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Becky Thatcher
The novel's villain. Injun Joe is an anti-social adult, motivated by revenge and ruthless in exacting it. He brings both realism and romanticism to the novel. On the one hand his behavior forces Tom and his friends to confront injustice and criminality. On the other his fantastic escapes and discovery of treasure serve as plot devices that move the novel along as a page-turning adventure story. He is also half Native American, and has faced discrimination in society as a result. Even so, Twain's depiction of him is unsympathetic.
Injun Joe Quotes in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The The Adventures of Tom Sawyer quotes below are all either spoken by Injun Joe or refer to Injun Joe. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 11
Quotes
Injun Joe repeated his statement, just as calmly, a few minutes afterward on the inquest, under oath; and the boys, seeing that the lightnings were still withheld, were confirmed in their belief that Joe had sold himself to the devil. He was now become, to them, the most balefully interesting object they had ever looked upon, and they could not take their fascinated eyes from his face. They inwardly resolved to watch him, nights, when opportunity should offer, in the hope of getting a glimpse of his dread master.
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Chapter 31
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Tom got down on his knees and felt below, and then as far around the corner as he could reach with his hands conveniently; he made an effort to stretch yet a little further to the right, and at that moment, not twenty yards away, a human hand, holding a candle, appeared from behind a rock! Tom lifted up a glorious shout, and instantly that hand was followed by the body it belonged to—Injun Joe's! Tom was paralyzed ; he could not move. He was instantly gratified, the next moment, to see the "Spaniard" take to his heels and get himself out of sight.
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Chapter 33
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Injun Joe lay stretched upon the ground, dead, with his face close to the crack of the door, as if his longing eyes had been fixed, to the latest moment, upon the light and the cheer of the free world outside. Tom was touched, for he knew by his own experience how this wretch had suffered.
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Injun Joe Character Timeline in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The timeline below shows where the character Injun Joe appears in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 9
...they notice three approaching figures, and hide. The figures turn out to be Dr. Robinson, Injun Joe , and Muff Potter. The hiding boys look on as the three begin grave-digging.
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Chapter 10
...stop at an abandoned cottage. They agree not to tell what they've seen for fear Injun Joe will kill them. They sign a pledge of secrecy in blood and bury it.
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Chapter 11
...the crime scene. When Muff arrives, the crowd surrounds him. He swears he's innocent, but Injun Joe twice says he witnessed Muff murder Dr. Robinson. Injun Joe even helps carry the body...
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Chapter 24
During the nights after the trial, Tom is plagued by fear that Injun Joe , whose whereabouts are unknown, will come trying to kill him. Huck is also scared...
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Chapter 26
...They peek through the floorboards and see two men. One is the deaf and dumb Spaniard who recently arrived in town and the other is a stranger. They are shocked when...
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Chapter 27
...as they can find to try opening No. 2. Tom orders Huck to follow the Spaniard around if he sees him. Huck is fearful, but Tom reminds him the treasure is...
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Chapter 28
...tells Huck that the door wasn't locked. When he opened it, he almost tripped over Injun Joe , who lay passed out on the floor beside a tin cup and a bottle,...
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Chapter 29
...the Widow Douglas's land, the men suddenly stop, and Huck sees that they are indeed Injun Joe and the stranger. Injun Joe expresses his frustration at seeing lights on in the widow's...
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Chapter 30
Huck describes the appearance of the outlaws without revealing that the Spaniard is Injun Joe, from whom he still fears retribution. The Welshman presses him to be...
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Chapter 31
...resting on a rock, he cries out in joy. The hand turns out to be Injun Joe 's, who flees at seeing Tom. Tom assumes Injun Joe didn't recognize him, for he...
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Chapter 32
...cave has been blocked to prevent more exploring. Tom is aghast and blurts out that Injun Joe is inside the cave.
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Chapter 33
...several boatloads of men immediately head to the cave's entrance. Removing its barrier, they find Injun Joe 's dead body. Tom realizes he's relieved to no longer fear being murdered.
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