Unit 8 1.Talk about and analyze Chapters 9-12 of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. 2.Practice about English reading skills--- skimming and scanning.

Objectives 1. Help the students understand and appreciate Chapters Make the students Practice about English reading skills---skimming and scanning.

Chapter 9 of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” Questions: Read 3rd line on p.73. Why did Tom lie awake and wait in restless impatience? Why did Tom and Huck come to the graveyard? How many people were in the graveyard besides Tom and Huck? Who were they? What were they doing? What happened finally?

Main idea of Chapter 9 Tom was waiting for Huck to go to the graveyard. They wanted to try the way of using dead cats to cure warts. When they got to the graveyard, they found more people in the graveyard. They were Muff Porter, Injun Joe and Dr. Robinson. The former two were paid to help Dr. Robinson to steal the dead bodies from the grave. Later they had a quarrel because of the pay. They had a fight. Muff Porter was beaten to the ground and lost his conscience. Injun Joe used the knife of Muff Porter to kill Dr. Robinson, which made Muff Porter think it was he who killed Dr. Robinson when he woke up.

Comments: Tom was meeting real adventure. He and Huck witnessed a real grave robbery and a real murder. They ran away in fear for their lives, a normal reaction for boys. See how careful the author is to let us know that the “fearless” Avenger of the Spanish Main is a boy at heart? Tom was so afraid---and Huck was, too--- that even before anything foul happens, when the voices, lights and figures approaching through the cemetery might be the very devils he came looking for, he forgot his prayers in his fear.

Chapter 10 Questions: How did they feel about what happened in the graveyard? What did they promise? Tom came home late. Did Polly punish him? Read the last two sentences on p.87. What does they mean?

Main idea of Chapter 10: The two boys were very frightened with what happened in the graveyard. They held dismal ceremony and promised they would keep mum. Tom stole into his bedroom. But Sid was awake. The next morning, the family knew Tom was very late to get home. Polly was very disappointed with Tom and cried over Tom. But she didn’t punish Tom, which made Tom very upset.

Comments: In this chapter, we are beginning to see a real difference between Tom and Huck. It was Huck who very practically pointed out that had better keep quiet about what they saw. And when they decide to seal their lips with an oath, it was Huck who very practically calls for the most binding oath. Huck’s suggestions were made from an awareness of their dangers; Tom’s book--- learning may provide the ritual that’s required, but Huck had to see a need for that ritual in terms of the immediate situation in which he found himself.

Chapter 11 Questions: Did Muff Potter know the truth of the murder in the graveyard? Why did the sheriff think Muff Potter was the murderer? How did Injun Joe behave before the public?

Main idea of Chapter 11: The whole town knew the murder in the graveyard. They thought the murderer was Muff Porter, because his knife was left there. Tom and Huck felt upset, but they didn’t dare to speak out the truth.

Comments: In this chapter, Tom tried to salve his conscience by taking little comforts like tobacco to Muff in the jailhouse. His behavior in this respect was very much like that of the typical good boy who visited prisoners. The typical good boy might visit the prisoner with Bible tracts rather than tobacco, of course, but that really isn’t important here.

Chapter 12 Questions: Read pages Why did Polly give Tom medicine? Did Tom take all the medicine?

Main idea of Chapter 12: Because Becky was sick and had stopped coming to school. Tom worried about her so much that life was no longer joyful to him. His moodiness and lack of “spirit” scared Aunt Polly. She gave Tom painkiller and designed to pep Tom up.

Comments: This chapter serves to build suspense in the murder story by holding up the development of that plot. It takes us back into the love story which, as we shall see, is going to get tied in with the murder story. By being able to alternate these two plots, the author is able to vary the pace of Tom’s adventures and keep them from becoming a set of disjointed incidents.

Homework 1. Go on with out-of-class reading. 2. Do newspaper reading 3. Do supplementary reading. 4. Read Chapter of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”.