"I divide the world into learners and nonlearners. There are people who learn, who are open to what happens around them, who listen, who hear the lessons. When they do something stupid, they don't do it again. And when they do something that works a little bit, they do it even better and harder the next time. The question to ask is not whether you are a success or a failure, but whether you are a learner or a nonlearner."-Benjamin Barber. Could one say that Huck Finn in, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, is a "learner"? It's not coincidence that Huck, a lower-class uneducated adolescent, bares more education on life and happiness than that of Tom Sawyer, an upper class educated adolescent. Tom Sawyer may be educated, but the question to ask is has he learned anything useful from it? Tom is revealed as a "nonlearner" throughout the novel. This conclusion insinuates that Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn are merely complete opposites. One can clearly make the conclusion that the differences between Huck and Tom are quite evident.
Huckleberry Finn, though not always so quick on the uptake, knew what he wanted in life, knew what made him happy, and knew, despite his lack of education or a "civilized" upbringing, what would and would not get him killed. Huck couldn't read very well, but he had a handle on the basics in life. Finn knew right from wrong, left from right, and that he should do right by his friends. Finn never had a mother to encourage him; and he never had a religion to teach him morality. Huck just knew instinctively what life was all about and wanted to live it as it came. Finn knew happiness, and he knew peace.
Tom Sawyer, upper class and uninhibited in the realization of his every random desire, constantly found himself flirting with his own mortality on a regular basis. Tom Sawyer could read. Sawyer had free reign of his life from the time he was born, and Twain clearly shows how such unrestricted liberty adversely affected Tom's perception of the world around him.
The Foils: Tom and Tom The Great Depression was a trying time on almost all Americans. ... In reading both of these pieces of literature, one finds many likenesses in Tom Joad and Tom Wingfield. ... Both Tom Joad and Tom Wingfield leave their families. ... For these reasons, Tom departs. ... Tom's motives are self centered contrasting the selfless motives of Tom Joad. ...
Response: "The Devil and Tom Walker" Observations: "The Devil and Tom Walker" is a folktale that brings reality alive. ... Tom Walker is an unhappy man; always thinking the world owes him something. ... The Black Fellow is a devil in disguise, hoping to find a man like Tom, just as he did. He is about control and evilness, which leads Tom into a life worse then what he started out with. ... Does he contrast the time with the moral to make the story understandable and the lesson clearer?...
UNCLE TOMS CABIN-SUMMARY The book starts out where Uncle Tom is sold to a trader because of his owner's debts. ... Shelby is the owner of Uncle Tom and many other slaves. ... At the same time that Uncle Tom was sold, Eliza and Harry, two other slaves of Mr. ... These two plots contrast. ... After Tom has been sold, the story still flashes back to Kentucky telling about the letter that Tom wrote to Chloe and how she worked to try to make money to buy back her husband. ...
" 'Why [Tom and Daisy] came East I don't know. ... Not to mention, Tom and Jay's social aspects contrast as well. ... Alternatively, Tom and Gatsby share some distinct similarities. ... While Gatsby is obsessively loving to Daisy, Tom seems to show no respect for her. ... As was previously stated, Tom uses Myrtle as his mistress. ...
Uncle Tom's Cabin stirred many emotions and raised much controversy. ... This is exemplified when Shelby struggles financially and has no choice but to sell off Tom which destroys Tom's family. ... A major theme in Uncle Tom's Cabin is the incompatibility of slavery and Christian values. ... In contrast, the nonreligious Legree practices slavery and treats them inhumanely. ... Uncle Tom said, "Ye poor miserable crittur!"...
Tom is the Negro at Maycomb Jail, charged with the rape of Mayella. ... In fact, we do not hear Tom's point of view at all; this is because it was not valued. ... She, akin to Tom, does not speak but gets her private life described by the community, for us to judge. ... Tom behaves impeccably the whole way through "To kill a mockingbird" being well spoken throughout. ... Thus Tom has unwarranted foes straight away, all because of his skin colour, which is outside of his control. ...
Tom Molineaux, a born slave, was raised in Virginia. ... The figurines depict Tom Cribb as being shorter and slighter than Tom Molineaux. The reality was that Tom Cribb was a beast of a man for the time, standing at six-foot tall. ... In contrast, Molineaux stood a mere five foot eight, though he was measured at fourteen stone of pure muscle (approximately 196 lbs). ... He went into semi-retirement and set up a boxing academy, but still had it out for Tom Cribb. ...
Tom wants to be like Huck and Huck wants to be like Tom. We learn about how much Tom wants to be like Huck by reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. ... This is why his imagination is not like Tom's and also why he so admires Tom's plans. ... Huck's relaxed laid back nature is a sharp contrast to Tom's energy and his desire to always be doing something. This allows Tom to take advantage of Huck, because Huck will go along with whatever Tom wants. ...
Although Tom and Gatsby's lives share similarities such as revolving around Daisy's life, they share some very contrasting differences. ... Tom simply flaunts his wealth for no reason, much like the rest of what he does. ... These similarities are however not important when defining what Tom and Gatsby were really about though. On the other hand Tom and Gatsby were very different people in many more aspects. ... Tom, on the other hand, really had no purpose or meaning in life, and barely had a sense of morality. ...
