Boy Issues Involving Tom Sawyer

An issue that I find interesting in the "Adventures of Tom Sawyer"is how Tom seems to be the epitome of the typical boy in the Nineteenth century. Tom is a the kind of boy that does not like to do what he is told and will find ways trick his Aunt without her knowing: "Hang the boy, can't I never learn anything? Ain't he played me tricks enough like that for me to be looking out for him by this time" (p. 314-315)? Tom also is okay with "play[ing] hookey, and [having] a very good time" rather than doing chores or attending church (p. 315). A fight never seems to intimidate Tom when he sees the "model boy" and tries to pick a fight with him because Tom [loathe(s)] him (p. 318). He tells the boy that "[He] can lick [the boy]'" and is not afraid (p. 319). The most famous incident that happens with Tom is his ability to manipulate others to do what they want, even if the person being manipulated does not realize it. When painting a fence as punishment for playing hooky, Tom tells his friend Ben that "it's got to be done very carful; I reckon there ain't one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it's got to be done" (p. 329). He uses this strategy to bribe Ben to paint the fence while he goes and spends his Saturday afternoon swimming.

All of these characteristics that Tom portrays shows the overall behavior of a young boy. Tom is carefree, spontaneous and not afraid of trouble. 

After reading the complete story, the main focus I want to think about is why the Yares will not move out of their desolate country. Nancy directly tells Denby that "it wouldn't do to kerry [them] down into towns"(267). The Yares are completely content in their mountains and do not see the point in living "with nothing but people about you" (267). The most I can guess from them is that the mountains are simply home, as a specific house we live in or town we come from is what we consider "home". 

I think in a way that Denby understands this because as she travels towards the Yares' home, she comments on the forest by saying that "she felt the friendliness and welcome of the hills, just as she used to be comforted and lifted nearer to God by distant church music" (255). So even though this was definitely not her classification of home, she still felt the warm presence that the forest brought. Readers can also see by these comments that it would be hard to leave this beautiful area once you have visited because of how inviting it is. 

I want to take a stab at what the mountains and nature could symbolize. Perhaps the mountains represent God, because God is known to have created this world and everything beautiful in it. Denby also talks about how she can appreciate God's work through creatures: "Long habit of grief had left her heart tender and its senses keen: these things, which were but game or specimens for the naturalist, were God's creatures to her, and came close to her" (255). We see a religious undertone in this remark because she is referring to herself as a Christian or believer of God. Maybe we are supposed to take the examples of the Yares never wanting to leave and Denby feeling so comfortable in the mountains and forests as how a Christian should feel close to his/her God.

When thinking about 19th century boys in American Literature, I keep thinking about how Ragged Dick supports himself and is very independent. In contrast, we see girl characters such as Ellen from The Wide, Wide World and Gerty in The Lamplighter that greatly depend on their caregivers to protect them and financially support them. 

One exception to this dependence girls tend to have on other people is Capitola in The Hidden Hand. For one, she is "but a bit of a poor, friendless,motherless, fatherless child" that has to rely on her own income to survive (THH page 179). Later we find out that in order to be self-reliant, Capitola has taken it upon herself to dress as a boy so she can take care of herself: "Oh! but I took care of myself, sir! I did, indeed, your honor!" (THH page 184). Horatio Alger informs us in Ragged Dick that Dick "would not steal, or cheat, or impose upon younger boys, but was frank and straight-forward, manly and self-reliant" (RD page 258). Both characters have very strong qualities that make them able to handle the hard times of life, yet one is a girl and one is a boy. Beyond Capitola, most of the time young girls are supposed to learn to how to cook and know they can depend on others.

We see very obvious changes in Dick than the other little girls in the other American literature stories. The author informs us that Dick is a great boy, yet has some vices. Dick tends to be quite the cigar connoisseur "and wouldn't smoke the cheapest" brand of cigars (RD page 257). Another fault that is mentioned is Dick's inability to save money because he "stray[s] into [the gambling-house], and play[s] with the rest," forgetting to invest the money that he makes to get him out of homelessness (RD page 257). Lastly is the large difference between girls and Dick in the aspect of his wording. Horatio Alger tells us that "[Dick] swore sometimes" and was never punished for what he said because of his lack of having parents or someone to tell him that is not the way to speak to others (page 255). All of these aspects of a boy that Dick has brought into the story greatly varies from that of a girl's behavior. 

Young boys seem to symbolize completely different things than girls do, where as girls symbolize "sugar and spice and everything nice" while boys might symbolize independence, rebellion and some bad, habitual habits. This could make a huge difference in how we study 19th century American Literature for the rest of the semester in class. We no longer will be reading stories of how nice and cute little girls can be, but how strong and courageous young boys can be. 

A Whisper In The Dark

At first we believe Sybil to be completely sane and in control of her emotions. She goes so far to even try and manipulate her Uncle and her cousin, Guy, later experiencing failure and being completely aware of her actions: "I felt perfectly powerless. All my little arts had failed, and for the first time I was mastered" (page 218). Sybil learns that "[she] can win [Uncle's] heart by obedience, and [can] soon grow quite at ease with him," if she plays her little game of being in love with him (page 223). These manipulative qualities that Sybil takes on are very healthy and are normal human behavioral characteristics. Because she has "had [her] own way all [her] life," she will do what it takes to get what she wants (page 218). These also tend to be traits of children without parents, because manipulative behavior is all they know to get what they want. They do not have the parents or guardians telling them what is acceptable behavior in achieving what they want and what is not acceptable. As discussed in class, there is a correlation between girls that do have mothers and care for them and girls that do not. We also know that despite the lack of a compatible relationship, mothers always tend to pull through for their children.

As the story goes on, Sybil is treated as a mentally ill girl and is put to solitary confinement. As all nineteenth century domestic novels were written, I feel this, in its own gothic way, makes a statement about the relationships of mothers and daughters. It is a known phenomenon that mothers and daughters do indeed have an underlying wavelength shared between them, whether or not they know each other on a personal level. For Sybil to find the letters written by "The Whisperer in the Dark," there has to have been some unknown fate for her mother to at last be able to help her. Although Sybil did not know why she "still carried in [her] bosom the warnings [her mother] had sent [her], prompted by the unerring instinct of a mother's heart" (page 246). This proves that although Sybil's mother was driven "mad since that unhappy rumor of [her] father's death," Sybil still shares a mystical bond with her mother (page 246). A mother seems to always sense when their child is hurting or upset, and will do whatever they can to help them when their child has fallen to the complete bottom. Sybil might have been insane for a short while, because there is no real evidence that Sybil did hear a whisperer tell her things such as "The dog--a lock of hair--there is yet time" (page 243). These statements sound outlandish, but in the end help Sybil escape the infinite death of insanity. Because of Sybil's mother being insane, the only thing that made sense was for her to warn Sybil and help her find the key to escaping: "Find it! For God's sake find it before it is too late" (page 241)! 

This obscure ending made me realize that although Alcott puts a dark twist in "A Whisper in the Dark," she still brings around the importance of the mother and daughter relationship. I think although Sybil barely touched the "fire" of insanity, Sybil's mother initially "pulled her out." We still see how nothing can come between mother and daughter, despite how impersonal their earthly relationship is. 

Another Type of Innocence

After reading the rest of The Hidden Hand, a quote stuck out to me that I kept reading over and over again because it is so true involving Capitola: "She had indeed the innocence of youth, but not its simplicity" (p. 187) This seemed to tell readers that although Capitola is only a young girl, she had endured things that some adults have not gone through. 

Capitola talks about having to "[sell her] clothes, piece by piece, to the old Jew over the way," in order to have food for herself (p. 182). She was "trying to get jobs every hour in the day," discovering that nobody wants to hire a petty girl that has no muscle or strength to do odd jobs (p. 182). When worse came to worse, Capitola felt as if though "there seemed to be nothing but starvation or beggary," giving her no way to survive (p. 182). She finally decides that the only way she can make money and feed and support herself is to become a boy. As soon as the idea occurred to her, Capitola goes to the old Jew's shop and asks for "the raggedest suit of boy's clothes he had, whether they'd fit [her] or not" (p. 184) Capitola ends up making a great living for herself, not having to worry if she can eat when the next meal rolls around.

This story captures the very essence of the determination Capitola had to survive, yet she accomplishes it in the most humble and innocent way possible. Never once does she think about stealing or resorting to any kind of prostitution that some girls might have had to give in to. She provides for herself in the Great American Way: hard, sweaty work. While telling her story, she even worries that the judge and Old Hurricane "dare to think but what [she] did" (p. 184). This attitude she has to take care of herself shows great character even though she is a young child.

The Lamplighter: Anna and Gerty

I do not know if necessarily the depiction of girls has changed, or if it merely had to do with the two girls' personalities. Anna, the guest on Amy Pholer's "Smart Girls at the Party" is very relaxed and stabilized, while Gerty in "The Lamplighter" is very emotional and rough around the edges. There are significant differences as well as similarities that make up both.

A drastic difference in the two girls was how they viewed the world and how each is accepted into it. Anna told Amy that she felt as though she could be herself and people would like her for that. She knew she had the freedom to be who she wants to be and not what others want. Gerty tends to push away people and peers, such as children her age. Among the kids "she had made herself feared as well as disliked" and was constantly rejected by them (page 84). She always was never accepted because "she was the worst-looking child in the world, and, what was more, the worst behaved" (page 80). Gerty was constantly told how unattractive and "witch-like" she looked (page 81).

Both girls also have different ways of reacting when bad or stressful things happen to them. Anna tells Amy in the interview that when she needs to get away from the world, she does yoga. She feels this keeps balance and peace in her lief. When Gerty is mad or upset, she lashes out such as "lift[ing] a stick of wood which lay near her, [and flinging] it at Nan with all her strength" because Nan killed her kitten (page 90). She also "sometimes weep[s] for hours, so upset about her life (pages 84-85).

One similarity I found was that both girls do have a positive outlet at times that helps them vent and de-stress. Anna talks and talks about yoga and how it makes her happy and content. Gerty sometimes retreats to a "wood-yard," where she "brood[s] over her griefs, her wrongs, and her ugliness" (page 84). It is the only place she feels safe and not judged.

Because of these similarities and differences, I feel Gerty would react quite differently in the interview then Anna did. I feel that Gerty's answers would be more bitter and abrupt and she would probably at some point, get angry with Any. She most definitely would not dance at the end, because I do not think she has anything to dance for. 

Complications of Slavery in Uncle Tom's Cabin

Chapter ten in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" really struck me as far as how enslaved children behaved and what their parents expected of them compared to free white children. There are similarities and differences in the way George is taught as a slave and the way Ellen is brought up in a slave-free environment. These comparisons both correlate and confuse the didactic theories of children's literature. 

After learning of Uncle Tom's arrest, George throws a fit and is greatly upset, "sobbing and groaning vehemently" (UTC page 170) while Ellen in "The Wide, Wide World" is asked to stop acting as a child and immediately "[says] little, and did not weep any more" (WWW page 25). It seems that emotion and exploring those feelings was acceptable to the salves, where as Middle or Upper class white children were taught to suppress those feelings and be mature. 

George is then told by Uncle Tom to "keep close to [his] mother" and try to stay out of trouble and "hold on to her, and grow up, and be a comfort to her" (UTC 173). As George is lectured to take care of his mother, little Ellen makes it a priority in her life to take care of her ill mother, because her "love to[wards] her mother was the strongest feelings her heart knew" (page 25). She made it her business to prepare the tea and toast, comforting her mother in any way she could. Both children in this scenario are taught to love their mothers and always be there for them, tending to their needs. 

The last difference I found in Chapter ten of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" compared to "The Wide, Wide World" is each set of parents' idea of being a good person in society. Uncle Tom tells George he has everything in the world to be a positive influence in the world and make his parents proud: "l'arnin', privileges, readin', writin" (UTC page 173). Ellen's mother wants Ellen to "always [be] neat, and tidy, and industrious; depending upon others as little as possible" (WWW page 44). Both parents give them the tools to be an ideal good person, yet they view these ideas in a different light. Mrs. Montgomery wants Ellen to be moral and productive, while Uncle Tom wants George to be able to read and write. 

The slight disconnect between these stories is largely due to ethnicity and economical background. Although each child is brought up in a different way, all that each parent wants is to be proud of their children in their own perception. Each parent wants to feel as though they raised their child to be as great as they could be.