Abstract: Mark Twain, an outstanding humorist and realist, enjoys immense public popularity in the world of literature. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer written by Mark Twain tells the adventurous experiences of a little boy on the Mississippi river. This article mainly focuses on how the protagonist Tom Sawyer becomes a hero in people’s mind from a mischievous boy, a daydreamer and a responsible pirate. By analyzing the text, this article proves that the American social environment, Aunt Polly’s instruction and the power of religion have a great influence on Tom’s growth. Though Tom has not fully grown up yet, he has possessed the spirit of being a hero. To a certain degree, Tom Sawyer’s story is a microcosm of the times; it is not merely a children’s book but a condensed panorama of the American society in the 19th century.

Key words: Mark Twain; Tom Sawyer; growth; influence; hero

摘要： 马克·吐温作为一位杰出的幽默大师和批判现实主义作家，在世界文坛享有盛名。他创作的《汤姆·索亚历险记》讲述了一个小男孩在密西西比河上成长的故事以及他的各种冒险经历。本文详述了主角汤姆·索亚如何从一个淘气的小男孩、一个梦想家，渐渐变成一个负责任的海盗、最后成了人们心目中的英雄的过程。通过分析文本,本文认为美国社会环境，波莉姨妈的教导和宗教对汤姆的成长有着重大的影响。尽管汤姆还没有长大，他已经拥有了成为英雄的精神。在一定程度上，汤姆·索亚的故事是一个时代的缩影，它不仅是一本儿童读物，同时是19世纪美国社会的简明全景。

关键词：马克·吐温; 汤姆·索亚；成长；影响；英雄