Chapter 15 presents Tom's journey back to the village. The fact that it takes all night and is physically an arduous trip suggests something of Tom's physical maturity and his mature ability to undertake such a venture. The main import of the chapter is Tom's overhearing Aunt Polly and Mrs. Harper discuss his and Joe's disappearance along with Mary's good words and Sid's attempts to say something negative. Hearing himself praised as being a basically good but mischievous person, Tom "began to have a nobler opinion of himself." He wants to reveal himself but "the theatrical gorgeousness of the thing appealed to him." As the scene continues, Tom is emotionally drained by Aunt Polly's grief, but he still constrains himself.
In this scene, Twain has Tom hide in order to overhear a conversation about himself. This technique was often used in dramas at the time. Traditionally, the character would hide behind a screen and listen to the conversations of others; hence, such scenes were called "screen scenes." Chapter 15 fits into this category.
Tom's concern and love for his Aunt Polly is seen in the fact that he makes the trip into the village to leave her a note telling her that he is safe. His love for the theatrical, however, and his anticipation of his dramatic return to life, overshadow the more humane concerns for her grief. Here, the thoughtlessness of youth and Tom's selfish desire for amusement at the expense of the genuine grief of his Aunt Polly are difficult to understand.
