Tom sawyer in society
...es an effort to set up a plan for allowances and the care of young Huck. This selfless act shows her true qualities as a citizen in the community. This is a very important quality to have in a society. If society was based on a standard of individual dependency then our society would be nothing like how it is today. It takes a respectable society to find a culture in which people are willing to donate food, clothing, time, and money to help others they have never met before and possibly will never come in contact with again. Another remarkable attribute of a respectable society is their constant striving to uphold a morally strong code of conduct. Something as drastic as a murder does not go without the true criminal receiving just conviction. Early on in the story, young Dr. Robinson is murdered. Originally, innocent Muff Potter was held responsible. However a great deal of courage shown by Tom Sawyer prevented the true killer from going free. This aspect of a respectable society takes a great deal of bravery and moral fiber. It would have been easy for Tom to stay quiet and allow the trial of Muff Potter to go through. However, Tom had grown up in such a society that he could not allow himself to go unspoken because he understood the repercussions of his inaction. The standards of a respectable society must be able to translate from one generation to another in order for a society to carry on its legacy. It is important for adults to help the generations below them truly value a high standard of moral convictions. This will shape the society for generations to come and these people will know they have left a positive and long lasting mark on their society. The adults were a greatly diverse group of people in Twain’s story. It is hard to answer such a basic question as “are the adults respectable in the story?” without going into individual analysis. A character such as Injun Joe is easy to define. This character does nothing throughout the story except lie, steal, and murder. Joe does a disservice to the community because of his actions. Muff Potter is harder to define. Some conservative readers may see him in the same light as Injun Joe. Potter drank excessively and also stole. This was part of the reason the story of his murdering Dr. Robinson could be believed. However, Potter can also be seen in a completely different perspective, he can be seen as a poor individual who came upon rough times and was too weak to resist the temptations of alcohol. He is shown in the story as a man who is not very self-conscious and could easily be convinced to do things and also believe certain stories. Every society has its weak members who may just need a little help to pick themselves up and be able to start all over again when the right opportunity comes along. Muff Potter, while not necessarily known for making all the proper decisions, should still be seen as more respectable than not. Characters such as Aunt Polly and Judge Thatcher should be seen at the opposite end of th...