《汤姆•索亚历险记》中顽童的成长与转变（英文）

摘 要

《汤姆•索亚历险记》作为19世纪最具影响力的作品之一，在读者心中占据着重要的文学作品地位。马克•吐温用部分童年的记忆和小说特有的写作技巧来呈现顽童汤姆的形象。通过一系列的冒险经历，汤姆•索亚从最初的顽皮捣蛋到最后的勇敢。少年的自我意识在逐渐成熟。顽童最终实现身心灵的成长变化，更加顽强，善良地返回到现实生活中去。

为了更深入了解顽童形象成长的成因，论文首先以主人公汤姆为例，分析他身处不同环境中的举止言行。通过个性发展，情感态度转变以及人生理想追求三个角度，逐步发现顽童的变化。其次论文就环境因素展开探讨，分析顽童成长成熟的原因。顽童在特定的环境下能够逐渐转变，通过对客观世界的适应，能够逐步调整心态。同时，自我意识的苏醒使得顽童最终确定了成长转变的步伐。

研究顽童成长的问题有助于我们了解顽童形象的内涵。发现顽童的特别之处，鼓励他们了解自己。本文在站在儿童本位的角度来探究顽童成长和转变，具有一定的创新意义。

关键字：顽童；成长转变

The Growth and Transformation of Naughty Boys in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Abstract

As one of the most influential works in the 19th century, The Adventures of Tom Sawyeroccupies an important literary position in readers’ minds.Mark Twain usessome childhood memories and novel-specific writing skills to present the image of naughty Tom. Through a series of adventures, Tom Sawyer growsfrom naughty to the finalbrave. The self-consciousness of teenagers is gradually maturing. The naughty boy eventually realizes the growth and change of the body and mind, and returns to real life kindly and tenaciously.

To further understand the causes of the growth of the image of naughty children, the paperfirst takes the protagonist Tom as an example to analyze his behaviorsin different environments. Through the three aspectsof the development of personality, emotional attitude change and the pursuit of life ideal, it can be gradually found the change of naughty boys. Besides, the paper discusses the environmental factors and analyzes the reasons for the growth and maturity of urchins. Naughty boys can gradually change under certain circumstancesandadjust their mentality by adapting to the objective world.At the same time, the awakening of self-consciousness makes the urchins finally determine the stepof growth and transformation.

Studying the problem of the growth of naughty children helps us to discover the connotation of the image of naughty childrenand findthe peculiarities of naughty childrentoencouragethem to understand themselves. The paperexplores the growth and transformation of naughty children from a child-oriented perspective,which hasa certain innovative significance.

Keywords: naughtychildren; growth; transformation

1. Introduction

1.1 Background Information

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the representative works of Mark Twain in the late 19th century. Tomis a typical image of an American boy, pursuingfreedom and takingrisks. The protagonistis created by Mark Twain to subvert the perception of people in children’s literature at that time. The naughty boyis notonly humorousin words, but also rebellious in behaviors. Forexample, he despises one who iscalled“good child”by adults. In all sorts of hismischiefand adventures, the only purpose is to be recognized as a hero. Most peoplehave the stereotype on naughty children.Even they are often not accepted by traditional educatorsormisunderstood by society. Therefore, the creation and appreciation of naughty children are neglected to some extent, lacking relevant theoretical researches. Mark Twain createsThe Adventures of Tom Sawyeragainst the background in the great monopoly of American capitalist economy, which is of profound historical significance. He condenseshis childhood experience into the novelandinjectshis own thoughts, combiningmicrocosm of the times. It breaksaway from the vulgar style of children’s memories and is full of the vitality. Fromcontrast and hyperbole, the novel satirizes the vulgarityandconservatism of the citizens and the hypocrisy of bourgeoisie. From the adventures of the protagonist, the author criticizes the social customs, hypocritical religious ceremonies and the stereotyped school education in the United States, describing the free and lively minds of children in a cheerful tone.

1.1.1 Purpose and Significance

Naughty boy is the most typical character in children’s literature.The naughty childis a child who lovesand yearnsfor freedom. Naughtyrefers to childrenplayingin the game and showingtheirinnate desire for freedomandunrestrained natural instincts. It reflects the impulse of children’s life and is the release form of children’s psychological and physical energy. The opposite of the urchin is the clever obedient children, they are quiet and gentle. Therefore, urchins are traditionally regarded as naughty and undisciplined children. In fact, naughty childrenare neither the problem nor the bad one, but full of the spirit of games. They are alternative characters which are different from orthodox good children in children’s literature.The naughty boy is the protagonist of the game and the spokesman of the spirit of the game.

In the children’s literature, itis accustomed to thinkingonly the children in need of education, and only to regard education as children’s education, while to ignore the usagefor educating the adults themselves. Due to most of the domestic and foreign scholars’ researcheson The Adventures of Tom Sawyerin translation, character image analysis, text writing and aesthetic appeal, but the psychological activities, personality analysis or behavior characteristics of the characters in the novel are slightly inadequate.The papertakes the personality characteristics of naughty children as the basis, Tom Sawyer as an example, combining with the analysis of his external behavior to internal psychologyto analyze the growth and transformation of naughty children, which will provide a new perspective for the study of children’s literature. In the creation and appreciation of children’s literature, the correct treatment of the urchins’image can exude its unique aesthetic charm. With the most obvious nature, naughty children arerepresentative of all the children. Taking the growth and transformation of Tom Sawyer as an example, the analysis of naughty children’simage is based on the definition of childrentobroaden the scope of traditional cognition towardsnaughty boys. Whether the causes behind their growth are in line with the trend of the evolution of naughty children is worth pondering.Through the discussion of children’s behavior andpsychology, we need to respect children’s interest in their life, findingthe growth of naughty children. We believe that the child-oriented view of children’s image can assisteducators to protect the precious value of life in children’s mind, which helpschildren never lose their own special visionsto the world.

1.2Literature Review

1.2.1 Oversea Research on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Nowadays,The Adventuresof Tom Sawyermainlyincludes the following aspects: First of all, itisfull ofhumorous narrative techniques.With distinctive humor language characteristics and extremely local language style, the novel possesses the reputation ofthe most outstanding work so far in American humor literature. Thesense of humor is close to life, keeping the utmost authenticity with life, and reflects in every detail.It can be foundthat Mark Twain is popular in the world because of the universality and humanity of his humor. Obviously, what the humor presents to us not only just for laughing, but for combining irony, rationality and tragedy by standing on the basis of humor.

Besides, it has a strong realistic sense. Mark Twain, on the other hand, embodies reality in words, such as glasses and the pulpit in the text, which endows the special aesthetic and practical meanings of the concrete object between the lines.Sharsha V(2018)emphasizes realism and racism in the article Realism and Racism in Mark Twain’s the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Itillustrates the state of racism in the United Statesandalso indicates thediscrimination inthe real world.However, thepaper lacks an in-depth explanation of the relationship between realism and other various concepts. If regional elements and realism are integrated, it will be more complete in the research ofrealismand racism.

At the same time, Mohamad Arli Ramadhani (2013) explores the influence of social and cultural phenomena in southern society on the descriptionof Tom Sawyer’s character.In his Character Building of Tom Sawyer in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyeridentifies socio-cultural issues that influence the charactersof Tom Sawyer. It emphasizes that the biggest reason for character shaping comes from the influence of the social environment. So it cannot be simply summarized as the result of some subjective factors.Hesaysthe factfrom other angles, such as economic conditions, racism, or Christian cultural values.

In addition, the urchin Tom is often compared to another protagonist.Unlike Huck, the rebellion of the urchin Tom is limited. Oriard’s(1980)From Tom Sawyer to Huckleberry Finn: Toward Godly Play compares the characteristics of two protagonists, and objectively analyzes the differences ofthem.Itpointsout clearly that Tom’s insurgency belongs to a docile rebellion. He has learned to value the resources of his family and community, and to accept a degree of external authority, by going through dangers and mistakes.However, the article lacks in-depth study of the causes. In fact, after comparing the differences, studying the causes can make a better interpretation of the image of the urchins, especially on the social objective factors and the subjective emotions of the characters. Exploring the cause and effect of the characters helps to understand the deeper creation meaning behind the characters.

1.2.2 Domestic Research on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

In recent years, most domestic scholars have interpreted the novel from the perspectives of Skopos theory, functional equivalence theoryand ideological theory.Moreover, it is of great significance for someresearchers to do the study from children’s literature translation. In On the Translation of Children’s Literature from the Perspective of Skopos TheoryA Case Study ofTwo Chinese Versions of The Adventures of Tom SawyerMa Yanchao(2010)suggeststhat the basic work of foreign literary translation should be accomplishedfrom the perspectiveof childrenthemselves. Chen Huiyan(2010) emphasizes the importance of a schematic framework in the present stage of humor translation. In addition, scholars also focus on the image of children in the novel, from the perspective of urchins to see the American society at that time. In the aspect of Tom Sawyer’s image shaping, (Li Shuqin, 2013) the most prominent feature of Tom’s image is that he breaks social norms and traditional rules of life, enriches his world with his creativity, and pursues his dream with an active and independent mind.

Chinese scholars also pay considerable attention to Mark Twain’s creationof humor and satire in his novels, as well as his selection of narrative point of view. As described byYang Huiyong (2015) in the article which is to analyze the image of Tom Sawyer, Tom is an image of a naughty boy in the article. He is intelligentand naughty, and is differentwith the unique cunningcharacterof children. He is a special existence whopossessesthe characteristics of good children and bad children. In the exploration of the characteristics of naughty boy Tom, Qi Yongjiang (1999) saysthat the erudite naughty boy Tom Sawyeroften skipsschool and is not a good student. But in fact, he isalso a learned naughty boy. This contradictory and harmonious feature makes Tom full,lovely, vivid and true.

2. Growth and Transformation ofTypical Naughty Boy Tom Sawyer

2.1 The Developmentof Personality

The formation and development of children’s personality has to go through a long and complicated process. Among them, charactersand behaviors are the essentialembodiment of children’s personality development. It can find that TomSawyerhas somefollowing distinct featuresof personality.

The naughty boy changes into a rebellious boy. Hismischief behaviors always bringa seriesof difficultiesto his aunt Polly. It isinterestingthat he can always be resourceful to help to smooth the punishments that each mischief brings. Because of the pedantic performance of the teacher, he laughsat them brazenly at school.For the reason of the repressed rules and regulations in the school, he would rather skip school or take various adventure activities than pretend to love learning.Tom seems out of tune with the whole school. What’s more, everything with the atmosphere there makes him feel a deep emotion of discomfort as a result of the hatred of restriction and meaningless repetition. Mark Twain createsa character Sid, who contrasts to Tom. He is a child who is completely opposed to Tom. He is studious and obedient. A really good child loved by adults such as Aunt Polly.It iswith this sharp contrast that Tom’s rebellious psychology is further aroused, making him more disgusted with people and things in this environment.From the beginning, Tom simply pleaseshimself with simple naughtiness. When heencounters a well-dressed little boy on the street, Tom feelsangrywithout reason, especially in comparison with his clothing. Itimpliesthe reason forTom’s rebellious psychology.Children should have their original appearance.

From afar-reaching point of view, the reason why Tom’snaughtyperformance can be understood and admiredby people is that what he has donereflects people’s underlying instinctswith the desire for freedom and the worship of the wild.People always long for freedom, admiringbirds flying freely in the air and yearning fish swimming in the deep sea.But, the rules of reality and some sense of self-discipline restrict their behavior and spirit. And Tom’s performance awakenspeople’sinstincts. Tom Sawyer, who can break freelyfrom the shackles of the times, has his own independent opinionandmakes reader gratify in pursuit of freedom.

Tom is the clever child. Aunt Polly punishes him to whitewash the fence, which is originallya hard and boring job and do not match Tom’s playful character. But he is smart enough to turnthe boring wall whitewashinginto an enviable job for children.“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”he said (Twain, 2008: 25). His words have stirredevery child present. Tom not only doesn’t need to finish the boring task on his own, but also makes all the children scramble to give anything they have in exchange for a good chance to whiten the wall for him.The description of the transfer of the right to brushwalls has always been talked about, and this plot fully shows Tom’s ingenuity.In the early stage of the novel, his agility iscompletely applied to play tricks, and as the story progresses, such agility and wit pavesthe way for later growth.

Thenaive boy understandsthe sense of lovegradually. Although Tomis a naughty boy, he also has a pure and innocent world. He thinkspainting the wall as a gamebecause everything is interesting and fancy in the eyes of the child. This is the biggest difference from an adult.Innocent and romantic children always have unspeakable thoughts in their minds. Becky, a beautiful girl becomesTom’s sweet secret.When they first meet, the sceneisso romantic that Tom haslost himself. He knowshe hasfallen in love with the girl.And Tom seems to know everything about love. Ifboys and girls are engaged, they can kiss. Tom is also a romantic person.The naughty boyunderstands the preciousness of emotions. The emotional germination of Tomand Beckyhas enriched the teenager’s original simple heart.

Unlike other literary works,The Adventures of Tom Sawyerlacks a unified plot in the general sense and consists of a series of practical jokes and adventurousstories. The coherence of thisnovel ismaintained by the protagonist. It canseehow naughty and active the boyis, and also deeply makes us feelvivid and real characters. Even in the solemn church, Tom cannotbear to be alone. He unleashesa black bug and teasesthecurlydog, which both divertshimself and breaksthe gloom of the church. Obviously, he has gained a lotoffun from this unexpected disturbance. Children never get bored with the spirit of the game.Naughty children are smart but reckless.Because no one is perfect, they are always learning and growing up. Those behaviorsarereflectionsof their personality.

Tom usesthe ailment as an excuse to avoid the boring Monday, and the child’s hilarious performance is predictable. The more he wantsto get sick, the weaker the pain becomes, and his body seemsto be working against himself. Finally, Tom discoversthe loose teeth. You can see how he reacts. At first he groansbut no one findshim, so he callslouder so that someone could find he hasillusions. Meanwhile, he doesn’t forget to take a few rests for groaning. But, Sid does not hear, sleepsunconsciously. That infuriatesthe hard-working Tom. This poor guy, who may have lost his teeth or toe’s mortified, pushesSid in order to gain sympathy. He showsthat he is really in deep pain. Of course, none of theactions has escaped the fate of going to school.TomSawyerat this time definitely doesn’t want his teeth to be pulled out. However, he pretendsto suffer from toothache in the hope of playing truant. Contrary to his expectations, he doesnot succeed in escaping. Tom’s intention to pretend to be ill was clear at a glance. Humor, certainly, is not just based on satire;it is one of the correct ways to express feelings. Although Tom is always making a fool of himself, the author really expresses his love for Tom, rather than ridiculing the poor acting skills of the lovely character. So the more stupidTom’s behavior is, the more popular he will be with the readers.

2.2 The Change of Emotional Attitude

If growth is formed by physical and psychological changes, the transformationof emotional attitude is revealed by psychological changes. Although Tom Sawyer is still a carefree boy in the end, and his waysof thinking and behavior are the same as those known to readers in the previous chapters of the novel, his psychology is growing quietly in the progress of the story.It is mainly manifested in the emotional processing of people and things.

At the beginning of the novel, he isa cunning, clever, imaginative boy with an intuitive understanding of human nature. He hatesthe rules and regulations bound to him and cannot comply with the various norms of social morality. He spendsa lot of his personal time playing tricks and games, and is never bored. He getsused to those troublesome behaviors. In this way, Tom seldom takes anything seriously and seems to have nothing to worry about.As the novel progresses, these childish tricks that do not have to bear the consequences at first become more and more serious, even some beyond his expectations. Tom lethimself and his little companions into an increasingly dangerous situation. At the same time, he findshimself in trouble, and he hasto put the concern for others above his own,consideringthe consequences when things happen.

First, he changesa little bit in his attitude towards things. The death of Dr. Robinson is the first apparent turning point in the story, which comesas a shock to Tom. He beginsto change after he witnessesthe incident.In this case, Tom who is in the life-threatening situation must decide whether to testify for an innocent person or to let Muff Potter die of unfounded crime.Tom is so anxious and guilty about Muff Potter’s fate that he wantsHuck to reconsider their oath of secrecy. He tries to ease his conscience aftervisiting Muff Potter in prison, but that obviously doesnot relieve his torment. Though his personal safety might be affected, Tom stillcontinuesto followhis conscience in spite of unknown danger. He finally tellsthe truth in public with sincerity and fearlessness.Tom surpassesnot only himself, but also all the villagers.He is the only one who hasthe courage to condemn Injun Joe morally. Tom cangrow up and take responsibility as an adult, which enableshim to defend the rights of others and speak for justice.

In addition, Tom’s change to the people around him isapparent. Tom sneaks home after his first taste of adventure. He slipsinto the room to hide under the bed, where he findsseveral adults feeling sad and blaming themselves for the disappearance of those naughty children.The kind Aunt Polly, whohaslost her loved ones,cries loudlywhich hitsthe heart of the stubborn child TomSawyer. He knows that his aunt loveshim and cares abouthim from beginning to end. The author showsus the scene of Tom hiding under the bed and listening to adults’crying.The sadder Polly Aunt is the more Tom wantsto rush out.He beginsto realize his importance in adult’s heart. When his mind is full of thoughts that hecan’t wait to appearto hug these concernedadults, it’s obviousthat his emotional attitude haschanged.Tom beginsto think about his family’s feelings in a different place. He can understand the adult’s concerns and no longer considers himself alone. He findsthe softest part of his emotions and beginsto regret his behavior without considering the consequences.Nevertheless, this time the urchin makes a visible effort to control himand quietly hidesthe feelings of adults. The sadness is then completely eliminated.Even in the fleeting moments of emotional empathy, it can be found fromsubtle changes in the protagonist’s emotional attitude.Tom plays as the silent actor under the bed in the most romantic way. The comic explanation of the story makesus not judge what hashappened in Tom’s mood, but feel the quiet change of thelittleprotagonist’s state of mind.

2.3 The Pursuit of Ideal

From theentirestory, itcan be seenthat the naughty boy Tom has sublimatedin the ideal pursuit from honor of materialto maturityof spirit. First of all,it ishis desire for material enviable glory. Tom ismischievous in the school, looking for every opportunity to skip class. His performance is so terrible that the teacher hatessucha poor student. But this does not affect Tom’s dream of winning honor and working hardby using tricks for it.Luckily, the cunning boy eventually winsto usehis cleverness. In order to obtain honor, he doesn’thesitate to giveall his favorite toys, because in the eyes of other children, this is regarded as worthy of jealousy or even bitterness.Such a glorious award has becometheonce-in-a-lifetime event for the school, especially for the students who have won the prize. In order to obtain it, every student has an ambition in his heart.Inspired by this sense of honor, Tom, who cannot even say the names of the twelve disciples, exchangesall his treasures for the yellow tickets he needed to get the bibleand eventually win the prize.

In Sherwood Forest, Tom and his friends aspiresto be as heroic as Robin Hood, and also regret that thereareno more Green Forest heroes. They would rather be a green man in the forest for a year than a lifetime president of the United States. This kind of desire for social fame and honor is Tom’s early pursuit and yearning goal.

Gradually, the material fame justbriefly satisfieschildren’s curiosity. Only after experience can they discover what is really valuable to follow.In a number of adventures, Tom is not only in peril more than once, but even nearly loseshis life.The naughty boy’s coming forward at a critical moment also remindsus that true courage is not to be simply brave, but to overcome fear again and again.After witnessing the murder of Injun Joe in the graveyard, Tom staysawake all night, suffering in fear, and finally pointsout the real murderin court. Considering the consequences of losing his life at any time, Tom still chooses the righteous side. Even with inner fear and entanglement, his final choice is unexpectedly impressive.

On the emotional side, this change in pursuit is even more pronounced.Tom showsa preliminary heroism as he enduresBecky Thatcher’s emotional punishment. Instead of being trapped in a swamp of emotionsby a moment of sadness and anger, he isable to change his mood and pursue new and more valuable goals.It shows the original heroism. This heroism fits the romantic chivalry spirit in the book, and it manifests itself not as a sudden solution to the real conflict, but as a more positive attitude towards the difficulties at hand.When Tomand Becky aretrapped in a cave, his chivalry and ability represent a more meaningful, adult version of self-sacrifice and the integrity of caring for others.Tom has to grow through the test.Tom showshis growing maturity, competence and integrity when he beginsto take the initiative to help others rather than focus on the entertainment which he getsfrom his daily trifles.

3. The Causes of the Growth and Transformation on Naughty Child

3.1 The Experience of Adventures

Growth and transformation comes fromeveryexperience. The Adventures of Tom Sawyeriscomposedof various kinds ofevents. It is through the social environment in the novel and the experience he has gained in adventuresthat the naughty boy Tom Sawyergradually changes and growsup.Weknow that Tom is a child full of personality.Gamesare the knackfor seekingpleasure in life, and adventuresarethe embodiment of his free nature.Driven by curiosity, Tom and his friend Huck want to explore the graveyard together, and they happen to encounter a terrible murder. The first reaction that Tom haswitnessed is the fear and anxiety, because it is a matter of life and safety.Immediately, Tom and Huckrun as fast as they canback to the leather factory, wherethey write a blood book and vow to keep the secret. From then on, the two urchins areextremely heavy in their minds,like holding down a big rock.It can be foundthat sincewitnessingthe tragedy the naughty boy’s mentality has transformed. Tom is absent-mindedin the days of keeping the secret, even in the old school where he can give full play ofhis tricks. His mindwassuffering.It is under such a contradictory psychology that he considersnot only justthe troubles caused by simple jokes and pranks in the past, but being involved in social and moral issues that concern himself or others. At this time Tom hasto make the choice like adults. We can also learn from it that an accidental adventure makes the naughty boy become entangled and cautious. Even if he doesnot stop playing in the future, the ambivalence that needs to consider and make choices quietly takeroot in him.

When Tom finally choosesto bravely tell the truth and testify the killer, people arealso surprised that this all-out mischief boy in the past can makesuch a heroic act. With this right choice, Tom seems to be turning from anaughty boyto a righteous urchin.In fact, Tom is a child with his own unique perspective on the world. Even thoughhe is contrary tosociety, he isstill affected by the surroundings. This experience is also the product of objective circumstances.Then see Tom and his friends on the runaway adventure on Jackson Island. They briefly experienced the joy of freedom. But temporary freedom cannot bring them long-term enjoyment. It doesn’t take long for them to miss home together. The stubborn Tom sneakshome alone, nowhe feelsthe importance of children in the eyes of adults. Therefore, the more urchins experience, the more they can gradually grow and change.

Tom and Becky’s adventure in McDougaf Caves haspushed growth to a more mature transition. Attracted by the beauty during the picnic, Tom decidesto explore in the cave, and Beckyrespondsto him actively. But in a moment the terror and timidity of the child reappearsas the two poor little creatures arelost in the darknessof the cave.It is not difficultto imagine how frightening it would be to be in a hopeless situation with no way out in the dark. But now Tom showshis unusual composure confrontingBecky. He knowsthat he can’t be defeated by the difficulties, and he comfortsthe timid girl at the same time.If in accordancewiththe initial personality, Tom can completely ignore it and maintain his ownmentality. And the growth he gainsin the adventure requireshim to be a man, and this time he choosesthe latter.Ashe triesto find an exit, he encountersthe murderer Indian Joe in the dark andis scared and panicked.Instead ofbringing the terrorto his little partner Becky, Tomreturnsto Beckyto continue to encourage and accompany her.This not only makes Tom’s manhoodmore complete, candid, positive, and brave in life, but alsoshowsa more mature treatmentto tackle difficulty in his mind, which is the embodiment of the transformation and growth of the naughty boy.

3.2TheFormation of Responsibility

Growth means that one gradually becomes aware of dutyfor himself. Obviously, after Tom meeting the girl Becky in the novel, he not only getsa taste of vague love, but also learnsthe truth about the responsibility of being a real man. His changing emotional attitude towardsthose peoplearound him also has explainedthe need not only to take responsibility for his own actions, but also to stand up for others when things come necessarily.In Chapter 20, the misunderstanding between Tom and Beckyis a contradiction between them, and the two sides are in a stalemate. At this time, Beckypeeksat the mysterious book that the principal usually locksin a drawer, which is accidentally bumped into by Tom. She tears the book in panic and makestrouble. Whenthe principalbegins to investigateon the spot, Tom standsup at the critical moment tohelp the poor girl. Not only is Becky admiring such behavior, we are also deeply attracted by the urchins in front of us. Tom knowsthat the disagreement between him and Becky is a temporary irresolvable depression, but he also knowsthe principles of responsibility and loveclearly. In the face of his beloved girl, Tom seemsto grow up all of a sudden. His hazy pursuit of love further inspireshis wisdom and spirituality. Tom, who hasalways been sloppyin the past, beginsto pay attention to his own image.It is hardto imagine that a naughty boy who is usually crazy like a wild child can know to protect hischerished person. And Tom happens to know the adult’s sense of mission and responsibility in gaining love. This also providesa new direction for his later personality change.

Tom grows up graduallyin love. His heart is not as scaly and numb as in Huck’s.Tom still hasgood thoughts in his mind, and he missesAunt Polly and the villagers. He is afraid that others willworry about his running away home too long. Even if he is far away on the small desert island, he wants toreturn to the town.Even if naughty Tom plays tricks in front of adults, all this is just a means for children to gain adult attention.Although Tom is inalways a carefree appearance, we can still feel in his rich inner world which illustrates that he is a lonely child longing for his parents.So Mark Twain createsan amiable aunt for this child. She givesTom a warmexperience in some way, even though the naughty boy often brings hera sea oftroubles. TomSawyer’s personal growth, whether from the naive and impulsive at first, full of dissatisfaction with the social environment, or in adventures with friends later, he constantly acceptsand transforms.Tom Sawyeruseshis own childlike love and responsibilitytotake risks and find hisown growth path.

3.3TheGrowth of Self-consciousness

The growth and transformation of naughty boys is actually the result of the enhancement of self-awareness and the development of independence.With the growth of knowledge, the broadening of horizons, the diversity of interests, and the expansion of communicationsand so on, the awareness of teenagers as an independent person has gradually risen.This is a period when a new self begins to awaken, and they no longer regulate their behaviors entirely through the caress or reproach of their parents.They no longer judge their right or wrong behaviorsby complimentor criticism of their teachers. And they do not guide their actions according to the likes or dislikes of their partners and the approval or disapproval of the surroundings.At this time, the juvenile self-consciousness mutates, resulting in a sense of adulthood and independence. They hope to be respected and recognized by adults, long to become an independent person with their own independent and free value existence.In the process of growing up, children always want to be the true onein the mirror, that is, the ideal image in their hearts.Tom in the novel is a child who, like his peers, goes to Sunday-school.The idol in Tom’s heart is a man in the green forest who acts on justice and leads a life of adventure and excitement. But the town of Petersburg looks like a puddle of backwater without ripples, stagnantand tedious. Life heremakes Tom’s ideal impossible to achieve.Being too lively and activeisan absurd figure in the eyes of residents here. Therefore, the early rebellion of the naughty Tom is also one of the manifestations of self-consciousness. In his innovative mischief, we can see that a teenager’s self-consciousness develops and matures gradually from emergence to germination, which arethe development of personality and the pursuit of self-worth that Tom himself is not aware of.

Withthe germination of self-awareness, the naughty child Tom’sworldview,outlook onlife, and values are gradually established, and he can clearly understand the goals he wants to pursue and determine his future ideals.Tom fallsinto a deep emotional entanglement because of a misunderstanding after his acquaintance with the girl Becky. He changesfrom depression and anger at the beginning to self-digestion. The sentimental boy fleesinto the forest to contemplate life. Fortunately, the relaxed and flexible heart of a young person cannot be crammed into a depressed state for long periods of time.Tom changesinto a self-pursuit mentality. Driven by such self-awareness, he isable to change his mind in time. He intendsto be a soldier, returning with all scars but great glory, or a brave and powerful pirate riding the wind and waves on the rolling sea.Great future career plans are more attractive to him than temporary sentimental emotions. Tom is also willing to follow the bright future with his better development. Thus, running away from home, the basic option for freedom in his opinion becomesa necessary preparation.When he dreamsabout being a great outlaw Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest, Tom and his friends regret that there areno more famous heroes. The two partners agree to be a Robin Hood in the forest for a year rather than a lifelong president of the United States. The desire for freedom can be said to be one of the results in the growth of Tom’s self-consciousness.

4. Conclusion

In the novel, the urchin Tom Sawyer is not an ideologically bad urchin but a character with multiple implications. His characteristic isobviously outstanding. In the rigid life, Tom not only hasto cope with the tedious work, the teacher’s false dogma, but also avoidshis aunt’s strict discipline. Tom is a typical naughty boywithhis playfulness and naughtiness at the beginning. He is the troublesome character in life, and in some ways he is the mirror which reflectsthe shadow of each of us in childhood. In the meantime, after a series of storms, his self-consciousness beginsto wake up. Naughty children are aware of what choices to make under what kinds of circumstances. They, like adults, have their own world and rights to choose.They will be confused, eager for self-independence but constrained by adults, society and traditional authority. In reality, naughty children are not welcome in adults’ eyes. Because of living in a hypocritical society, the urchin cannot accept hypocrisy but pursue reality of life. This is also the conflict between naughty children and objective world in the process of growing up and transformation.As a result, the urchins resist authority and challenge established social conventions. Even Tom hides a simple and righteous childlike innocence beneath his sensitive and thoughtful appearance. Their confusionandthinking about life are signs of their maturity.The Adventures of Tom Sawyernarrates the transformation and growth of teenagers’self-consciousness in the form of several adventures experienced by Tom and his partners.The experience of those adventures canhelpthem enter the adult world trulyand figure out the goals orideals confidently. After a series of baptism of life, these teenagers will return to real life with tenacity and independence.We need to believe that the naughty boy is not theuneducated child;on the contrary, his essence is virtuousand adorable.

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《汤姆•索亚历险记》中顽童的成长与转变

价格 ¥5.50 发布时间 2023年1月8日

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