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inventiveness, Twain criticizes organized religion and expose his nonconformity related to

systematic habits and the hypocrisy of religious people. Since The adventures of Tom Sawyeris

narrated, in part, from a childs view, the author can be as irreverent as he wants. In the first part

for example, the church is presented as and oppression for Tom, who is more interested in enjoy

his childhood and the outside freedom: Tom being placed next to the aisle, in order that he

might be as far away from the open window and the seductive outside summer scenes as

possible (p.27)

As religion is based in habits, for example the prayer, the sermon, the hymns etc., it becomes

monotonous and worn-out. When the minister finishes the hymn, he prays in a specific order and

he follows it every Sunday. The author describes the prayer step by step and it is ridiculously

long and absurd. It is interesting that the minister pleads for the heathen in thefar island s of the

sea (p.29) because it makes evidence the arrogance and superiority of the minister who

supposedly is a kind and devoted Gods man. It seems like the prayer is made to impress, taking

into account its length and the topics it includes, but for Tom it is a trifle and something

monotonous that he hears over and over every Sunday. Twain, through Toms eyes, let us see

that he finds useless a systematic religion because at the end it is not more than an ideology to

oppress and subjugate others.

The last element, imagery, is used by the author to create contrast between two different moods:

solemnity and unholy buffoonery. In the first part we have the description of the service, some of

the congregation members, the minister, the hymn, and the prayer. But at the end of the passage,

Toms spirit is tortured, not because of the seductive summer images, but because of a tiny fly

that the boy yearns to catch. When this kind of buffoonery interrupts the previous calm imagery,

the reader cannot avoid outburst of laughing.

Although Mark Twain was Presbyterian, he had issues with his way of thinking about his own

religion. We could say that the went through an spiritual crisis that caused his irreverent thoughts

about religiousness. He believed in God but attacked those religious people who were blind by

their own arrogance and magnified faith. Since he had a clear position about religiousness, he

used his works, to convey and manifest his disapproval of those who call themselves Christians

but do not practice love, kindness or humility of any kind.

Twain, M. The adventures of Tom Sawyer.