“Tom Sawyer and the Use of Novels” by Louis D. Rubin approaches Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer from an alternative perspective than most novels. Tom Sawyer has often been used as a study of South American history. For example, simply by observing classroom discussions about the novel, it was discovered that most of the topics examined focused on history, such as racism and religion. Rubin argues instead that, "By using Tom Sawyer as a factual guide to life on the big river, we neglect it as literature..." and instead asks, "What, in short, is this novel about as a novel?" (210). “Tom Sawyer and the Use of Novels” removes story from the conversation and focuses on setting, characters, and plot, the “patterns” of literature. While I agree with some of what Rubin discusses, I find it difficult to fully accept other statements. By examining all three of these traits of Tom Sawyer, Rubin is able to argue that the novel is less about the American historical period in which it is set, but more about the feelings and emotions of what American life means. the novel that Rubin analyzes is the setting. These paragraphs talking about the setting in the review where I found the most problems. If Rubin's goal was to focus less on the “historical aspects of the novel,” how could he thoroughly discuss the setting of the novel? The setting is what places the novel in its historical subtext. Ironically, Rubin writes that the setting is actually crucial: "All novels are set somewhere, of course, but in this case the place is very important" (211). Instead of focusing on time, an artificial measurement, Rubin highlights the natural world found in the text, particularly Cardiff Hill, by discussing specific scenes. Rubin writes: ... half of the paper ... reviews Tom's individual interactions with each character, each with its own conclusion. Rubin writes, however, “The plot structure of the novel is directed toward that end [of the novel]” (210). In summary, Louis Rubin does something different with his review of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. By focusing on the novel as a literary work and exploring setting, characters, and plot, Rubin is able to break the stigma that Tom Sawyer is strictly a historical story. Although there are some slight oversights and complications with Rubin's "Tom Sawyer and the Use of Novels", the essay is able to critique and evaluate the true purpose of the novel outside of being a snapshot of American history. Rubin concludes his essay by writing, “It may not give us all the facts we want about American life, but it can…tell us what American life means”.” (216).