- description
- # CONCLUSION
## Overview
This entity is a subsection of text labeled "CONCLUSION" extracted from the digital file *tom_sawyer.txt*, corresponding to lines 8899–8945 of the source document. It represents the final narrative section of [The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Complete](arke:01KG16N2K9058F4BVCSK7DDWHH), preceding the licensing and metadata material added by Project Gutenberg. The text was extracted on January 28, 2026, as part of automated document structure analysis.
## Context
The subsection is part of the full electronic edition of Mark Twain’s novel *The Adventures of Tom Sawyer*, hosted in the [More Classics](arke:01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS) collection. It appears within the backmatter section of the ebook, following Chapter XXXV and preceding the full Project Gutenberg license. The file originates from a public domain print edition and was digitized for free distribution.
## Contents
The conclusion reflects on the nature of storytelling, particularly in juvenile fiction. The narrator observes that because the book is a history of a boy, it must end here—continuing further would transform it into the story of a man, which lies beyond its scope. The author notes that novels about adults typically conclude with marriage, but stories about children must end more ambiguously. It is mentioned that most characters are still alive and prospering, and while their future lives could be revisited, the author chooses not to reveal them at present. The text then transitions into the standardized Project Gutenberg notice, affirming the public domain status of the work in the United States and outlining terms for free copying, distribution, and use of the ebook.
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- CONCLUSION
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- CONCLUSION
So endeth this chronicle. It being strictly a history of a _boy_, it
must stop here; the story could not go much further without becoming the
history of a _man_. When one writes a novel about grown people, he knows
exactly where to stop—that is, with a marriage; but when he writes of
juveniles, he must stop where he best can.
Most of the characters that perform in this book still live, and are
prosperous and happy. Some day it may seem worth while to take up the
story of the younger ones again and see what sort of men and women they
turned out to be; therefore it will be wisest not to reveal any of that
part of their lives at present.
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER, COMPLETE ***
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- title
- CONCLUSION