Tryst with destiny

Tryst with Destiny speech by India's first PM Nehru

"Long years ago... we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes, but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance.

It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity.

At the dawn of history India started on her unending quest, and trackless centuries are filled with her striving and the grandeur of her success and her failures. Through good and ill fortune alike she has never lost sight of that quest or forgotten the ideals which gave her strength. We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again.

The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?

Freedom and power bring responsibility. The responsibility rests upon this Assembly, a sovereign body representing the sovereign people of India. Before the birth of freedom we have endured all the pains of labour and our hearts are heavy with the memory of this sorrow. Some of those pains continue even now. Nevertheless, the past is over and it is the future that beckons to us now.

That future is not one of ease or resting but of incessant striving so that we may fulfil the pledges we have so often taken and the one we shall take today. The service of India means the service of the millions who suffer. It means the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity.

The ambition of the greatest man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye. That may be beyond us, but as long as there are tears and suffering, so long our work will not be over.

And so we have to labour and to work, and work hard, to give reality to our dreams. Those dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for anyone of them to imagine that it can live apart.

Peace has been said to be indivisible; so is freedom, so is prosperity now, and so also is disaster in this one world that can no longer be split into isolated fragments.

To the people of India, whose representatives we are, we make an appeal to join us with faith and confidence in this great adventure. This is no time for petty and destructive criticism, no time for ill will or blaming others. We have to build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell.

The appointed day has come - the day appointed by destiny - and India stands forth again, after long slumber and struggle, awake, vital, free and independent. The past clings on to us still in some measure and we have to do much before we redeem the pledges we have so often taken. Yet the turning point is past, and history begins anew for us, the history which we shall live and act and others will write about.

It is a fateful moment for us in India, for all Asia and for the world. A new star rises, the star of freedom in the east, a new hope comes into being, a vision long cherished materialises. May the star never set and that hope never be betrayed!

We rejoice in that freedom, even though clouds surround us, and many of our people are sorrow-stricken and difficult problems encompass us. But freedom brings responsibilities and burdens and we have to face them in the spirit of a free and disciplined people.

On this day our first thoughts go to the architect of this freedom, the father of our nation, who, embodying the old spirit of India, held aloft the torch of freedom and lighted up the darkness that surrounded us.

We have often been unworthy followers of his and have strayed from his message, but not only we but succeeding generations will remember this message and bear the imprint in their hearts of this great son of India, magnificent in his faith and strength and courage and humility. We shall never allow that torch of freedom to be blown out, however high the wind or stormy the tempest.

Our next thoughts must be of the unknown volunteers and soldiers of freedom who, without praise or reward, have served India even unto death.

We think also of our brothers and sisters who have been cut off from us by political boundaries and who unhappily cannot share at present in the freedom that has come. They are of us and will remain of us whatever may happen, and we shall be sharers in their good and ill fortune alike.

The future beckons to us. Whither do we go and what shall be our endeavour? To bring freedom and opportunity to the common man, to the peasants and workers of India; to fight and end poverty and ignorance and disease; to build up a prosperous, democratic and progressive nation, and to create social, economic and political institutions which will ensure justice and fullness of life to every man and woman.

We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for anyone of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be.

We are citizens of a great country, on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage communism or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought or in action.

To the nations and people of the world we send greetings and pledge ourselves to cooperate with them in furthering peace, freedom and democracy.

And to India, our much-loved motherland, the ancient, the eternal and the ever-new, we pay our reverent homage and we bind ourselves afresh to her service.

Jai Hind."

 

 

Some expressions used in formal and informal contexts

Greetings 

Good morning sir, How are you? 

Good afternoon madam. 

Good evening to all. 

Hello! How are you? 

Hi! 

Hey! 

Hello! 

How do you do? 

Hello, everybody.

Response to greetings

Good morning Sir, 

I am fine, thank you. 

Good morning madam. 

Good evening. 

I am good, thanks. 

Thank you very much.

I am excellent. 

Hi, 

Hey!

For awesome students watch this!

Introducing oneself

I’d like to introduce myself, I am Kavya, 

I am in the second-year Intermediate MPC group and I‘m from Tirupathi. 

Let me introduce myself I’m... 

I’ll introduce myself. I am... 

Hello! I’m... 

Hi! I’m Virat Kohli, Please call me Kohli … 

My name is Venkat, I’m a software engineer

For the students with thirst for learning

Learn from movies and other stuff

Introducing others

I’d like to introduce Mr Anantha Rao. He is our new Maths Lecturer from Vijayawada. 

I feel privileged to introduce ... 

Let me introduce ... 

May I introduce... 

It gives me great pleasure to introduce... 

Here’s Mr Ravi, 

I’d like you to meet Mr Rao, 

Hello, Sandhya, meet my cousin. 

Hello Yashwanth, meet my sister Bhanu.

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Giving personal information

My name is ..., 

I’m....... years old, 

My native place is..., 

I studied in......, 

I have completed..., 

I would like to do..., 

My hobbies are..., 

I’m fond of.... .…., 

I’m interested in..., 

I’m delighted to be..., 

I’m happy to be... 

I’m looking forward...

Making request

Give me your pen, please. 

Please can you explain this story? 

Please, could you lend me your mobile for a call? 

Would you lend me Rs.500/-? 

Would you please help me.? 

Please shut the window. 

I wonder if you would shut the door. 

If you don’t mind, post this letter, please.

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Seeking Permission

Can I use your mobile for a call, please? 

May I come in? 

May I know your group? 

May I sit beside you? 

Could I leave the office a little early? 

Could I take your bike? 

May I leave the class a little early? 

Shall I go out?

a small scene to give you better understanding

Making offer

Can I bring you a cup of coffee? 

Will you please come to my house for dinner? 

Would I bring you a C.D. of Spoken English? 

Could I bring you tickets for the cricket match? 

Can I help you? 

May I help you?

Giving Suggestions/ Advice

Shall we watch the cricket match tonight? 

Let’s join the Spoken English Course. 

Why don’t you consult a doctor? 

Don’t waste your time, please. 

Work while you work and play while you play. 

You would better stop smoking. 

It is better if you would join the MPC group. 

I advise you to consult the manager. 

I sincerely advise you not to neglect your studies.

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Seeking Information

Tell me the way to Junior college, please. 

Please inform me of the last date for paying the fee. 

Could you tell me when the K.K. Express will arrive at the station? 

Would you mind telling me the bus fare to Kuppam? 

Could you tell me the way to the medical shop? 

Could you kindly inform me of the re-opening date of the college? 

Please tell me whether our Principal is on leave?

Giving a positive answer/ response

Yes. Yes, Please. certainly, surely, 

With pleasure, yes of course.

Giving a negative answer/ response

No, Never, Sorry, I’m really sorry, I can’t, 

I don’t know, Sorry I’m helpless

Expressing apology

Please forgive me. 

I’m really sorry. It’s my fault. 

I really feel bad about it. 

Please allow me to offer my apology. 

I’m sorry for being late. 

Sorry to interrupt you. 

I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.

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Expressing agreement

I agree, 

I agree to an extent, 

I think you’re right, 

That’s a nice idea, 

I entirely agree, 

That’s great, 

That’s perfectly all right, 

Yes, 

certainly, 

You’re absolutely right, 

What a wonderful idea!

Expressing Disagreement

I’m afraid I disagree, 

Well I don’t know 

Well, I wouldn’t say that, 

I’m afraid, I’m not convinced

Telephone Talk

Hello, Could I speak to Mr Ravana, please? 

I’m Usha, speaking, 

Can I speak to Archana, please? 

Hi, is Prakash there? 

I’m sorry, he is not available at present. 

Please be on the line, 

May I call you back? 

Could you please ask him/her to give me a ring, my mobile no. is 9440131865. 

Could you repeat the number, please? 

Thanks for calling.

Click here for Model Conversations

Conversation Exercises

 Exercise

Do the following tasks. Show them to your lecturer and act out the dialogues with a partner

1. Construct a dialogue between two students to introduce themselves on the first day of

college and their conversation about their school/college and home town.

2. Construct a dialogue between a teacher and a student who has not done his home work.

3. Write a dialogue between two friends who have met after two years and who are trying to update themselves about each other.

4. Write a dialogue between the lecturer and a student who is trying to find out from the

lecturer about the different career options available to him after the intermediate course.

5. Imagine you are a customer and have gone to Big-C, a mobile show room to buy a new

mobile phone. Construct a dialogue between yourself and the shop keeper.

6. Imagine you are selected for an interview to get a job in a software company. Write a

dialogue between yourself and the interviewer.

Model Conversations/dialogues

1) Introducing oneself

a) Anil: Good morning, I’m Anil, I’m studying II year CEC 

Sunil: Good morning, I’m Sunil, Glad to meet you.

Anil: Glad to meet you too, how are you?

Sunil: Fine, thank you, how about you?

Anil: I’m also fine, see you again, bye.

Sunil: It’s ok bye.

b) Mounika : Hi! I’m Mounika from SPW Junior College, Tirupati.

Pallavi: Hi! Mounika, Nice to meet you, I’m Pallavi from Govt. Junior College for Girls, Pakala.

Mounika: Nice meeting you too. Are you preparing for NEET?

Pallavi: Yes, I’m preparing for NEET, I have taken coaching from our college.

Mounika: It’s good, wish you all the best.

Pallavi: Thank you, bye.

Mounika: Goodbye.

2) Introducing others

a) Akhil: Hello, Kiran I’d like to introduce Mr Siva to you. He is my friend and he is from Kurnool.

Kiran: Hello, Siva glad to meet you, I’m Kiran, doing II year Intermediate and I’m a close friend of Akhil.

Siva: Hi! Kiran, Glad to meet you too. I am studying II MPC in Kakinada.

See you later, bye.

Kiran: Yes, see you later, goodbye.

b) Nandu: Hi, Charan, are you going to college?

Charan: Yes I’m going to college.

Nandu: Charan, meet my sister, Veena and she has joined I year in our college. Veena, Charan is my classmate and close friend.

Veena: Hi! Nice to meet you Charan.

Charan : Veena, Nice meeting you too. How is our college? 

Veena: It’s good, I feel happy here, bye.

Charan: Goodbye.

3) Making requests

Ramya : Hi! Kavya how are you?

Kavya : Hi !Ramya, I am fine thank you.

Ramya : Hey! I didn’t see you yesterday

Kavya : Yes, yesterday I had been to Tirupati.

Ramya : Oh !I see

Kavya : Ramya, yesterday I missed the English Class. Could you please give me your English notes?

Ramya : Yes, I will give you. But when will you return it to me?

Kavya : Not so long. I will return your book tomorrow.

Ramya : Kavya, I don’t mind even if you give it the next day. Here it is, take it.

Kavya : Thank you Ramya, bye.

Ramya : Good bye.

4) Inviting your friend to your birthday party

Sneha : Hi, Indu, how are you?

Indu : Hi, Sneha, I am fine thank you and how about you?

Sneha : I am also fine and nice to meet you Indu, tomorrow is my birthday.

Indu : Oh! Very nice, wish you a happy birthday in advance.

Sneha : Indu, Now I have come here to invite you and the members of your family for my birthday function.

Indu : Is there a party?

Sneha : Yes, I have planned to arrange a small party for our friends.

Indu : Sneha, have you invited all our friends?

Sneha : Yes, I have invited our friends and our classmates.

Indu : Very good, at what time will you be cutting the cake?

Sneha : Indu, it is planned that the cake will be cut at 7 pm and after that dinner is arranged at my home.

Indu : OK, Sneha I will attend your birthday function.

Sneha : Indu, won’t miss the party, please do attend.

Indu : Sneha, I won’t miss the party and I will attend the function without fail.

Sneha : Thank you Indu, bye.

Indu : Goodbye.

5) Dialogue between the teacher and a student who has come to class late

Student : Good morning sir, May I come in? Teacher : Good morning Naveen, Why are you late? Student : Sorry sir, my bus was late.

Teacher : Naveen, don’t blame on the bus. You missed the bus. At what time did you come to the bus stop?

Student : Sir, I came to the bus stop at 8.30 a.m. in the morning.

Teacher : Naveen, you have to come to the bus stop a little early, then only you can catch the early bus and come to class in time.

Student : Yes, Sir, I will start early from home from tomorrow onwards

Teacher : Naveen, at what time do you get up in the morning? Student : Sir, I get up at 6 a.m. daily.

Teacher : Naveen, it is not right and you have to get up between 4:00 and 4:30 a.m daily in the morning. Then only, you will be active.

Student : Yes sir, from tomorrow onwards, I will try to get up early in the morning.

Teacher : Naveen, it is my last warning. If you come late from tomorrow, you will be strictly punished.

Student : Yes, sir, from tomorrow, I will not be late.

Teacher : OK, Now you may come in.

Student : Thank you sir.

6) At the railway reservation counter (Between the passenger and the clerk)

Usha : Excuse me, sir

Clerk : Yes madam, What can I do for you?

Usha : Sir, I want to go to Vijayawada. Could you please tell me if a berth is available?

Clerk : Please tell me the date of your travel.

Usha : I have to go on 15th of this month.

Clerk : Do you need a berth in A/C or Non A/C?

Usha : In any class, no problem.

Clerk : Please wait, let me check. Madam, a berth is available in III A/C in Seshadri Express. Please fill the application form and give it to me.

Usha : Sir, one more thing. I want to book a return journey also.

Clerk : It’s ok, when?

Usha : My return journey will be on the 25th of this month. May I use the same form?

Clerk : OK, you can use the same form. In which train for the return journey?

Usha : Sheshadri Express. Here is the form.

Clerk : Give me Rs. 3650/- for onward and return journey tickets.

Usha : Sir, here is the money.

Clerk : Here are your tickets.

Usha : Thank you, sir.

7) At the reception counter of a hotel (Between the receptionist and the guest)

Receptionist : Good morning Sir, May I help you? 

Guest : Good morning, I need a room.

Receptionist : Sir, do you require a single or double room? 

Guest : I need a single room.

Receptionist : Please fill your name and address in this register

Guest : May I know the tariff, please? 

Receptionist : It is seven hundred rupees a day. 

Guest : Is the room air-conditioned?

Receptionist : All our rooms are centrally air-conditioned. 

Guest : Do you have a restaurant?

Receptionist : Yes, we have a restaurant and it offers Indian, Western and Chinese cuisine.

Guest : Well! That’s good. I can choose different cuisine for different meals.

Receptionist : May I know the duration of your stay?

Guest : It all depends on how early or how late I am going to finish my work. But approximately, it is for two days.

Receptionist : Please inform us about your extension one day earlier.

Guest : Sure. I’m tired, can you please ask the boy to bring my luggage to the room?

Receptionist : Certainly, here’s your key. 

Guest : Thank you very much 

Receptionist : You’re welcome.

8. At the hospital (Between the doctor and the patient)

Patient : Good morning, doctor.

Doctor : Good morning, What’s your problem?

Patient : Sir, I’m feeling weak and I’m unable to walk even a little distance. 

Doctor : What’s your appetite like?

Patient : Not at all good. I don’t feel like eating anything.

Doctor : Have you had any fever?

Patient : Well, I do feel feverish all the time.

Doctor : All right, let me check your temperature first. There’s nothing wrong with the pulse. Please lie down on that table, I will examine.

Patient : Yes, doctor.

Doctor : Do you feel pain here?

Patient : Yes, some.

Doctor : And here?

Patient : Oh! That’s quite painful.

Doctor : Nothing to worry about. I’m prescribing two types of tablets. Take one before meals and the other after meals for three days. Don’t eat any fried or spicy food. Drink milk and follow your regular diet.

Patient : Thank you, doctor.

Doctor : It’s ok.

9. At the bank (Between the customer and the clerk)

Customer : Excuse me sir.

Clerk : Yes, what can I do for you?

Customer : Sir, I would like to open an account in your bank.

Clerk : You are most welcome. Where do you live?

Customer : I live in Lakshmi Nagar, Srikakulam.

Clerk : OK, please read this form carefully. Do you want to open savings or current account?

Customer : Savings account.

Clerk : You have to bring a document for address proof such as an electricity bill or phone bill.

Customer : How much will I have to deposit for opening the account? 

Clerk : Do you want a chequebook?

Customer : Yes.

Clerk : You have to open the account with one thousand rupees. You’ll get the cheque book by post after 10 or 15 days.

Customer : Sir can I have an ATM Card?

Clerk : Yes, just tick at the relevant column. You’ll get it after 6 or 7 days by post.

Customer : Sir, how many photos will be required?

Clerk : Two photos will be needed, one you have to affix on the form and another will be pasted on your passbook.

Customer : Thank you, sir, I will bring photos and deposit the amount tomorrow. 

Clerk : It’s ok.

10. At a restaurant (Between the customer and the waiter)

Customer : Waiter!

Waiter : Yes sir, what can I do for you?

Customer : Bring the Menu card.

Waiter : Sir, here it is.

Customer : Is this veg or non-veg?

Waiter : It is purely veg sir.

Customer : OK, what do you have, hot?

Waiter : Idly, vada and dosa are hot.

Customer : Bring me a plate of Idly and tell the master to prepare a dosa also. 

Waiter : Yes, sir.

Customer : Waiter!

Waiter : Yes, please.

Customer : This jug is empty. Pour some water. Is it aqua water? 

Waiter : Yes, sir.

Customer : Where’s the washbasin?

Waiter : That side, sir.

Customer : Waiter! Get me a cup of coffee. 

Waiter : Here you are, sir.

Customer : Get me the bill.

Waiter : Yes, sir, here’s the change.

Customer : Keep it for you.

Waiter : Thank you, sir.

11. At the market (Between the shopkeeper and the customer)

Shop keeper : Sir, please come, we’ve all varieties of vegetables.

Customer : Do you have brinjals?

Shop keeper : Yes sir.

Customer : How much is a kilo? 

Shop keeper : Rs. 20/- per kilo.

Customer : Are they fresh? Let me see.

Shop keeper : Here you are!

Customer : I’ve picked up the fresh one. Please weigh a kilo.

Shop keeper : Yes sir, what else do you want? 

Customer : I want bitter gourd, what’s its price? 

Shopkeeper: It’s Rs. 40/- per kilo.

Customer : My God! Prices are very heavy. 

Shop keeper : How much do you want?

Customer : Half a kilo is enough.

Shop keeper : Shall I give you some curry leaf?

Customer : Yes, that’s important.

Shop keeper : Tomatoes are fresh. We’ve got them just now from the garden. 

Customer : OK, give me a kilo. By the by, What’s the price?

Shop keeper : It’s only Rs. 10/- per kilo.

Customer : Thank God! I’ll purchase some more items tomorrow. For the present, these are enough. How much is the total?

Shop keeper : Total Rs. 50/- sir. 

Customer : Here is the amount.

Shop keeper : Thank you sir.

12. Telephonic conversation and leaving a message 

Muralidhar : Hello! Can I speak to Mr. Bhaskar? 

Receptionist : May I know who is speaking? 

Muralidhar : I’m Muralidhar, a friend of Bhaskar.

Receptionist : Sir, at the moment Mr. Bhaskar is not in the office.

Muralidhar : I have to speak to him urgently.

Receptionist : You can try his mobile number. Do you have his mobile number, sir?

Muralidhar : I have tried his mobile, it says it is switched off. 

Receptionist : Sir, actually he has gone to attend an important meeting.

Muralidhar : I see. I’m going to leave a message with you, please convey it to him as soon as he comes.

Receptionist : Sure sir, what’s the message?

Muralidhar : Actually we have to meet a friend of ours who is suffering from fever in the hospital. Mr. Bhaskar has to pick me up from my home at 9 a.m. tomorrow. This programme stands cancelled as I am going to Bangalore today. I will be back within a couple of days. As soon as I come back, I‘ll contact him.

Receptionist : I’ll convey the message to Mr. Bhaskar.

Muralidhar : It is very urgent, please don’t forget. 

Receptionist : Sir, I won’t forget and I’ll convey the message. 

Muralidhar : Thank you.

Receptionist : You’re welcome.

13. Telephonic conversation (Between the principal and the parent) The principal is complaining to the parent about the performance of the student.

Principal : Hello, am I speaking to Prasad?

Prasad : Yes, Prasad speaking.

Principal : Good morning sir, I am Thulasiram, Principal. 

Prasad : Good morning sir, how are you?

Principal : Fine, thanks. I’m sorry to say this. Your son Anvesh, never attends the classes. Even if he attends, he keeps talking to his friends during the lectures and disturbs the whole class.

Prasad : Oh! I am sorry to hear that.

Principal : Sometimes he even argues with the lecturers. 

Prasad : I see.

Principal : I don’t think the lecturers are happy with him.

Prasad : Yes sir, he was very good in high school and never got any complaint.

Principal : Well, I’m glad to hear that. It might be because of his bad friendship.

I often see him with the students who are irregular to class.

Prasad : Sir, how is his performance in the half-yearly exams? He never shows me about the progress at home.

Principal : Not very good. He failed in three subjects and his progress report

was also sent to your home.

Prasad : Oh God! I’m really sad to learn this. Please accept my sincere apologies.

Principal : You need not apologize. Your son should be sorry. If there is no change in his behaviour, severe action will be taken against him.

Prasad : Please excuse him this time. I’ll certainly try to improve his behaviour.

Principal : I’m sure you will do it.

Prasad : Thank you sir.

14. At the post office

Venkat : Excuse me sir.

Counter Clerk : Yes, what can I do for you?

Venkat : Sir, I want to send this letter.

Clerk : Do you want to send it by registered post or speed post? 

Venkat : Sir, which is better?

Clerk : You’d better send it by speed post. It might be quicker.

Venkat : OK. Sir, please do it by speed post.

Clerk : Let me weigh this letter. It’s just over 30 grams. It’ll cost you forty rupees.

Venkat : OK. Sir, here is the amount.

Clerk : Here is the receipt and change.

Venkat : Sir, how many days, will take it to reach Delhi?

Clerk : It will reach Delhi within three days. Within a state, it takes two days and to the other states, it takes three days.

Venkat : Thank you sir.

Clerk : You’re welcome.

15. At the library (Between the librarian and the student to borrow a book)

Gayathri : Excuse me madam, May I come in?

Librarian : Yes, please come in.

Gayathri : Madam, I want to borrow some books.

Librarian : You cannot borrow some books. You can borrow only one book at a time.

Gayathri : I want R.K. Narayan’s ‘The Guide’. 

Librarian : Wait, Let me check.

Gayathri : Is it available madam?

Librarian : Yes, it is available.

Gayathri : Where is it?

Librarian : It is in the 3rd shelf in the left corner. 

Gayathri : Shall I take the book?

Librarian : Where is your old book?

Gayathri : Here it is.

Librarian : What is the name of the book?

Gayathri : It is ‘The Wings of Fire’ by Abdul Kalam. 

Librarian : What is the due date?

Gayathri : I think it is 15th July.

Librarian : What is the date today?

Gayathri : Today is 18th July.

Librarian : You must pay the fine.

Gayathri : Sorry madam. Next time I will return the book within the due date. 

Librarian : It`s OK, take the book.

Gayathri : Thank you madam.

Click here for Exercises

MAJOR CHARACTERS

TOM SAWYER

An imaginative and mischievous boy named Tom Sawyer lives with his Aunt Polly and his half- brother, Sid, in the Mississipi River town of St. Petersburg, Missouri. As the title of the novel suggests, Tom Sawyer is the central character of the novel. Tom appears in almost every scene as the chief character. The one major exception occurs when Tom and Becky are lost in Cave and the focus of the novel switches to Huck Finn's search for Injun Joe.

Central to Tom's character is his age. Twain deliberately did not specify his age. For many readers, Tom's age fluctuates from scene to scene. Most readers like to view Tom's age as approaching puberty-around eleven or twelve years old. If he were younger, he would not be so interested in Becky Thatcher. His fondness for Becky exhibits a caring and maturity that goes beyond only "puppy love." Consider, for example, his protective attitude towards her when he cared for her in the cave episode.

Tom's character is a dynamic one, which moves from enjoyment in the most famous of boyhood games to actions that require a high degree of moral integrity. For example, his highly moral decision to break the boyish oath he took and to reveal Injun Joe's guilt in murdering Dr Robinson--an act that freed an innocent man and placed Tom, himself, in jeopardy. If we view Tom Sawyer simply as a boyhood adventure story, then we must assume that Twain viewed Tom erratically and used many episodes from his own youth at different times over a long period of time. Thus we have two Toms: one who plays boyish pranks on his Aunt Polly and one who has the maturity to save an innocent man and protect a frightened girl.

After playing hooky from school on Friday and dirtying his clothes in a fight, Tom is made to whitewash the fence as punishment on Saturday. At first, Tom is disappointed by having to forfeit his day off. However, he soon cleverly persuades his friends to trade him small treasures for the privilege of doing his work.

Tom accompanies Huckleberry Finn, the son of the town drunk, to the graveyard at night. At the graveyard, they witness the murder of young Dr Robinson by Injun Joe. Scared, Tom and Huck run away and swear not to tell anyone what they have seen. Injun Joe blames his companion Muff Potter, a hapless drunk, for the crime. Potter is wrongfully arrested, and Tom's anxiety and guilt begin to grow.

Tom, Huck and Tom's friend Joe Harper run away to an island to become pirates. While frolicking around and enjoying their new found freedom, the boys become aware that the community is searching in river for their bodies. Tom sneaks back home on night to observe the commotion. After a brief moment of remorse Tom is struck by the idea of appearing at his funeral and surprising everyone. He persuades Huck and Joe to do the same. Their return is met with great rejoicing.

Soon Muff Potter's trial begins, and Tom overcome by guilt, testifies against Injun Joe. Potter is acquitted, but Injun Joe flees the courtroom through a window.

Summer arrives. Tom and Huck go hunting for buried treasure in a haunted house. After entering upstairs they hear a noise below. Peering through holes in the floor, they see Injun Joe and his companion. By an amazing coincidence Injun Joe and his partner find a buried as of gold. Tom and Huck wriggle with delight at the prospect of the treasure. But they are disappointed when Injun Joe and his partner carry the treasure to hide under the cross.

Huck begins to shadow Injun Joe every night. Tom goes on a picnic to McDougal's Cave with Becky and their classmates. The same night, Huck sees Injun Joe and his partner and overhears their plans to attack the Widow Dougals, a kind resident of St. Petersburg. He runs to Mr. Welsh to fetch help. Thus he forestalls the violence and becomes a hero.

Tom and Becky get lost in the cave, and their absence is not discovered until the following morning. The men of the town begin to search for them in vain. Tom and Becky run out of food ad candles and become wea. Tom sees Injun Joe in the cave. He discovers that Injun Joe is using the cave as a hideout. Tom finds a way out of the cave. The town celebrates their return. Becky's father, Judge Thatcher, locks up the cave, Injun Joe, trapped inside, starves to death. A week later, Tom takes Huck to the cave and they find the treasure under the cross. The treasure invested in both Tom and Huck.

HUCKLEBERRY FINN

The adults look upon Huck Finn as a disgrace and as a bad influence upon their sons and daughters. The youngsters look at him with envy because he has complete freedom to do whatever he likes. His only living relative is his father who is the town drunkard and absent most of the time. Huck has no formal education; therefore, he looks to Tom and his book-learning as superior in intelligence to his own common sense. He admires Tom's fanciful notions about how to play games and readily joins in and is content to let Tom be the leader while he himself plays the lesser parts. All the children of the town liked him very much for the care free life oys.

Although Tom is the central or most dynamic character in the novel and the one who changes the most, we should not dismiss the change that occurs in Huck Finn. Huck is an outcast, and he conducts himself as an outcast. Until Mr. Welshman invites and welcomes Huck into his home, Huck has never been invited into anyone's house. He is realistic, knowing that he exists on the periphery of society.

Nevertheless, when the outward layers and superficial forms of society are stripped away, the reader sees another dimension of Huck's character revealed. At the end of the novel he proves his nobility when he risks his own life to protect the Widow Dougals, and unlike the typical boy he does not want praise or recognition. Nevertheless, Huck is very uncomfortable living in a decent house, sleeping in a good bed, wearing decent clothes and shoes, eating good food, and not being allowed to curse, swear, or smoke when he is adopted by the widow.

Huck is centrally involved in the Muff Potter story, the Jackson's Island adventure, and the story of Injun Joe and the treasure. And it is he who stops Injun Joe from attacking Widow Dougals. These final actions win the admiration of the community that had earlier spurned him. Thus the character of Huck develops as the novel progresses from an outcast to admirable boy

About The Author

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), popularly known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher and lecturer. Mark twain is one of the most often quoted figures in literature. His wise words and tr

uisms resonate today as much as they did at the time he wrote them. With lines such as, "If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything,' he champions the positives of a total lack of vanity or pretence about one's self.

He used a pseudonym because he originally worked as a journalist and wanted to keep his two careers separate. The phrase "mark twain" was shouted by river men to indicate a water depth of two (twain) yards marked on a stick, as that was sufficient draught for the hulls of boats to pass by without fear of grounding.

He grew up in the Mississippi delta and that is where he based his famous novels. What characterizes these stories is that they comprehend the world through the eyes and ears of a child and Twain's use of a child's perspective gives the prose a quality of naivety, honesty and charm.

He is one of the most widely quoted novelists, such was his habit of erudition. 

Some of his famous quotes include:

Golf is a good walk spoiled.

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.

All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.

Kindness the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. 

Mark Twain's other best novels include The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Life on Mississippi and The Prince and the Pauper.

SUMMARY

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer tells the story of Tom, an imaginative and mischievous young boy in mid-nineteenth century St. Petersburg, Missouri, who never passes up a chance for an adventure.

Tom Sawyer lives securely with the knowledge that his Aunt Polly loves him dearly. When she scolds him or whips him, he knows that inside her heart lurks a hidden remorse. Tom comes late to school one morning. When the schoolmaster asks Tom why he is late, the empty seat beside Becky catches his eye. Recklessly he confesses he stopped to talk with Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunk. For associating with Huckleberry Finn, Tom is whipped by the schoolmaster and ordered to sit on the girls’ side of the room. Amid the sniggers of the entire class, he takes the empty seat next to Becky

That night, Tom hears Huck’s whistle below his bedroom window. Sneaking out, Tom joins his friend, and the two off to the cemetery. The gloomy atmosphere of the burial ground fills the boys with apprehension, and their fears increase when they spy three figures-Injun Joe, Muff Potter, and Doctor Robinson. Evidently they have come to rob a grave. When the two robbers exhume the body, they begin to quarrel with the doctor about money. In the quarrel, the drunken Potter is knocked out. Then Injun Joe takes Potter’s knife and kills the doctor. When Potter recovers from his blow, he thinks he has killed Robinson, and Injun Joe allows him to believe himself guilty. Terrified, Tom and Huck slip away from the scene, afraid that if Injun Joe discovers them he will kill them, too.

Tom loses all interest in life, brooding over what he and Huck saw in the graveyard. He meets Joe Harper and Huck Finn, and they go to Jackson’s Island and pretend to be pirates. They are beginning to get homesick when they hear a steamboat. Then the boys realize that the townspeople are searching for their bodies. This discovery puts a new aspect on their adventure; the people at home think they were dead. Gleeful, Tom cannot resist the temptation to see how Aunt Polly is reacting to his death. He slips back to the mainland one night and into his aunt’s house, where Mrs. Harper and Aunt Polly are mourning the deaths of their mischievous but of good-hearted children. When Tom returns to the island, he finds Joe and Huck tired of their game and ready to go home. Tom proposes to them an attractive plan which they immediately decide to carry out. When the funeral procession is about to start, Tom, Joe, and Huck march down the aisle of the church into the arms of the startled mourners. For a while, Tom is the hero of all the boys in the town.

After Muff Potter is jailed for the murder of the doctor in the graveyard. Tom and Huck swear to each other they will never utter a word about what they saw. Afraid that Injun Joe will murder them in revenge, they furtively sneak behind the prison and bring Muff food and other cheer; but Tom cannot let an innocent man be condemned. At the trial, he appears to tell what he saw on the night of the murder. While Tom speaks, Injun Joe, a witness at the trial, springs through the window of the courtroom and escapes. For days Tom worries, convinced that Injun Joe will come back to murder him. As time goes by and nothing happens, he gradually loses his fears.

Huck and Tom decide to hunt for pirates’ treasure near an old abandoned house. One night, they watch, unseen, while Injun Joe-who returns to town disguised as a mute Spaniard and a companion unearth a chest of money buried under the floorboards of the house. The two frightened boys flee before they are discovered. The next day, they begin a steady watch for Injun Joe and his accomplice, for they are bent on finding the hidden treasure.

Becky’s parents give a picnic for all the young people in town. One of the biggest excitements of the merrymaking comes when the children go into the cave by the river. The next day, Mrs. Thatcher and Aunt Polly learn that Tom and Becky are missing. No one remembers having seen Tom and Becky after the picnickers left the cave. Meanwhile, Tom and Becky lose their bearings. And wander through the cave’s labyrinthine passages until their last candle burns out beside a freshwater spring. To add to Tom’s terror, he discovers that Injun Joe is also the cave.

Meanwhile, Huck keeps his vigil at Injun Joe’s lodgings in town until the disguised murderer emerges. He then follows Injun Joe and his accomplice and overhears them planning to assault the Widow Dougals. He takes the help of Mr. Welsh to save the widow and chase away her would-be attackers. Huck later learns that he is a public hero.

After Tom and Becky have been inside the cave for five days, Tom finds a way out-at a spot five miles from the main entrance. He and Becky then miraculously reappear in town, where Tom is again acclaimed a hero. To prevent others from getting lost in the cave, Judge Thatcher installs a heavy iron door at its entrance. When Tom recovers from his exhausting ordeal two weeks later and hears about the iron door, he announces that Injun Joe is inside the cave. Townspeople then rush to the cave, where they find Injun Joe lying behind the new door. Dead of starvation.

Using the secret entry that he discovers, Tom later takes Huck back to the cave, where they find the treasure chest hidden by Injun Joe. It contains ten thousand dollars in gold coins. Huck, who now has an income of a dollar a day for the rest of his life, is informally adopted by Widow Dougals. He never would have stayed with the Widow or consented to learn her prim. Tidy ways if Tom had not promised that he would form a pirate gang and make Huck one of the bold buccaneers.