# Conclusion explained — The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

> Chapter companion for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

## What happens

The narrator concludes the chronicle of Tom Sawyer's boyhood, noting that the story must end before it becomes the history of a man. Most characters are still alive and prosperous, and the author hints at possibly continuing the story of the younger ones in the future.

## Themes in this chapter

### Childhood vs. Adulthood

The narrator explicitly states the story must stop before boyhood becomes manhood, highlighting the boundary between juvenile and adult narratives.

## Character check-ins

### Tom Sawyer

The central boy whose history is chronicled; the story stops before he becomes a man.

### Huckleberry Finn

One of the younger characters who may be revisited in a future story.

### Becky Thatcher

One of the younger characters who may be revisited in a future story.

### Joe Harper

One of the younger characters who may be revisited in a future story.

## Key lines

> So endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a history of a boy , it must stop here; the story could not go much further without becoming the history of a man.

This concludes the tale. Since it is only the story of a boy, it must end here; continuing further would turn it into the story of a man.

_The narrator explains the reason for ending the book at this point._

> Some day it may seem worth while to take up the story of the younger ones again and see what sort of men and women they turned out to be; therefore it will be wisest not to reveal any of that part of their lives at present.

Perhaps someday it will be worthwhile to revisit the younger characters and see what kind of adults they became; so it's best not to disclose that now.

_The author hints at a possible sequel, leaving the future of the characters open._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tom_sawyer_se/chapters/conclusion
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tom_sawyer_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/tom_sawyer_se/chapters