Monday Morning
by Samuel Langhorne Clemens
(Mark Twain)
The days of the week get their names from the names of gods and heavenly bodies. Match the days of the week to their meanings.
a. Sunday = day of the sun;
b. Monday = day of the moon;
c. Tuesday = day of the warrior god, Tiw;
d. Wednesday = day of the chief of gods, Odin;
e. Thursday = day of the god of thunder. Thor;
f. Friday = day of the goddess of heavens, Freya;
g. Saturday = day of the god of agriculture, Saturn;
Quick answers
1. Give reasons for the following.
a. Monday mornings were particularly difficult for Tom.
= Monday mornings were particularly difficult for Tom because they began another week's slow suffering in school.
b. Tom canvassed his system.
= Tom canvassed his system because he wanted to find ailment in his body to make an excuse for not to go to school.
c. Tom shook Sid.
= Tom shook Sid to make him awake from his sleep.
d. Aunt Polly ran up the stairs.
= Aunt Polly ran up the stairs because she became anxious about Tom after hearing from Sid.
e. Tom's groans sounded very real.
= Tom's groans sounded very real because his imagination had started to work well.
2. What, according to you, was Mark Twain's reason or purpose for writing this story?
a. To entertain and amuse us. [✓]
b. To give us some very important facts and information. [ ]
c. To convince us to do something. [ ]
Reference to context
3. "I forgive everybody, Sid. (Groan!) Tell 'em so, Sid, you give my cat with one to that new girl that's come to town and tell her - "
a. Who said this? How was Sid related to the speaker?
= Tom said this.
Sid was his brother.
b. What was wrong with the speaker? Why was the speaker groaning?
= Tom pretended that his sore toe had mortified.
The speaker was groaning because he wanted to convince his brother Sid and Aunt Polly that he had been suffering from real pain.
c. Why do you think the speaker was asking Sid to give away his/her belongings?
= I think the speaker was asking Sid to give away his/her belongings to gain his sympathy and convince him that he was really in severe pain.
4. "The old lady sank down into a chair and laughed a little, then cried a little, then did both together. This made her feel better … "
a. Who was 'the old lady'? How was she related to Tom?
= 'The old lade' was Aunt Polly. She was Tom's auntie.
b. Why was she laughing and crying at the same time?
= Aunt Polly loved Tom as her own son. After getting the information from Sid that Tom was dying, she was very much shocked and this feeling of loosing Tom made her cry. On the other moment, when she understood that it was merely Tom's trick to not to go to school and he was all fine, she laughed.
c. What was she upset about?
= Aunt Polly was an old lady. Tom gave her a terrible shock, this made the lady upset. All the childish tricks and mischiefs of Tom worried her. She could not even be ignorant about Tom because of her affection for him.
Read, reflect and write
5. Why did Tom not like Monday mornings?
= Tom was a mischievous boy. He did not like to go to school on Mondays. He wished he had had no holiday in between Saturday and Monday. But Sunday in between is a holiday. This made it more difficult to go back to school.
6. What did Sid tell Aunt Polly about Tom?
= Sid ran downstairs and informed Aunt Polly that Tom was dying. He also asked her to hurry up and come to upstairs to see.
7. How did Aunt Polly feel when she saw Tom groaning?
= When Aunt Polly reached to the bedside of Tom, she was gasping and asked Tom what was the matter. Tom replied her about his sore toe. Then the old lady sat into a chair and laughed a little, then cried a little, then did both together. This made her feel better. She was both anxious about Tom as she thought that she could loose Tom for ever. She laughed realising Tom's trick to not to go to school. She had a mixed feeling of worry, laughter and disappointment.
8. Do you think Tom did the right thing by pretending to be sick? Justify your answer.
= I don't think Tom did the right thing by pretending to be sick as this was disheartening for both Sid and Aunt Polly. Though Sid was a child, he was worried about Tom and he rushed downstairs to call Aunt Polly without letting Tom complete his sentences. The news took a heavy toll in Aunt Polly's heart untill she reached Tom's bed. This is really ominous to be that much mischievous to the other family members too.
9. Do you think that Aunt Polly cared for Tom? Give reasons for your answer.
= I think Aunt Polly definitely cared for Tom. No sooner had she heard the news from Sid than she rushed upstairs with him at her heels. And her face grew white too, and her lips trembled. When she reached the bedside, she was gasping while talking to Tom. This proves that she was in fear of loosing Tom. Then we can notice that she sat on a chair and laughed and cried. She laughed because Tom was all fine and she cried because she might have loose Tom if it was a real thing.
About the Author:
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, is better known by his pen name, Mark Twain. He was a renowned author and humourist of his age. Drawing from his own childhood experiences, Twain combined the characteristics of three boys he had known to create the unforgettable character of Tom Sawyer.