The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete, Chapter 3 summary

What happens

1. Aunt Polly rewards the finished fence with an apple, and Tom steals a doughnut before pelting Sid with dirt.
2. Tom directs his boys to victory against Joe Harper’s army, then notices an unfamiliar girl and immediately forgets Amy Lawrence.
3. Tom shows off for the girl, retrieves the pansy she throws, and stays near her fence until nightfall.
4. Sid breaks the sugar bowl, but Aunt Polly strikes Tom and refuses to apologize after learning the truth.
5. Tom avoids Mary’s cheerful return, retreats to the river, and imagines his death bringing remorse and sympathy.
6. Tom lies beneath the girl’s window until a maidservant drenches him; he returns home angry and goes to bed without prayers.

In this chapter

What to notice

Tom’s imagined suffering produces real tears. The line shows how actively he cultivates his misery after receiving unfair punishment.

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