What is a character sketch of Tom Sawyer?

Tom is a character of unflagging energy and a real zeal
for trickery. He can con and schmoze his way out of any situation. When the novel
begins, Tom is a mischievous child who envies Huck Finn’s lazy lifestyle and freedom. As
Tom’s adventures proceed, however, critical moments show Tom moving away from his
childhood concerns and making mature, responsible decisions. These moments include Tom’s
testimony at Muff Potter’s trial, his saving of Becky from punishment, and his heroic
navigation out of the cave. By the end of the novel, Tom is coaxing Huck into staying at
the Widow Douglas’s, urging his friend to accept tight collars, Sunday school, and good
table manners. He is no longer a disobedient character undermining the adult order, but
a defender of respectability and responsibility. In the end, growing up for Tom means
embracing social custom and sacrificing the freedoms of childhood.
Yet Tom’s
development isn’t totally coherent. The novel jumps back and forth among several
narrative strands: Tom’s general misbehavior, which climaxes in the Jackson’s Island
adventure; his courtship of Becky, which culminates in his acceptance of blame for the
book that she rips; and his struggle with Injun Joe, which ends with Tom and Huck’s
discovery of the treasure. Because of the picaresque, or episodic, nature of the plot,
Tom’s character can seem inconsistent, as it varies depending upon his situation. Tom is
a paradoxical figure in some respects—for example, he has no determinate age. Sometimes
Tom shows the naïveté of a smaller child, with his interest in make-believe and
superstitions. On the other hand, Tom’s romantic interest in Becky and his fascination
with Huck’s smoking and drinking seem more the concerns of an
adolescent.