- description
- # CHAPTER XVII
## Overview
This entity is **CHAPTER XVII** of the novel *The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete* (arke:01KG16N2K9058F4BVCSK7DDWHH). It is a structured chapter extracted from the plain text file *tom_sawyer.txt* (arke:01KG0K71QZ8KK7RGEGSNTB5534) and is part of the **More Classics** collection (arke:01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS). The chapter spans lines 4732 to 4855 of the source file and was processed on January 28, 2026, as part of a digital text segmentation workflow. It is preceded by [CHAPTER XVI](arke:01KG16PT8VZSB6AT24CYCK69ZX) and followed by [CHAPTER XVIII](arke:01KG16PTCDYF77S56RW0Q78Q7P).
## Context
This chapter exists within a digitally archived version of Mark Twain’s classic novel, preserved in plain text format and systematically divided into chapters and smaller textual chunks for analysis and navigation. The source file was uploaded as part of a broader literary collection focused on canonical Western works. The chapter was extracted using automated structure detection software and later manually reviewed. It is composed of two sub-units—[Chunk 1](arke:01KG16T80WZ7YZMHVS8FW1N7A6) and [Chunk 2](arke:01KG16T7ZAMPYTQTC4JRAXTM82)—which together preserve the full textual content.
## Contents
This chapter depicts the emotional aftermath of Tom Sawyer, Joe Harper, and Huck Finn’s disappearance, as the town believes them to be dead. While the boys are secretly living as pirates on Jackson’s Island, the community holds a solemn funeral service in their memory. The mood in the village is somber, with families in mourning and children subdued. At Sunday school, a deeply emotional sermon extols the virtues of the lost boys, moving the congregation to tears. In a dramatic twist, the boys return during the service, having hidden in the church gallery to witness their own funeral. Their sudden reappearance shocks and overjoys the mourners. Tom, in particular, revels in the attention and admiration, experiencing what he considers the proudest moment of his life. The chapter closes with Tom receiving a mix of scoldings and affection from Aunt Polly, reflecting the community’s relief and lingering frustration.
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- CHAPTER XVII
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- 2026-01-28T02:25:19.198Z
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- title
- CHAPTER XVII