What commentary is Mark Twain making about human nature and the nature of work?

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer"

Novel by Mark Twain

The main theme of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is the joys of childhood when the world is full of wonders and children are free of the heavy responsibilities of adulthood. Mark Twain was writing about his own boyhood, growing up in the small town of Hannibal, Missouri, right on the edge of the great Mississippi River.