Detailed Tom Sawyer Summary

Tom Sawyer is a mischievous boy who starts out the story by skipping school to swim. Tom almost gets away with it, but his half-brother, Sid, points out that the collar of his shirt is sewn in a different color. On Saturday, Tom is given the chore of whitewashing a long fence, 2 coats. Tome tells other boys passing by that it is fun. They become jealous of his job and "pay" him in various things such as marbles and such to paint. Tom tells Aunt Polly that it is done. She doesn't believe it is true. She is very astonished that it actually is done and gives Tom a treat. He runs off and sees a girl outside that he immediately falls "in love" with. He hangs around her house all day until nightfall "showing off." She throws him a flower. He wears it in his shirt with him everywhere. At dinnertime, Tom gets disciplined for stealing sugar. Sid laughs at Tom for this, and when Aunt Polly leaves he reaches for the sugar and breaks the bowl. Aunt Polly yells at Tom for this. Tom pouts and makes Aunt Polly feel bad for him. Tom wandered to his unknown love's house, then climbs in the window late at night. At Sunday school the next day, Tom "buys" scripture tickets from all the boys that are used to get a Bible. Before Tom receives him Bible, he is asked to name the first 2 apostles appointed. He says "David and Goliath." Of course, he is discipled. During church, Tom releases a pinch-bug. A dog comes and plays with it. Tom and other people in the congregation are glad for the distraction. Tom gets upset though when the dog carries off the pinch-bug. On Monday, Tom doesn't want to go to school, she he works on faking sickness. He complains of a toothache. Aunt Polly pulls his tooth out, and he still has to go to school. Before school begins, Tom has a short conversation outside with Huckleberry Finn, the son of the town drunkard. They agree upon a rendezvous in the graveyard late that night in order to try out a wart removing system. When Tom arrives late to class, he gets disciplined for hanging out with Huck and being tardy. He is told to sit by the girls, which he is very pleased about because he is told to sit next to Becky Thacker, the girl who he is supposedly in love with. He writes to her that he loves her, and he draws pictures for her. After school, he becomes "engaged" to Becky, in which they both say they love each other and kiss. He accidentally mentions a previous "engagement" to Amy Lawrence. Becky gets very upset and ignores Tom. Tom becomes very melancholy and lonely. He decides he wants to become a pirate. He then finds his friend Joe Harper and they play pirate games. Later that night, Tom and Huck go to the graveyard. While they are there, they see three grave robbers: Injun Joe, Muff Potter, and Dr. Robinson. Injun Joe kills the Doctor, but then makes Muff believe that he did it. Muff believes him because he is almost always drunk and didn't remember it happening otherwise. The two boys are completely terrified. They run off and make an oath to each other never to tell anyone about the events they saw. They hear a dog howling next to Muff Potter, and have a superstition that a howling dog at midnight means that that person is going to die. People in the town believe Potter to be the killer. He claims that he didn't kill the Doctor. Injun Joe admits to the grave robbery. Everyone in town wants to persecute him for it, but everyone is too afraid to lead the persecution. The incident disturbs Tom for a long time. Finally, Aunt Polly finds a solution for Tom's depression. She gives him painkiller, and it helps tremendously. For a while Becky had been home from school sick. When she came back, Tom was "showing off" for her. She completely blew him off. Tom decides to run off and become a pirate with Joe and Huck. That night, they all go off to an island to become pirates. For a while, they enjoy their freedom. They see people on the shore looking for them. One night, Tom secretly visits his home. He sees Aunt Polly and Mrs. Harper crying over they boys. When Aunt Polly is sleeping, Tom gives her a kiss, and then leaves back to the island. Joe and Huck with to leave the island, but Tom tells them something that makes them stay. They all smoke, but Joe and Tom get sick. They continue to enjoy piracy. The three boys reappear in town on Sunday, at their own funeral sermon. They are happily greeted. At school, Tom ignores Becky, and then Becky ignores Tom. One of the schoolboys hates Tom because Becky used him to get to Tom. The schoolboy is so angry that he pours ink on Tom's spelling book. Becky sees the boy do this, and was going to tell Tom, but decides not to, because she wants to let Tom get his punishment. At home, Tom tells Aunt Polly, Mary, and Sid that he had a dream, which was actually what he saw when he visited home when he was a "pirate." Aunt Polly finds out from Mrs. Harper that it wasn't a dream. She forgives Tom though. Tom tells her that he did kiss her though, and this makes her very happy and joyful.

At school, Tom sees Becky accidentally rip the schoolmaster's book. She is terrified of getting punished. When school starts, Tom gets whipped for having in on his spelling book. When the schoolmaster asks who ripped his book, Tom tells the master that he did it. He gets severely punished, but he and Becky again become good friends. School ends for the year and it is now summertime.

Tom gets the measles at the first of the summer, and is very miserable and depressed. After three weeks, he is finally better. The trial for Muff Potter is held. Many testify against him. Tom is called to the stand. He tells