The Adventures of Tom Sawyer · Character

Muff Potter

The town drunk, gentle and gullible, who wakes from a stupor to find himself accused of murder and has no memory with which to defend himself.

supporting

Also known as Potter, old Muff, poor Potter

First appearance: IX: Tragedy in the Graveyard

As a supporting figure in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Muff Potter is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Muff Potter is drunk, grapples with the doctor, is knocked out, and wakes to find himself holding the murder weapon, believing he may have killed Robinson.

In the storyIX: Tragedy in the GraveyardOpen this moment free

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Muff Potter is the harmless, liquor-soaked fixture of St. Petersburg's jail and tavern, a man whose good nature and weakness make him an easy scapegoat. When he's charged with a crime he can't remember committing, the town's rush to judgment exposes its cruelty, and Tom and Huck's blood oath to stay silent becomes unbearable. His plight is the moral hinge of the early book: it forces Tom to choose between a promise and a man's life, and it shows what the town's 'respectable' order is willing to do to the powerless.

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The fuller portrait of Muff Potter sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Muff Potter in IX: Tragedy in the Graveyard

Character Web

17 connections

A slice of how Muff Potter sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Friendship
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Central characters and family
Town residents and schoolmates
Protagonist

+12 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this chapter, the emotional peak occurs when Tom, having just reconciled with Aunt Polly and feeling lighth…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Tom Sawyer
friendship · positive
Muff Potter is a harmless drunk whom Tom befriends and later saves from execution by… How this plays out →
Injun Joe
rivalry · negative
Injun Joe
rivalry · negative
Tom Sawyer
friendship · positive
Muff Potter is a harmless drunk whom Tom befriends and later saves from execution by… How this plays out →
Injun Joe
rivalry · negative
Tom Sawyer
friendship · positive
Muff Potter is a harmless drunk whom Tom befriends and later saves from execution by… How this plays out →

Tom Sawyer
Muff Potter is a harmless drunk whom Tom befriends and later saves from execution by revealing Injun Joe's guilt.
Injun Joe
Injun Joe frames Muff Potter for a murder he himself committed, making Potter his victim and scapegoat.
Injun Joe
Injun Joe frames Muff Potter for a murder he himself committed, making Potter his victim and scapegoat.
Tom Sawyer
Muff Potter is a harmless drunk whom Tom befriends and later saves from execution by revealing Injun Joe's guilt.
Injun Joe
Injun Joe frames Muff Potter for a murder he himself committed, making Potter his victim and scapegoat.
Tom Sawyer
Muff Potter is a harmless drunk whom Tom befriends and later saves from execution by revealing Injun Joe's guilt.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Muff Potter in IX: Tragedy in the Graveyard

In the story

Muff Potter appears across 5 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

IX: Tragedy in the Graveyard
Muff Potter is drunk, grapples with the doctor, is knocked out, and wakes to find himself holding the murder weapon, believing he may have killed Robinson.
Dire Prophecy of the Howling Dog
Found asleep in the tannery, believed to be the target of the howling dog's omen.
Conscience Racks Tom
Muff Potter is arrested and brought before the crowd, where he sobbingly protests his innocence. He is overwhelmed by fear and hopelessness, and later receives secret aid from Tom.
The Salvation of Muff Potter
Potter is on trial for murder, grateful for the boys' friendship, and ultimately saved by Tom's testimony.
Splendid Days and Fearsome Nights
Muff Potter is now embraced by the community and grateful to Tom, contrasting with Tom's inner turmoil.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Muff Potter unlock in the free preview.

See Muff Potter in IX: Tragedy in the Graveyard