The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete, Chapter 7 summary

What happens

1. Bored with studying, Tom releases a tick and plays with Joe Harper on a slate divided into two territories.
2. Tom breaks their rule by touching the tick on Joe’s side, and the teacher strikes both boys during their argument.
3. At noon, Tom and Becky secretly return to the empty school, draw together, and share chewing gum.
4. Tom explains engagement, kisses Becky, and exchanges promises with her to love and marry nobody else.
5. Tom mentions Amy Lawrence, and Becky cries because he has already been engaged to someone else.
6. Becky rejects Tom’s apologies and brass knob; he leaves school, and she searches for him before facing the afternoon alone.

In this chapter

What to notice

Becky recognizes that Tom has made such promises before. This discovery turns their happy meeting into a quarrel.

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