Chapter XXII
Tom's Confidence betrayed • Expects signal Punishment
SummaryAt the beginning of the summer, Tom joins Cadets of Temperance, just to wear one of their cool uniforms. He pledges to follow the rules of no smoking, chewing, or swearing, but is troubled because Tom’s want to do these things came with the prohibition of these things. He finally decides to wait as the Judge gets very sick. If the Judge were to die, Tom would be able parade around the funeral in his uniform. After days of waiting, the Judge got better and Tom resigned from the Cadets of Temperance, but that night Judge Frazier relapses and dies.
Vacation begins to dull Tom, as Becky Thatcher has gone to Constantinople with her parents, and the many circuses, parades, and minstrel shows that come through the town provide only temporary entertainment for Tom and the children. Through the vacation, the secret of Dr. Robinson’s murder still tugs at Tom’s conscience, Tom then gets the measles, reliving his thoughts of murder. Then when he began to recover, he discovers that a revival of religion has swept through the town, leaving all his friends suddenly very religious, even Huck. That night there was a terrible thunderstorm, which then Tom assumes it must be punishment for all of his sinful ways. The next day he has a relapse of the measles and stays in bed for three weeks. When he is finally feeling better, Tom finds that all his friends have returned to their former, immoral ways. |
Who We Are |
The measles represent Tom's relapse into selfishness and immorality. He joins the Cadets of Temperance for selfish reasons and wont say anything about the murder, causing him to fall ill with the measles. The thunderstorm then opens Tom's eyes, but he pushes it away, leading to a relapse of measles.
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Our History |
Is Tom's sickness going to help him mature?
Will Tom act with his peers as they turn back to their old ways? |
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