The Wise Ways of a Child

A person’s exterior can be deceiving, don’t judge a book by it’s cover as they say. Some people hide their true nature, either because they are embarrassed of it or they feel they don’t need it. Tom Sawyer is a fine example of that, his exterior emanates trickery, adventure, and silliness, but behind all that is a base of knowledge. Ignoring your greatest skills may prevent success, but those who try anyway are truly determined.

In the town Tom lives in, he is known as a very rambunctious child. He is looked down upon by adults because he is known to cheat and con. What few people really know is that Tom is very bright. As I began to read this novel, I disliked Tom for treating his family and friends as a device to move himself forward in the world. Now I understand how wise that can be. Naming his friends as pirates from all the novels he read gave me a clue this boy was well educated. The Whitewashing scene was not only shows that Tom is a con-man, but he is smart about getting what he wants. To many, walking into your own funeral is a stupid thing to do, it is basically getting caught, but not to Tom. To him it was the perfect way to let everyone in on his scheme, and not get in trouble!

This book is peppered with wise thoughts from Tom, thoughts that seem too mature for his age. Tom could easily base his life on academics, moving up in the world quickly, just like he wants, but that is not his way. This can only be expected from children, but there is something different with Tom. He is stuck in the middle of innocence and experience, behaving like a child, but possessing the wisdom of someone much older. The strangest thing is the way Tom buries this knowledge inside of him, only letting it come out for all the wrong reasons. Growing up can change the way a person sees things, and maybe Tom will realize his potential that has been inside of him all along.