Object of the Study

without Aunt Polly‘s permission. ―And she gave him a large apple. She did not see him take a piece of cake a s he passed through the kitchen‖ p. 17. Tom‘s cunning trait is also shown in the whitewashing scene. The day is Saturday. Tom is punished by Aunt Polly to brush the fence in front of the house. But his aunt was waiting for him. She had learned from Sid about Tom‘s afternoon. Now she saw his clothes and she knew that he had been fighting. She knew what she must do. Tom would work all day on Saturday. p. 12 His cunning trait reflects on his effort to flee from his punishment. He pretends to like his work so that Ben Roger, one of his friends who comes over, gets interested in his job. Tom turned suddenly. ―Oh, Ben, is it you? I did not see you.‖ ―I am going swimming, I am. Do you wish you could go with me? Or would you rather work?‖ Tom said, ―What do you mean? Work?‖ ―That is work.‖ Tom returned to his painting. ―It may be work and it may not be. But it is fine for Tom Sawyer.‖ ―Do you mean that you enjoy it?‖ ―Enjoy it? Does a boy have a chance to paint a fence every day?‖ Here was a new idea. Ben stopped eating his apple. Tom moved his brush —stepped away to look at the result—added a little paint here and there —stepped away again. Ben watched. He was more and more interested. p. 15 Luckily, this trick works on Ben Rogers and there are also other boys who are also trapped on Tom‘s tricks. In Sunday school scene, it is told that Tom has no point of studying hard to achieve a bible. Otherwise, Tom just wants to feel the pleasure of receiving it. It can be seen through Twain‘s direct comment Murphy, 1972, p. 170. ―It was a wonderful day when a boy or a girl received one of these Bibles. Perhaps Tom did not want the Bible. But he did want the wonderful experience of receiving it‖ p. 20. Therefore, he tricks all his friends who study hard to give him tickets so that he can exchange it with a bible and have the pleasure of it. From these findings, it can be concluded that Tom Sawyer is a cunning boy who always keeps him safe by sacrificing people around him. 4.1.2. Dishonest There are three findings related to Tom Sawyer‘s characteristic as an dishonest boy. They are classroom scene, lunch scene, and white-washing scene. The classroom scene shows Tom‘ behaviour of being dishonest. Tom comes late for talking to Huckleberry along his way to school. When Tom is asked by his teacher about his lateness reason, he does not speak the truth. This act of dishonest is supported by McKean who 2005 defines dishonest as behaving or prone to behave in an untrustworthy or fraudulent way, intended to misleade or cheat. The teacher looked at him. ―Thomas Sawyer‖ Tom knew that trouble was coming when his whole name was used. ―Why are you late again?‖ Tom looked around the room. He saw the new girl. No girl sat in the seat beside her. And gi rls sat in all the other seats on the girls‘ side of the room. He said, ―I stopped to talk with Huckleberry Finn.‖ All the children looked at Tom. It was very foolish to say that to a teacher. p. 30-31 Claiming the right before doing the duty is wrong. He concerns well about his right to swim and play over his duty to study at school. It is told through his speech Murphy, 1972, p. 164. ―Tom did not go to school and he had a very happy afternoon‖ p. 10. In the lunch scene, Aunt Polly, who wants to know more about his activity at noon, is trapped on another Tom‘s trick. Tom‘s conversation with his Aunt Polly below shows Tom‘s dishonest characteristic Murphy, 1972, p.168 .