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Chapter 2:. The Glorious Whitewasher. Characters. Tom Sawyer – in trouble. As punishment, he is supposed to whitewash a fence. Jim – supposed to go get water from the pump for his chores. Aunt Polly – has assigned Tom and Jim to do their chores and doesn’t want them to switch.
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Chapter 2: The Glorious Whitewasher
Characters • Tom Sawyer – in trouble. As punishment, he is supposed to whitewash a fence. • Jim – supposed to go get water from the pump for his chores. • Aunt Polly – has assigned Tom and Jim to do their chores and doesn’t want them to switch. • Ben Rogers – plays “steamboat;” Tom is worried that he will make fun of him. • Other neighborhood boys – give up their free time and prized objects to whitewash the fence for Tom.
Setting • This chapter takes place on Saturday in St. Petersburg. Specifically, most of the action occurs along the fence in front of Aunt Polly’s house.
Tom Has to Whitewash • In trouble because of what he did the day before, Tom is supposed to whitewash the fence. He is very depressed about it; after painting three strokes, he sits down. He convinces Jim to trade chores with him, but Aunt Polly finds out and gives Jim a whooping!
Tom’s Great Inspiration • After thinking about trading some of his toys/possessions with neighborhood boys as a way to have them do the work for him, Tom realizes that he could make whitewashing look like fun, and then other boys will WANT to do it. When Ben Rogers comes along playing steamboat, Tom tells him, “Does a boy get to whitewash a fence every day?” Ben gives Tom his apple in exchange for the “opportunity” to do Tom’s chore!
The Fence Is Finished • Ben gets tired of whitewashing, but Tom tricks other neighborhood boys into doing it as well, which results in him having many more “prized possessions” (like marbles, broken glass, and a one-eyed cat). The fence gets three coats of paint, Tom thinks about the difference between Work and Play, and then goes home.
Vocabulary • Whitewash – paint something white with cheap paint • Vigor – energy • Personating – slang for “impersonating” which means “acting like” • Honest Injun – slang for “I swear!”
Narrator’s Descriptions or Funny Comments • At the beginning, the narrator describes what a perfect and beautiful day it is outside. • At the end, the narrator says Tom realizes that “Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.” In other words, the difference between work and play is all in how you think about it!
