A paintbrush and a wooden spool wound with red thread on a green enamel tray.

Original artwork, not a still

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Mark Twain

Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do, and Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Work and play are defined by obligation, not by the activity itself. Whatever you have to do counts as work, and whatever you choose freely counts as play. The same task can shift category depending on whether it's required.

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