The Adventures of Tom Sawyer | Conclusion | Summary

Summary

The novel ends with a short section noting that the story is the "history of a boy." It ties to the preface in that the author inserts himself directly, writing about the fact that the book is a novel, a story, and a history. Furthermore, these two paragraphs state that "most of the characters" are alive, "prosperous and happy." It also alludes to the possibility that the author will "take up the story of the younger ones" in the future.

Analysis

The conclusion is two short paragraphs, shorter even than the preface in length. Twain does, in fact, "take up" the story of one of the younger characters in the future: He wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn years later. That novel, which is arguably Twain's best-known work, is a companion to this one.