“ to promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very thing. ”
Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876). copy citation
| Author | Mark Twain |
|---|---|
| Source | The Adventures of Tom Sawyer |
| Topic | desire promise |
| Date | 1876 |
| Language | English |
| Reference | |
| Note | |
| Weblink | http://www.gutenberg.org/files/74/74-h/74-h.htm |
Context
“TOM joined the new order of Cadets of Temperance, being attracted by the showy character of their «regalia.» He promised to abstain from smoking, chewing, and profanity as long as he remained a member. Now he found out a new thing—namely, that to promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very thing. Tom soon found himself tormented with a desire to drink and swear; the desire grew to be so intense that nothing but the hope of a chance to display himself in his red sash kept him from withdrawing from the order.”
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Meaning and analysis
