Theme Of Tragedy In The Adventure Of Tom Sawyer

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Recommended: A Literary Analysis of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

“Then he (Injun Joe) put the fatal knife in Potter's open right hand, and sat down on the dismantled coffin. Three -- four -- five minutes passed, and then Potter began to stir and moan. His hand closed upon the knife; he raised it, glanced at it, and let it fall, with a shudder. Then he sat up, pushing the body from him, and gazed at it, and then around him, confusedly. His eyes met Joe's.” (9.53).
In this Quotation from the novel– The Adventure of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain compared two characters– the protagonist– Tom Sawyer and the antagonist– Injun Joe. In order to show the similarities in these two characters within the acts they commit, while demonstrating the negative effects on each individual characters through the act of guilt on Tom Sawyer.
The theme of guilt found within the novel is shown through these two characters, due to the fact that their actions are comparatively similar– yet different in intensions. The effect on each character is shown differently, because Tom Sawyer feels the guilt that he was present when that act of guilt was happening, though Injun Joe is the killer and feels no guilt. The purpose of this quote occurs when the meeting eyes of these two characters is ironic that both perform similar deeds but with different motives. The imagery here shows the Antagonist part of Injun Joe. The meeting of the eyes in the graveyard foreshadows that later in the novel they will meet again in the court, and since Tom was the witness, his guilt will lead him to confess about the murder done by Injun Joe.
The imaginative protagonist Tom Sawyer shows various dynamic characteristics throughout the novel. As his character travels throughout the book, he lands in several tough situations which he ends up escaping, bu...

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... the situation increases when Tom was looking for a way out of the cave, and he saw Injun Joe– Joe was using the cave to hide. Ironically, when the searchers gave up, Tom fined the way out of the cave. The town of St. Petersburg celebrates, and Becky’s father, Judge Thatcher, locks up the cave. Injun Joe, got trapped inside, and get starve to death.
About a week later, Tom takes Huck to the cave and they find the box of gold coins. When Huck's bravery is revealed, the Widow tells the people of St. Petersburg that she is adopting and will be taking care of Huck from now on. Tom runs and gets the money and splits it in to two shares, and both Tom and Huck receive a considerable prize as a result. Huck soon got adjusted living with the Widow, but Tom convinces him and supported him living with her. Despite of all the complications, this novel ends with a happy ending.

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