Chapter Nine: The Graveyard

 Author's Note:   Chapter Nine is the most important chapter in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer



Chapter nine is one of the most interesting chapters in the entire book.  It introduces many important characters, and in the chapter, a very important event occurs.  Tom and Huck witness a murder.  This chapter is the most important in the entire book.

This chapter is easily an irony.  The setting is in a graveyard at night.  Before Tom goes to the graveyard, he hears a howl of a dog and an answer call to the dog's howl.   These are symbols of irony.  While Tom and Huck are there, three men come to the graveyard and dig up a grave.  After the three men dug up the grave, an argument occurs between the three.  Muff Potter drops his knife and Injun Joe picks it up and stabs the doctor.

In other chapters of the book, Injun Joe and Muff Potter are brought up again.  A knife was found next to the murdered man and was recognized as being Muff Potter's.  After the knife was found, horsemen went after Potter and soon caught him.  When Potter's trial came, Tom was questioned and told the counsel of defense that he witnessed the murder and that it was Injun Joe.  Tom and Huck find Injun Joe and another man hiding in the haunted house and hear them talk about trying to hide money and about attacking the widow.  After many watches and investigations, Judge Thatcher accidently locks Injun Joe in the cave, which led to Injun Joe's death. 

As you can see, chapter nine is a very interesting chapter with many symbols of irony.  The whole murder scene was just a start to many parts of the book.  This chapter is the most important chapter in the entire book.