The four main stories in the novel are the following: 1) Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher’s relationship. 2) The episode on Jackson’s Island and its results. 3) The Murder Plot. 4) The search and discovery of buried treasure.
1. Using these episodes, discuss Tom’s development from the beginning of each episode and his maturity at the end of each episode.
2. Using the four main stories as your starting point, point out the similarities in each episode and how each is related to the others: Choose various episodes, such as “Whitewashing the Fence” or “Mr. Dobbins’ Golden Dome,” and show how each episode relates to one of the major episodes. Essentially what is Twain’s purpose in introducing incidents which do not necessarily contribute to the main stories.
3. Assume that 10 years have passed since the final action in the novel. Describe the adults Tom and Huck would have grown into.
