Thomas Bailey Aldrich wrote his life-based book The Story of a Bad Boy to capture his childhood in order to share it with the world. It is known that this book inspired Mark Twain to write his book Tom Sawyer (Portsmouth’s Bad Boy 1). Unfortunately little has been compiled on the correlation between the two books. The main characters, Tom Bailey from The Story of a Bad Boy and Tom Sawyer from Tom Sawyer share some of the same elements that make their stories memorable. The characters; such as friends, family, and enemies, and events that happen to both characters are extremely similar and in some cases sound like the authors worked on the books together.

The Story Of A Bad Boy was set in Rivermouth, a small New England village and takes place just before the American Civil War.  The book describes the author’s boyhood, as he grew up by the sea, attended school with friends and enemies, and how bonded with his family. Tom Sawyer was set in St. Petersburg, a town on the Mississippi River. It describes a more mischievous boy with an extremely active imagination who just can’t seem to stay out of trouble. It gives incomparably the best picture of life in the region as yet known to fiction (Howells 1). Both books are realistic looks at what life was like during that time, from slavery, to school, to church, to what children did with their free time.

An Aunts care

Both books describe aunts as main caregivers, but to expand we must dissect them individually. Tom Bailey had his Miss Abigail and Tom Sawyer had his Aunt Polly.  Miss Abigail was extremely persuasive. She was to spend only a few days with her brother when his wife died, but a few days turned into seventeen years. She was a strict, but caring woman who believed in education, manners, and God.  She was a kind-hearted woman who took Tom Bailey with open arms. Although she was set in her ways she had to laugh at Tom for being a child. When he got into mischief she made sure to discuss the straight-and-narrow, but always smiled as she walked away. Miss Abigail managed to take over and run the household with demanding standards even though it was not her house. She had a way of getting things done and whether or not there were objections and everyone appreciated her efforts. Interruption and a strong glare were her weapons of choice and she knew how to use them. Miss Abigail was a “proper” woman with “proper” ideas, she knew the right and wrong way to raise and boy, although she never actually had one her own, and was going to make a “proper” man of Tom Bailey. She loved Tom very much and worried when he got into mischief.  Once when Tom was injured in an explosion she stayed by his bedside night and day till he was better. When he got sick there was only one cure, a bottle of a concoction she made that fixed any aliment. Hot-drops, if a boy broke his leg, or lost his mother Tom believed Miss Abigail would administer them. It tasted terrible, made his mouth burn and no matter how well he tried to avoid swallowing it was impossible.

Miss Abigail was similar to Tom Sawyer’s Aunt, Aunt Polly. She raised Tom and his half-brother Sid, who was a model child everyone loved, but who had an evil side to him. She was a simple, kind-hearted woman and had a time trying to balance her love for Tom with the duty to discipline him. Unfortunately, Tom had a reputation that caused his Aunt Polly to blame him for almost everything whether he had done it or not. This made it hard to believe him because a majority of the time it was his fault. No matter how much trouble he was with her he always managed to get out of it. When she would try and scold him he would yell, “Look out behind you” and run (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 2). She fell for it every time like clockwork. Aunt Polly was determined give and get the best for Tom, a good education and the fear of the Lord.

In both cases aunts were raising children of relatives and did so tenderly with the children’s best interest in mind. They provided not only the bare necessities, but the emotional necessities as well. Love, patience, understanding, and encouragement were given and shown daily. The demand for discipline, obedience, respect, and successful accomplishment of high standards were seen in both characters. With the exceptions of wealth and Tom Bailey’s aunt being more lady-like, these women appear to be somewhat one in the same. Education, manners, God, and cleanliness were high on both their lists for the boys.

A woman’s touch

There were other important women in both character’s lives. Tom Bailey was very fond of Dame Jocelyn. She was stately woman, who in her youth won the affection of George Washington on a visit to Rivermouth. She told wonderful stories of the olden times that Tom could not get enough of on Saturday afternoons. Every person in town respected her, the landlord charged no rent and her neighbors took turns preparing her meals, but she was an aristocrat and would send back food “she had no taste for” with a note that read “Miss Jocelyn’s respectful compliments”(Aldrich 34).

Tom Sawyer leaned to a kind-hearted, pious older woman by the name of Widow Douglas. She is kind and generous woman who at the end of the book decides to adopt Huck Finn. When a party is held in her honor for her thoughtfulness toward a family, all the important people in town came to support her. Her decision to adopt Huck cam after he found a treasure, she knew he needed an adults care and guidance. At first this decision distressed Huck, but in the end he became quiet happy.

In these situations the boys turn to older women for enjoyment through stories, a place to go on the weekends when their friends were busy or their chores were finished. This shows a respect for an older generation and appreciation for history; many of the stories were of how things used to be and how things have changed over only one lifetime. Both women were respected by the town and were influential in its happenings.

Important men for a boy

Not only were there important women in the boys’ lives but important men as well. Tom Bailey had his Grandfather Nutter, who he adored and who adored him.  He was a cheery old man gentleman, who had earned his life. He had been a sailor in his early years and a soldier—a captain of militia in 1812 (Aldrich 41). The one thing Grandfather Nutter was thankful for was the British solider who put a musket-ball into his leg giving him the material for a story he never grew weary of telling and one that Tom never grew weary of hearing.  Grandfather Nutter always had good advice and good advice he gave whether it was asked for or not.

Tom Sawyer, on the other hand, did not have a male roll-model he could aspire to be like. The closes person to fit this position would be Mr. Dobbins, the schoolmaster. Though his aunt wanted an education for him, Tom often played hooky from school to go swimming or play with his friends. Tom’s experiences with Mr. Dobbins usually involve whippings because Tom was always late to class, did not study, and played games when the other children are doing their work. This relationship was a difficult one, but Tom respected the teacher even though he thought he did not need an education because in his mind pirates didn’t need one. Tom had to give it to the teacher for being so persistent in his efforts to reform the “miss-lead” child as pointless as they were. No matter how hard Tom tried to stray there was Mr. Dobbins with a whipping to keep him in line.

Tom Bailey also had a demanding schoolmaster, Mr. Grimshaw. He was head of the Temple Grammar School, near the town square. Mr. Grimshaw was a strong believer in the Three R’s, reading, writing and arithmetic and made sure all the boys in his class knew them too.  He made it clear there was to be no outside influences during class unless he authorized them. This was accomplished by arranging the desks in six rows, with spaces between just wide enough to prevent whispering and the windows were to high to look out of to prevent daydreaming or watching the happenings in town. He was hard to sway and impossible to use an excuse on. An education waits for no one so everyone should get one, this would most likely be the motto for Mr. Grimshaw if he had one.

A boy’s best friend

Every boy needs a best friend and both boys had one that made their boyhoods fantastic. Tom Bailey made an early acquaintance of Jack Harris and remained friends till they considered each other best friends. Jack was s strong person both physically and with authority when it came to the rank of the boys. Jack was a leader not only because he was older but also because he had the plans for games, pranks, and battles against other groups of boys. It was no wonder he grew up to lead a regiment in the Army of the Potomac (Aldrich 3). He always led the boys (South-Enders, because they resided in the Southern part of the town) in the battles of Slatter’s Hill, where under his command they never failed to win. He was not mean or cruel and let the younger boys join in their sport if they could keep up. He was a dependable and loyal friend, the type every boy needed.

Tom Sawyer’s best friend was Joe Harper. Tom and Joe got into mischief all the time, during school, during church or on their own time. They spent many hours being pirates, finding treasure, and playing pranks on little girls and enemies. Joe too was a leader when it came to the ranks. He was usually the lead pirate and the one who followed through with the pranks.  He was also the one who decided it was to be piracy the boys would grow up to have a career in. At the head of their piracy was Jackson’s Island, a deserted forested island three miles down the river from St. Petersburg. Tom, Joe, and Huck sneak out late one night and sail to the island to be pirates, but because they have no means to get supplies, Joe steals bacon from his house to provide a meal. The boys, as horrible as some may have thought, had morals and so decide, “their piracies should not again be sullied with the crime of stealing (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 13).

Slavery in one’s life

As with many people at that time, Tom Bailey’s family had a servant by the name of Kitty Collins. If there were two people who seemed to dislike each other, miss Abigail and Kitty Collins were those two people. If ever two people really loved each other, Miss Abigail and Kitty Collins were those people also. Kitty was very fond of Tom and often talked with him of her relatives, who were descended from a direct line of kings who formerly ruled over Ireland. She was a nurse, a cook, a maid, and as time with the family increase, she became a member of the family.

Tom Sawyer’s Aunt Polly had a slave named Jim. He did all the work Aunt Polly could not get Tom to do. Jim was constantly trying to stay out of Tom’s schemes, Tom would try and trick Jim into doing his work so he could go off and play. No matter how much Aunt Polly would warn Jim he would usually end up doing the work. On occasion Tom would do Jim’s work, only if it was beneficial to him, so Jim could go play with his friends. Jim was a simple boy who did what he was told even if Aunt Polly would never punish him if he did not.

Kitty Collins and Jim are examples of the types of slavery that existed during that time period. Kitty was most likely an indentured servant, although it is never stated, who was to work for the family and eventually earn her freedom. Jim, on the other hand, was owned by Aunt Polly and could only obtain his freedom by her. Both Characters were taken care of and accepted by the family. Tom Sawyer’s slave reminds the reader that the novel is set in the slavery-era South (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer 3).

Experiences that left an impact.

Death is part of life, but for a boy to witness it first hand, it has to leave an impression. Both Tom Bailey and Tom Sawyer experience death at a young and vulnerable age. Tom Bailey and his friends, Binny Wallace, Phil Adams, and Fred Langdon set forth on a voyage in their little boat to an island for the day. The day started beautifully with a clear sky and calm waters as the boys reached the island where they played Robinson Crusoe. When Binny Wallace got back into the boat to retrieve something the boat broke adrift and the tragedy began. Because Binny could not swim, he would not get in the water and because the boat was in a current, the other boys would not be able to catch it. Binny in the boat drifted farther and farther away as the sky grew dark. With a storm that night, Binny had little chance. The other boys were rescued and Binny’s body washed up days later. The death of Binny had to be a personal tragedy for Tom because he had been a good friend to him.

For Tom Sawyer it (death) was a different story. Tom and Huck had gone to a graveyard because Huck was trying out a cure for warts. While they are waiting three figures appear, the town doctor and the town drunks. After arguing over payment, doctor is stabbed and the boys escape unnoticed. When the body is discovered the next day the boys are shocked the wrong man was accused of the murder. Out of fear of being killed themselves the boys say nothing about what they witnessed. Eventually the truth comes out and the real murderer is brought to light.

Until this point both Tom Bailey’s and Tom Sawyer’s adventures had been innocent and harmless, but after each experience death, their childhood’s became interrupted with immortality. They realize the world is not a fun-filled game with a happy ending, but instead that the world has misfortune and sadness. As difficult as it (death) is, Tom Bailey decided to deal with it (death) the only way he knew how, as a child would, that his friend would forever remain young, never have to face the fears of the world and would always remain innocent. Tom Sawyer is also strongly affected by witnessing death. He fears the truth and because of superstitions cannot tell because of repercussions he thinks will happen. An imposter had penetrated his childhood world.

Water adventures

Both boys lived near water and many of their adventures revolved around it. Tom Bailey lived in the town of Rivermouth near Portsmouth (Portsmouth’s Bad Boy 1). While living by the sea Tom was fortunate to meet travelers, sea merchants, and sailors. One of these sailors in particular had a strong influence on Tom. He was a thick-set, jovial man, about fifty years old. The main reason Tom took a liking to the sailor was the enviable loveliness painted on his left arm. It was the head of a woman with the body of a fish. She had livid green flowing hair and held a pink comb in one hand. Tom made it his mission to know this man. The sailor had the most wonderful stories of the sea and other countries. Tom spent much of his time following and watching the sailor because at that time he himself wanted a sailor’s life. It was no wonder Tom became Captain Nutter when traveling the waters with his friends. He and his friends played Christopher Columbus and discovered new islands and played Robinson Crusoe while trapped on an uninhabited island.

They played sailors, sea merchants, and pirates, as did Tom Sawyer with his adventures on the Mississippi. Tom could hardly focus on anything else than his piracy on the waterways. School, church, family, even his girlfriend could not keep him from his voyages. He and his friends would gather supplies, prepare a schedule and set off on what always promised to be the jackpot of explorations. The story line changed from time to time from either pirates to outlaws, but the theme ceased to give. Boys would remain forever unfretted with the adult world and would always have a wonderful time with whatever they did.

Boys would be boys

As with every boy there was, without fail, competition. Conway, the school bully, sized Tom Bailey up his first day at the Temple Grammar School. Tom knew he would have to fight Conway before the school-quarter was over or there would be no rest. As was expected the fight took place in the schoolyard during recess. Conway had a young boy pinned up against a fence and was going to deliver a blow when Tom stepped in to defend his friend. After each boy had consulted his side for advice and prepared for the fight, a circle was formed with human bodies and the opponents were face to face. The entire contest took only seconds, but the outcome lasted a lifetime for the opponents and the schoolboys. Tom retired to his house, battered but triumphant.

Tom Sawyer had his share of boyhood rivalry as well. While out on an adventure on a summer evening Tom encountered a newcomer he instantly saw as a threat. The two boys circled each other, threw insults, and tried to get the other to make the first move. When it was inevitable that there would have to contact, the two went for each other fast and fierce, hoping to scare the other into submission. When this technique failed Tom was able to get the upper hand and won the fight. The newcomer left dusting his clothes and crying while Tom gloated over defending his rank.

Both boys had different motives for fighting. Tom Bailey was defending his friend and Tom Sawyer was getting a fight out of the way that would have most likely occurred in the future anyway. The fights were not to injure, but rather to establish position.  Tom Bailey, until the fight, was not yet secure in the ranks and Tom Sawyer had to maintain his rank to stop a future opposition.

Conclusion

Both stories had obvious similarities, from family members to situations and both stories seemed to play off one another. Both stories are enjoyable and lively, it is no wonder they have been loved by generations. Even though Thomas Bailey Aldrich’s book is a true story, Mark Twain’s book is very believable. The characters in both books are timeless and only the turn of a page away. The lifestyles the main characters lived are truly envied by many and have forever been preserved for anyone to dream about.
 
 

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