Temperance Tavern
The Temperance Tavern stands as a deceptively ordinary establishment in the village of St. Petersburg, its name promising sobriety while its locked back room, Number Two, conceals a cache of whiskey and the stolen treasure that Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn desperately seek. The tavern's public face of temperance masks a hidden underworld of crime and danger, making it a central locus of the boys' adventure and a symbol of the gap between respectable appearances and illicit reality.
Location and Description
The Temperance Tavern is one of only two taverns in the small, shabby village of St. Petersburg. Its back door opens into a narrow, close alley that runs between the tavern and an old, dilapidated brick store. The tavern's second room, designated Number Two, is kept locked at all times, and the tavern-keeper's young son reports that he never sees anyone enter or leave it except at night. This secrecy has led the boy to entertain the idea that the room is haunted, a notion that aligns with the town's superstitious character. The room itself, when Tom finally glimpses it, contains two barrels, numerous bottles, and a tin cup on the floor beside Injun Joe, who lies there drunk and asleep. Tom later deduces that the room is "ha'nted with whiskey," a grim joke that underscores the tavern's ironic name.
Role in the Plot
The Temperance Tavern becomes the primary target of Tom and Huck's surveillance after they overhear Injun Joe and his accomplice refer to "Number Two" as the location of their hidden treasure. Tom deduces that Number Two must be a room in a tavern, and after investigating both of the town's taverns, he finds that the best tavern's Number Two is occupied by a young lawyer, while the less ostentatious Temperance Tavern's Number Two is a mystery. The boys resolve to watch the tavern every night, hoping to catch Injun Joe leaving so they can steal the treasure box. Their vigil lasts several nights, with Huck hiding in a sugar hogshead and Tom using his aunt's old tin lantern, but they are repeatedly thwarted by clear weather or the absence of the Spaniard. On the night when Huck finally sees two men emerge from the alley door, one carrying something under his arm, he abandons the plan to alert Tom and instead follows them, leading to the discovery of Injun Joe's plot against Widow Douglas.
Discovery and Aftermath
The Temperance Tavern's secret is partially exposed during the frantic search for Tom and Becky, who are lost in McDougal's Cave. In a moment of delirium, Huck asks the Widow Douglas if anything has been discovered at the Temperance Tavern since he fell ill. The widow confirms that liquor was found there and that the place has been shut up. Huck, fearing that the treasure has been discovered, is devastated to learn that only whiskey was found, not the gold. This revelation confirms that the treasure is still hidden elsewhere, and it sets the stage for Tom and Huck's eventual recovery of the gold from the cave. The tavern, once a site of mystery and danger, is ultimately reduced to a mere source of illicit alcohol, its deeper secrets remaining buried until the boys' final adventure.
Narrative Significance
The Temperance Tavern functions as a powerful symbol of the hypocrisy and hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface of small-town life. Its name promises moral rectitude, yet its locked room harbors a murderer and his stolen wealth. For Tom and Huck, the tavern represents the tantalizing promise of treasure and the very real threat of Injun Joe's vengeance. The boys' nocturnal vigils outside the tavern test their courage and loyalty, and the tavern's alley becomes the threshold between the safety of the village and the perilous world of adult crime. The tavern's ultimate fate—shut up after the discovery of its liquor—mirrors the way the town's orderly facade is repeatedly disrupted by the chaotic adventures of its children.
