Now let’s think about the plot of these two short paragraphs. What’s going on in this part of the story?

If you answered that Tom is painting a very long fence, you are correct. How does he feel about this chore?

If you said he is sad, you are correct again. We know in the story that Twain describes Tom as “all gladness” having left him and melancholy settling on him. He doesn’t want to paint the fence on such a pretty summer day.

Here’s the big question: How does the setting of this section support the idea that Tom is painting a fence, but he’s not happy about doing it? Look back at your setting words and phrases to help you figure out the correct answer from the two choices below.

Images used in this section:

Source: Tom Sawyer.jpg, MGA73, Wikimedia Commons