To most, wisdom and maturity rarely are the product of age, but of experience. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, the age of the protagonist, Tom Sawyer, purposely remains unknown to readers. The inexperienced Tom Sawyer commits many childish mistakes during perilous adventures, though, appears to develop a sense of right and wrong as he learns them. Tom’s often dangerous adventures shape and illustrate his growth from a mischievous young boy to a mature member of society.
When the novel begins, Tom hides crucial evidence concerning an innocent man’s life, however, comes to realize that “death is no child’s game.” Dangerously venturing at night to the St. Petersburg, Missouri graveyard, Tom witnesses Injun Joe, the local “vagabond,”…show more content… His heroic efforts makes him a responsible, respectable and a courageous young person. Initially, however, Tom impulsively enters the McDougall Cave, because “the ambition to be a discoverer [had] seized him.” (Twain, 211) Due to his childish love of adventures, Tom believes that he can navigate successfully through the “danger of this conduct.” He ultimately understands the risk, though, immaturely aims to impress Becky. As a result, their chances of survival becomes slim as their food supply and candle light begins to quickly diminish. Fighting for survival, Tom and Becky continue starving in the darkness for three days. To comfort her, “Tom [kisses Becky], with a choking sensation in his throat, and made a show of being confident of finding an escape from the cave.” (Twain, 218) Here, Tom empathizes with Becky, learning his fault in Becky “misery”, and immediately prioritizes her welfare. Despite his unwise judgement, hunger and fear, Tom recognizes that “death is no child’s game.” Consequently, his sudden confidence and adult-like actions taken to “find an escape from the cave,” ends triumphantly. To that, “Judge Thatcher had conceived a great opinion of Tom. He said that no commonplace boy would ever have got his daughter out of the cave.” (Twain, 239) Once Tom overcomes the cave…show more content… Prior to Tom’s mysterious disappearance, he despises Aunt Polly’s constant scolding and the insufficient attention from his beloved, Becky Thatcher. Tom childishly claims that “nobody loves him” and runs away, informing no one. He “[blubbers] out something about a resolution to escape from lack of sympathy at home by roaming abroad into the great world never to return.” (Twain, 92-93) Back at home, Aunt Polly worries that Tom is dead as her nephew is alone, and unsafe. Here, Tom overreacts and shows little concern to his family with the diction of “never to return.” His anger and impulsiveness leads to a dangerous, irrational decision, one that can cause death. Though, when Tom returns one night and observes the painful state Aunt Polly is in, he “was sufficiently touched by his aunt’s grief too long to rush out from under the bed and overwhelm her with joy.” (Twain, 109) Clearly, Tom feels guilty for subjecting Aunt Polly to stress. This understanding shows Tom maturing because he now realizes that coming home will relieve Aunt Polly’s “miseries”. Upon his arrival, Aunt Polly is upset over his “selfishness,” however, Tom proves to have an understanding to her melancholic state through a letter written on bark. She shouts, “You never think of anything but your own selfishness…you couldn’t ever think to pity us and save us from sorrow…” to