The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, this novel chronicles the travels of the young narrator, Huck Finn, as he leaves his hometown and dysfunctional family in Missouri and treks into the South down the Mississippi River. The story gives the reader an uncensored 13-year-old view of pre-war society in the region where, Huck finds, racist sentiment is ingrained in the fabric of life. The novel's characters and plot are archetypal in its emergence as a new kind of American literature. So, too, are the ultimate messages of acceptance, friendship, hope and independence that are reflective of the struggles of the time period.