Goodnight Mister Tom

“Bit ‘igh fer you. I’d best put in a low peg.”

Tom seems gruff, but his inherent kindness is hinted at through his immediate accommodation of Will’s needs, such as noting that he will need to install a lower peg so that Will can comfortably hang his coat. Tom’s role as a caring and loving father figure is subtly foreshadowed.

“On the top two shelves, neatly stacked, were blankets and sheets, and on the third various belongings of Rachel’s that he had decided to keep. He glanced swiftly at them. A black wooden paint box, brushes, a christening robe she had embroidered, some old photographs, letters and recipes. The christening robe had never been worn by his baby son, for he had died soon after his mother.”

Tom’s grief at losing his wife and son is introduced in the exposition through their possessions, which he has kept. The role Will will play in helping Tom to confront this grief is foreshadowed; Tom gives Rachel’s paints to Will after the boy shows an interest in art, which will help Tom to explore and heal from his long-suppressed grief.

“Tom looked at Willie’s mac on the way out and noticed how thin it was.”

Tom’s concern for Will’s well-being is illustrated in how he notes the thinness of Will’s mackintosh (jacket). Tom later decides to invest in new, more robust clothing for Will, further illustrating his inherent kindness and his care for Will.

“Tom stopped and put his finger to his lips and they stood and watched it hopping in and out among the changing leaves. ‘That’s a hedge sparrow,’ he whispered. ‘See its beak? Very dainty.’ The bird looked up and flew away. ‘And shy.’”

Tom’s inherent gentleness is hinted at through his respectful and quiet observation of the sparrow. The sparrow is a symbol of Will, who is also dainty and shy; Tom treats Will with the same understanding and respect.

“Tom was angry. ‘While you’re in my house,’ he said in a choked voice, ‘you’ll live by my rules. I ent ever hit a child.’”

Tom is distressed at the idea of timid and damaged Will being beaten, which is shown by the choked voice. Tom is established as a character foil to Mrs. Beech in his condemnation of her habit of regular painful, punitive beatings. Rejecting the belt, Tom will heal Will through The Restorative Power of Compassion and Human Connection.

“Where’s yer gas masks then? Yous’ll be in trouble if you don’t carry one. Don’t you know war’s goin’ to be declared any second?”

Michelle Magorian continues to contextualize the novel’s events against the backdrop of wartime Britain, as shown by the reminder to wear gas masks. Even in the countryside, there is fear in the community about German bombing or gassing. This quote shows another way that war reaches even those living in small rural villages.

“They stopped outside a newspaper shop. Two placards were leaning up against the walls. Poland Invaded!”

The German invasion of Poland is referred to in newspapers; this event precipitates the British declaration of war against Germany. Historical context is woven into the story through these details; the reader is reminded of the atmosphere of impending fear that precipitated the British declaration of war.

“They looked across at the railway station. A group of young soldiers were standing outside talking excitedly, their bulging kit bags leaning up against their legs. A batch of children accompanied by a young woman and the Billeting Officer who had brought Willie had walked past them and were heading towards the Town Hall.”

The exodus of children from Britain’s cities is shown through the children accompanying the Billeting Officer. There is also excitement, as shown in the excited talk of the young soldiers. Both images work together to show a country on the brink of war. Evacuated children and departing soldiers reflect the theme of Wartime Britain: Community Involvement and Loss of Life.

“‘I brung a list from Mrs. Fletcher for materials.’ He pushed a list across the counter. ‘Boy’s only got what he’s standing up in.’”

Tom makes arrangements for materials and tailoring of new clothes for Will. Through this gesture, Tom’s practical nature and inherent kindness are illustrated. He wants Will to be comfortably and warmly dressed while in his care, reflecting The Restorative Power of Compassion and Human Connection.

“Her long black hair, which was always tied back in a knot at the nape of her neck, would spring constantly outwards in a curly disarray whenever she was suddenly excited. She could look at a row of colors for hours and never be bored. ‘If I painted the sky,’ she had said one day, ‘I could go through life paintin’ nothin’ else, for it’s always changin’. It never stays still.’ He looked down at Willie, who was making shapes with his finger on the misted window.”

A symbolic connection between Will and Rachel is established in their love of art and painting the natural world. Tom remembers Rachel and immediately looks at Will, drawing the reader’s attention to the similarity between the two. This connection foreshadows how Will’s presence will force Tom to confront his grief over the death of Rachel and their son and thereby find healing.

“Tom gently washed Willie’s body again and smoothed witch hazel onto the sore spots.”

Tom is a character foil to Will’s last caregiver, his mother, Mrs. Beech. While Mrs. Beech inflicts harsh physical punishments, Tom gently treats these wounds, which symbolize The Impact of Trauma and Abuse. Will’s recovery from the mental scars of a childhood of abuse is symbolized in the recuperation of his physical injuries, enabled by Tom’s loving care.

“‘As soon as I see someone I like, I talk to them.’ Willie almost dropped the clod of earth he was holding. No one had ever said that they liked him. He’d always accepted that no one did. Even his mum said she only liked him when he was quiet and still.”

Mrs. Beech’s emotional abuse is illustrated in his recollection of her telling him that she only likes him when he is quiet and still; she represses and silences Will and punishes him through conditional love and cruel discipline. Zach’s friendship, initially inconceivable to Will, builds Will’s self-confidence by challenging the boy’s learned beliefs that he is inherently unlikable.

“‘Learnin’ to read and write. I’ll teach you to write yer own name fer a beginnin’.’ Willie’s eyes stung as the ground moved in a gentle haze beneath him. He beamed. ‘Aw, mister’ was all he could manage to say. Tom was surprised to find a lump in his own throat.”

Will continues to be amazed and flattered by Tom’s care and attention, illustrated here by Tom’s commitment to teach Will how to read and write. The relationship is mutually beneficial; Tom is clearly moved and flattered by Will’s obvious gratitude and adoration. Both characters benefit from The Restorative Power of Compassion and Human Connection.

“Since Willie was so desperate to be accepted in Mrs. Hartridge’s class, Tom had been helping in every possible way. He had stuck labels in various places so that Willie would associate an object with a word, until after a time Willie labeled them himself. He glanced at all the bits of paper hanging higgledy-piggledy on the furniture and walls. He hoped that Willie would manage to get into Mrs. Hartridge’s class before she left.”

Tom’s love for Will is demonstrated in the labels stuck all over his home, a strategy to help Will learn how to read and write. Tom is depicted as the ideal caregiver: loving, supportive, and patient.

“He was talking an awful lot, she thought. She’d never seen him like this before. Too cheeky by far. She’d soon discipline it out of him.”

Mrs. Beech’s cruel control of Will and her desire to repress him into meek subservience are illustrated in her inner narrative. Tragically, Will is beaten for his increased self-confidence, which Tom worked so hard to instill in him.

“‘Mister Tom,’ he whispered in the darkness. ‘Mister Tom. I want you, Mister Tom,’ and he gave a quiet sob.”

Tom’s role as Will’s true parent—that is, a person who offers unconditional love and care—is illustrated in Will’s whispering that he wants him after his mother beats him and locks him in the cupboard. His connection to Tom is strong, and Tom’s role as Will’s savior in this situation is foreshadowed.

“Tom stripped Will, and after he had sponged and dried him, he put some clean pyjamas on him and wrapped him in a blanket. He left him with Sammy curled up in the large armchair.”

Tom demonstrates his characteristic care and patience with Will’s constant feverish nightmares and bedwetting. Furthermore, Tom’s home, including the comfy armchair by the fire, is a symbol of the old man, in that it is a safe space for Will and is depicted as old, lived in, and comfortable. Tom’s home is where Will can heal in The Restorative Power of Compassion and Human Connection.

“It sounded like a baby crying in despair, an old forgotten scream that must have been swallowed down years before.”

Will’s scream is symbolic; it is implied that it is the long-suppressed scream of a neglected toddler. The reader is reminded of Will’s sister, Trudy, whose mouth is taped shut, and imagines that Will likely received similar treatment. Tom creates a safe space for Will to express his rage and terror, long suppressed, which allows Will to begin to heal from trauma and abuse. The safety at Tom’s is contrasted with Will’s stay at the hospital, where he is sedated whenever he starts to scream.

“‘I love you.’ And instead of the cold feeling he had imagined would happen if he uttered those words, he felt a wave of warmth flooding into his stomach and through to his chest, and he beamed. Mister Tom’s face became flushed. He cleared his throat. ‘I love you too, boy.’”

Tom and Will’s loving relationship is solidified by their expression of love for each other. Tom has become Will’s parental figure through his unconditional love, and Will has become like a son to Tom. Both have been changed by the connection they have made with each other.

“‘Your son!’ cried Will jumping off the stool. ‘You mean, you’ll be my father, like?’ Tom nodded. ‘I s’pose I will.’ In an instant it suddenly dawned on him that Will would be growing up with him. With a great yell of joy he leaped up from the armchair.”

Tom and Will’s love for each other is illustrated in their mutual excitement at the idea of officially becoming a family. This anecdote also illustrates Tom’s development into a more joyous and vivacious version of himself, compared to his gruff and grumpy demeanor in the novel’s exposition.

“He felt that half of himself had been cut away, that life without Zach was only half a life and even that half was empty.”

Will is devastated by the death of his best friend, Zach. His grief is characterized by his reflection that he has lost half of himself and that the remaining half is empty; this illustrates the extent of Will’s sense of loss and devastation. Like Tom, Zach played a key role in healing Will from trauma and abuse. Zach’s death also represents Wartime Britain: Community Involvement and the Loss of Life.

“It was just that the Zach part of himself, the outgoing, cheeky part of himself, had been buried inside him, and it was his friendship with Zach that had brought those qualities to the surface. He snuggled down deep into the blankets and was just about to fall asleep when he gave a sudden start. I’m not half a person anymore, he thought. I’m a whole one. I can live without Zach even though I still miss him.”

Will finally accepts and grieves Zach’s death and moves toward a place of healing. He reflects on the impact that Zach has had on his development as a person by bringing Will’s more extroverted and vivacious characteristics to the surface.

“‘Do you think,’ said Will, gazing over the wall at the oak tree, ‘do you think you can die of happiness?’”

The novel ends on a hopeful note in terms of Will’s well-being and development as a person. Will’s terror and unhappiness in the exposition are contrasted with his sense of peace and joy at the novel’s conclusion.