Text Complexity Analysis of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Qualitative Measures
Levels of Meaning/Purpose:
This book has multiple levels of meaning. Set in the fictional town of St.
Petersburg, Missouri, just prior to the Civil War, the main character, Tom
Sawyer, struggles to grow from misbehaved boy to personally and socially
responsible young man.
Structure:
The novel has a unique structure. The first eight chapters are structured like
short stories, with easily identifiable basic situation, rising action, climax, and
resolution. The rest of the book follows a convention novel structure with each
of the several story lines merging by the end of the book.
Language Conventionality and Clarity:
Most characters speak in easily readable, conversational English. The
exceptions are Aunt Polly, Jim, and Huckleberry Finn who each represent the
dialect spoken by some Americans in the 1840s.
Knowledge Demands:
Higher level themes of slavery and social responsibility are woven into the
storyline. Thinking at deeper levels is required to contemplate the nature of
slavery in a democracy, and the responsibilities of adults toward abused and
neglected children.
Quantitative
QualitativeMeasures
Measures
The ATOS formula (used with Accelerated Reader program) identifies this title
as having a book level of 5.9. A Lexile measure for this novel is 950L. The
issues of slavery, murder, and child abandonment, plus the length of the book
would indicate that higher level reading skills are necessary, along with a
consideration for the maturity level of the reader regarding the book’s subject
matter.
Reader-Task Considerations
High schools often teach Huckleberry Finn; Tom Sawyer is an important
foundational novel for those students. Characters, social and personal
considerations that appear in great complexity in Huckleberry Finn are
introduced at an accessible level for 6-8 grade students. The issues of slavery
in a democracy, the nature of freedom, and personal and civic responsibility
indicate that higher level reading skills are necessary for students reading
these books.
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the story of a boy’s life in a small town on
the banks of the Mississippi river before the Civil War. The novel explores
slavery, murder, and child neglect.
Recommended Placement
The quantitative measures suggest placement in the 6th-8th grade level
complexity band. The qualitative measures and reader and task considerations
suggest that the novel is best placed at the 6th-8th grade due to social and
historical matters. The Common Core Standards Test Exemplars also places
the novel in the 6th-8th grade complexity band.