Do we like them?

Do we like Tom Sawyer?

A character from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)

Our score: 7 out of 10. A lovable rascal with a good heart and real courage when it counts. We'd back him, though we'd keep an eye on our fence and our wallets.

Tom Sawyer lives in the sleepy river town of St. Petersburg, a fictional place based on Mark Twain's boyhood home of Hannibal, Missouri. He is an orphan raised by his strict but loving Aunt Polly. He hates chores and school, and he loves pirates, robbers and adventure stories, so he turns ordinary life into a game.

His best-known trick is getting out of whitewashing a fence. He persuades the other boys that the job is a privilege, and they pay him for the chance to do it. He is clever, a showman and a born con artist, but he is rarely cruel. He chases the affections of Becky Thatcher and keeps up a loyal friendship with the outcast Huckleberry Finn.

Tom's games turn serious when he and Huck witness a crime at night. Tom has to choose between staying safe and doing what is right. He picks courage over comfort, even though it frightens him. Later he faces danger again in a cave, where his nerve and resourcefulness help protect others.

We give him a 7. He is vain, impulsive and fond of tall tales, and his romantic dramatics can be thoughtless. Under the mischief, though, he has a real conscience, he is brave, and he is loyal to his friends. He is a rascal we would happily back.