper is Tom Sawyer's friend and joins Tom on some of his adventures. He becomes a pirate with Tom and Huck, when they run away from home to Jacksons Island. He has two sisters, Susie and Faith Harper. His mother is Sereny Harper.

Injun Joe

Injun Joe is the main antagonist of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He is a half Native American, half white man. He was whipped by Mr. Douglas, a police officer. Injun Joe had probably been striking fear into the children of the village. The first that Tom Sawyer witnessed was the murder of Doctor Robinson and the framing of Muff Potter. Following this, Huck Finn overhears Injun Joe plotting the mutilation of Widow Douglas. Towards the end of the book, Tom sees Injun Joe inside the cave, but he is not able to see Tom's face. At the end of the book, Injun Joe is found dead behind the newly sealed cave door.

(Muffren) Muff Potter

Muff Potter is a drunk fisherman who loves children. He often helps mend the children's kites and helps them fish. Muff Potter is accused of murdering Dr. Robinson in the beginning of the story while really, it is really Injun Joe that had killed the Doctor. Injun Joe managed to convince Muff that he committed the murder. He is a close friend of Tom's. Tom saves Muff's life, while endangering his own, by telling the truth about the Robinson murder. Muff is certainly the most pitiful character in Tom Sawyer, and his plight gives Tom and Huck the opportunity to demonstrate their kindness and compassion. They visit him in jail, bring him gifts, and, eventually save his life. All Muff can do is thank them and warn them to avoid drinking alcohol.

Judge Thatcher

Judge Thatcher is a minor character. He is also Rebecca "Becky" Thatcher's father. He is the Judge of the town.

Rebecca "Becky" Thatcher

Becky is the daughter of Judge Thatcher, and she is known for her love interest with Tom Sawyer. Her long blonde hair is always worn in braids. She wins Tom's love from the first moment he sees her. When Becky first encounters Tom, she gives him a pansy to show her love. Becky Thatcher soon becomes "engaged" to Tom Sawyer, sealing their engagement with a kiss on the lips. When Tom mentions that he used to be with Amy Lawrence, Becky believes that Tom still loves her and gets angry at him. Tom wins her back by telling a lie and taking the blame for her vandalizing their teacher's anatomy book, which Becky had accidentally ruined.

Jim

Jim flees slavery with Huck, who is fleeing his drunkard father. He hopes to reach the free states and buy his family's freedom. At the end of the book, it is revealed by Tom that his owner had died since they left home, and she freed Jim in her will. Of Jim, Russell Baker wrote:

"The people whom Huck and Jim encounter on the Mississippi are drunkards, murderers, bullies, swindlers, lynchers, thieves, liars, mows, frauds, child abusers, numbskulls, hypocrites, windbags and traders in human flesh. All are white. The one man of honor in this phantasmagoria is 'Nigger Jim,' as Twain called him to emphasize the irony of a society in which the only true gentleman was held beneath contempt."

The King and the Duke

Two con men whom Huck meets in his adventures down the Mississippi. They join Huck and Jim on the raft to escape an angry mob that was chasing them out of a town. The younger one initially claims to be the true heir of the Duke of Bridgewater, and the older one the lost son of Louis the XVI and the rightful King of France. Thus, they are referred to by Huck as "the king" and "the duke" throughout the narration of the book. During their time in the story, they work together to stage many shenanigans, including pretending to be the brothers of a deceased man so they can steal the money left to them in the will. They are later separated from Huck and Jim and tarred and feathered.

Mr. Walters

Mr. Walters is the hated superintendent at Tom's Sunday school. He is easily angered and is described as "short tempered."

Amy Lawrence

A minor character and Tom's former love. She fights with Becky for most of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Sid (Sidney)

Sid is Tom's whiny half-brother, who also lives with Aunt Polly. He behaves well, but enjoys getting Tom into trouble. He appears to be around nine years old, and lies.

Dr. Robinson

The doctor who wanted the grave dug up. He was subsequently killed by Injun Joe, who framed Muff Potter for the crime.

Ben Rogers

Another kid. Tom's age. In chapter 2, Tom convinced him into whitewashing the fence for him.

References

Ben Rogers- Another kid. Tom's age that Tom tricks into whitewashing the fence in chapter 2.

External links

• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Full text in easy-to-read HTML format
• Tom Sawyer Abroad - Full text
• Tom Sawyer, Detective - Full text
• Information about Huck Finn
• Unit plan for teaching Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in Secondary Schools