The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Question: chapters 27 and 28

Why is there suspense in chapter 29? Also, what do we know about Huck as a character in chapter 29? Provide text evidence and character traits.

Asked by
Last updated by jill d #170087
Answers 1
Add Yours

The introduction of MacDougal's Cave is important to the novel, particularly because it plays a prominent role in the coming events. Twain describes the cave a as "labyrinth underneath labyrinth, and no end to any of them." The cave, like the haunted house and the graveyard, is another very dramatic location that Twain chooses for the novel. Caves often symbolize mystery and fantasy because in traditional fairy tales and stories, they house gnomes, dragons, and treasure. Similarly, caves often contain secret passageways that run to the underworld, a place of darkness. Here, Twain sets up the cave as a perfect setting for Tom's final adventure of the novel.

Though he is considered one of the town's social pariahs, the Huck we come to know in Chapter 29 not only comes to the widow's aid but also recalls that she had always been kind to him. We see that the juvenile is not quite the delinquent that his reputation makes him out to be, though even the Welshman is hesitant about opening his door to such a straggler.

Source(s)

Gradesaver