What makes a book a classic? A classic is a book that keeps the reader's attention throughout the whole book, from the moment that the reader reads the first word of the first page until they read the last word of the last page. Also, another important aspect that makes a book a classic is the way the author develops the main character's personality and. From this criteria, the book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”

To be a classic a book must be eventful and suspenseful. The Adventure of Tom Sawyer” fits that description. One of the most eventful parts of the story is when Tom and Huck go to the graveyard in the middle of the graveyard at midnight to see if dead cats really do cure warts. There they witnessed Injun Joe murdering Dr. Robinson. That scene was a suspenseful and thrilling. It was also the start of most of Tom's adventures. Another suspenseful part was the trial when Tom testified against Injun Joe and he ran. The climax of the story was when Tom and Becky were stuck in a cave and starving to death. When you read that part you are just wonder if Becky and Tom will survive or if they will die of starvation. The way Mark Twain tells it, you feel that you are actually there with Tom watching him try to find a way out. The way that Mark Twain tells the story makes it is believable, real, and very suspenseful.


Another piece of criteria that a book fit is the how well the main character's personality is developed and how the author shows the nature of humans in general. One example of Tom's character is when in the beginning of the book Tom plays hooky and goes swimming instead of school. Afterwards, he sewed his collar back together to make it look like he did go to school. Unfortunately, he was caught by his cousin when he used the wrong color thread. This begins to show Tom's character which is wily, cleaver, and lazy. This is further evidenced by the fact that Tom manipulates other children into whitewashing the fence he was suppose to whitewash as a punishment instead he sold whitewashing privileges. Everyone wanted to try because as Tom asks “does a boy get to whitewash a fence everyday?” This shows that Tom knows how to manipulate people. Later in the book Tom takes the blame for Becky when the teacher asks who ripped a page from his book. Because of that Becky regards Tom as her hero and worships him. But, later on you find out another facet of personality. It show when he runs away, but tries to go back and leave a note so that his Aunt Polly does not worry. It also shows when he and Becky are in the cave together and he comforts him.





A classic is a book that is enjoyed by generations of people. It earns its title it has well developed character personalities and a suspenseful and exciting plot that keeps the eyes of the reader glued to it. Based on those criteria The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is truly a classic.