Tom Sawyer: Mirrors of Childhood and Fear
By Michelle Leivan (“MollyArty”)
Hello Franklies! I’m sharing a reflection sparked by The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, June's Book Club read. It is Mark Twain’s classic tale of a mischievous boy navigating the rough-and-tumble world of 19th-century Missouri. For those new to the story, it follows Tom Sawyer and his friend Huck Finn as they stumble through adventures filled with humor, mischief, and moments of unexpected gravity, like witnessing a murder. This timeless novel captures a bygone era of childhood freedom, contrasting sharply with today’s structured lives, and it’s this contrast that recently stirred a personal memory and the attached image from my sketchbook.
The scene that struck me is the cemetery encounter, where Tom and Huck secretly watch Injun Joe and Muff Potter commit a grave-robbing and murder under the moonlit night. It’s a pivotal moment, painted with tension and dread, where the boys are hidden yet exposed to the shadowy parts of human nature’s greed, violence, and guilt. To me, it’s as if they’re peering into a mirror, not just seeing the criminals but catching a haunting reflection of their own potential futures. This twisted rite of passage forces them to confront the darker truths of the adult world, a stark awakening for two boys used to pranks and play.
This mirror theme echoed a childhood memory of my own. Back when I was about Tom’s age, six of us girls had a sleepover at my friend Barb’s house. Her parents had slipped out to the local bar, leaving us with the run of the place. We decided to try the Bloody Mary ritual, you know, where you stand in a dark bathroom, face the mirror, and chant, “I believe in Bloody Mary” three times to summon her ghost. I was picked to go first. My heart was hammering as I whispered the words, staring into that dim mirror. Then, bam! —I swore I saw a red, shadowy figure flicker in the glass. It was probably my own scared face playing tricks, but I screamed, bolted out, and ran all the way home, leaving my friends in a mix of laughter and panic.
That night, like Tom and Huck in the cemetery, I think I saw something in that mirror, not just a ghost, but a glimpse of my own fear, my own wild imagination staring back. We had the freedom to scare ourselves silly, to test our courage with no adults around to rein us in. It makes me a little sad to think how kids today are so scheduled—sports, screens, rules, compared to the open-ended adventures Tom had or the unsupervised chaos my friends and I got into. Reflecting on Twain’s story and my memory, I wonder what this shift means for growing up. Without those unfiltered moments to face ourselves, are we losing a vital piece of what shapes us? It’s a thought that leaves me a bit wistful.
I’d love to hear your thoughts—any childhood adventures or book moments that mirror this for you? Share below!
—MollyArty
Michelle Leivan, a Kansas-based painter, creates vibrant portraits that explore human psyche and identity. With a BFA from Fort Hays State University, her work blends influence from Frida Kahlo and André Derain. Using symbolic colors, like yellow for energy, she reveals hidden emotions. Accompanied by fifty-word mini sagas, her art challenges superficial views in a polarized, tech-driven world. Leivan’s mission is to captivate viewers with insights beyond the obvious. Her work has been featured at the Kansas State Capitol, U.S. Embassy in Paraguay, and in collections like the Mulvane Art Museum.