1 Timothy 4:12 says “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity”. Students should not let anyone speak negatively about them; but they should stand up for what they believe in and speak love and truth. Bible verses just like Classics relinquish morals and inspiration to do something significant in the world. Tom Sawyer is inspirational and is filled with encouraging words, just like bible verses.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a better book for teachers to teach to their students, than Black Beauty, because it is entertaining, it is youthful, and it is complex. The novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is very entertaining. It has interesting characters with diversity as there are “white, mulatto, and negro boys and girls were always there waiting their turns, resting, trading playthings, quarreling, fighting, skylarking”. (Twain #2) All the boys and girls hang out at Cardiff Hill as Tom is doing his chores by painting his fence white.
Tom bribed others and persuaded them that painting the fence was fun, so in return of Tom letting them paint the fence they gave him something in return. In Black Beauty there was extensive amounts of intense and graphic described scenes, one of Back Beauty’s friends said “my doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt. ” (Sewell #38) The novel would be too much for students to handle as animals in the book are abused and go through rough times it would be impacting on them.
The children might see the world as cruel and unjust environment after reading the book. On the other hand Tom Sawyer is funny and uplifting as “presently he bethought him of a treasure he had and got it out, it was a large black beetle with formidable jaws—a “pinch-bug,” he called it. ” (Twain #5) Tom was bored while listening to a church sermon so he let out his stink bug, but a dog finds the beetle and sits on him; he yells in agony, runs around the church to the merriment of the crowd, and makes a quick exit. The crowd finds this amusing and an uplifting event just like the book itself.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a great book to read for so many reasons but the main one is that it is a “feel good” story that will transport you into the time period and lifestyle of Tom himself. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a better book for teachers because the students are youthful and so are the characters included in the book. Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Fin had hopes to find treasure and explore the world one day, “His hard pantings were his only reply, and the boys fixed their eyes on the goal of their hopes and bent to their work to win it. (Twain #10)
One night, Tom Sawyer sneaks out of his house and finds Huck waiting with his dead cat but they found Joe and Muff and learned that they were out to help rob the grave for the doc; Injun Joe bears some kind of grudge against the doctor and stabs the doctor in the chest and the boys can only look forward to their goals in life and forget about the quarrel. That insane adventure keeps students entertained in the story and it can apply to them when students get into a tough situation that when they get out that they should look forward to their goals and let go of the past.
As Black Beauty is a mysterious book about evil people and abusing animals, it could be harsh for students to read; “He said cruelty was the devil’s own trademark, and if we saw any one who took pleasure in cruelty we might know who he belonged to, for the devil was a murderer from the beginning, and a tormentor to the end. ” (Sewell #13) Black Beauty and his friends are forced to pull a carriage, and the power from the pulling reins forces their heads into a frame which strains the horses muscles and is extremely painful. This book would be hard to teach to students as there aren’t a lot of morals, funny adventures or youthful themes.
Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn had dreams that they wished they could pursue like they wanted to be robbers and pirates to steal money, “Don’t tell me there ain’t anything in dreams, any more” (Twain #18) Tom and Huck throughout the book tried to chase their dreams and follow them but during the process they run into many problems and situations were they are stuck in. This book would be best to teach to students because it has a lot of morals for young children as children try to follow their dreams too and face problems and difficulty. The youthful theme in this book is applicable as the students reading are also youthful.
The best book for teachers to teach to their students because it is educational and introduces new vocabulary and lexicon is the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. As the book is complex, it can help teachers teach students new vocabulary; “Presently the hide-and-seek frolicking began, and Tom and Becky engaged in it with zeal until the exertion began to grow a trifle wearisome; then they wandered down a sinuous avenue holding their candles aloft and reading the tangled webwork of names, dates, postoffice addresses, and mottoes with which the rocky walls had been frescoed in candle-smoke. (Twain #31). In this quotes there are hard words that can be identified and taught to a student. The quote has many layers that can be explained and taught as it has not only challenging vocabulary but also complex sentence structure. On the other hand, Black Beauty has basic quotes men were “both brutes and blockheads. ” (Sewell #10). Although the quote has two vocabulary terms, it is short and straight forward without any complexity for teachers to teach to students.
It I understandable without explanation and teaching but Tom Sawyer can be taught and explained with further guidance and morals. Not only is Tom Sawyer complex it is also relatable, “Tom was a glittering hero once more—the pet of the old, the envy of the young, his name even went into immortal print, for the village paper magnified him”. (Twain #24). After Tom’s testimony against Injun Joe, he acknowledges his close relationship between his misbehavior and his acts of heroism.
I think that this can be influential today because students misbehave as well as acting well and according to what others say and that is what Tom did. Tom Sawyer is overall a better book for teachers to teach to their students as the content and information has not surpassed its own generation as the book has. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is a better book for teachers to teach to students because it is amusing, fascinating, and enjoyable. The book is very entertaining as well as, it has intertwining characters that are relatable to young children and students.
Since the book is based off of youth and young characters this applies well to the bible as they show love, faith and purity towards others. While Black Beauty is dark and dreary, and everyone in the book “who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed”. As students are young and youthful, they should not let anyone speak negatively about them; but they should stand up for what they believe in, and trust in the Lord to give them wise words of wisdom in speech.