The+Receding+Rebels

Tom Sawyer OER
In the excerpt, "The Cat and the Pain-Killer" from the book, "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain, Tom misses his best friend Becky. In the beginning of the story Tom feels melancholy because his friend, Becky, is ill. By the end of the of the of the story, Tom is happier, and is no longer consumed by depression. This change is caused by Tom deciding to get over his long state of heartache. He uses the pain-killer to disguise his plan of getting over Becky. As the story states, "Tom felt like it was time to wake up from his long state of sickness and heartache. so he thought over various plans for relief and and hit upon the idea of professing to be fond of pain-killer." This proves that the was using the pain-killer in order to get over Becky. Tom's change is caused by his decision to wake up and smell the coffee. Furthermore, Aunt Polly's quack treatments help him stimulate his decision to wake up from his long state of heartache. Before, he was reluctant to get over her, but after drinking the Pain-Killer, he is able to let go. As the story states, "The boy could not have shown a wilder interest if she had built a fire under him." The Pain-Killer sparks an idea in Tom's head and helps his decision. Also, the Pain-Killer worked as his cover. If the Pain-Killer didnt exist, neither would Tom's decision to let go. The Pain-Killer was an important part of Tom. Just like Tom I too have felt downcast when I lost a valued friend. However, unlike Tom, I could not see my best friend in person for almost 7 years, while Tom did not see Becky for about a few weeks. In the summer after kindergarten, my best friend moved to India. I was very somber at first but after a while I got over my distress by making new best friends. Every now and then I video chat with her on Skype, or call her phone number. Even though we haven't seen each other for 7 years and she lives on a different continent, we are still best friends. All in all, Tom should know that even though Becky cannot be with him every second of his life, she is still his best friend, and will support him no matter what. He shouldn't stay grief-stricken with loneliness and move on, because life doesn't stop for the greatest of people; it keeps going on. "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. (Buddha)

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