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Introduction:

Goodnight Mister Tom is a historical fiction novel by Michelle Magorian and it was published in 1981. The book is set in England at the time of World War II. The main character, Willie, is abused by his mentally ill mother and is sent to the countryside because of war. He meets Mister Tom and experiences love and joy. 

Plot:

Many children living in London were evacuated to the countryside because of the dangers of the World War. William Beech, also called Willie or Will, is a boy who lives in Deptford and is timid and is covered with scars and bruises because he got abused by his mentally ill and religious mother and is sent to the countryside, Little Weirwold. His mother wanted Will to stay with a religious person. He meets Mister Tom, Tom Oakley, who is known for his tempered personality. He takes good care of Willie after hearing his story and the perspective of his childhood. Willie creates an unbreakable bond with Mister Tom and his dog, Sammy. Willie goes to school and makes friends with George, twins Ginnie and Carrie, and an evacuee, Zach. However, he had a hard time because he couldn’t read and write. Mister Tom taught Willie as much as he could and supported his talent, in drawing and painting. After spending about half a year with Mister Tom, Willie gets a message from his mom to come to London. Willie travels alone to London and his mom introduces him to his younger sister. She gets annoyed and furious at how Willie spends his time there. From intense anger, she knocks Willie out and stripped until his underwear and puts him under the cupboard. Meanwhile, noticing something is wrong, Mister Tom goes to Deptford to find Willie. Willie’s house seems to be empty but Sammy is desperate about something inside. Willie is found locked in a closet with his dead baby sister. He is rescued and taken to the hospital. He blames himself for his sister’s death but learns from his teacher and friend that he couldn’t have saved her. He realizes his mother had a relationship with a man. He stops blaming himself for what happened. The authorities inform William that his mother has died by suicide. They plan to send him to a children’s home, but Tom adopts him instead. Meanwhile, Zach learns that his father got hurt in a bombing and rushes back to London. Sadly, Zach dies in an attack and Willie can’t find closure. William finds comfort in his friendship with Geoffrey, who lost a leg in the war. Geoffrey teaches William art privately. When William sees a picture of Geoffrey’s deceased best friend, he starts to find closure. William learns to ride a bike using Zach’s bike and realizes that Zach will always be a part of him. He also becomes closer to Carrie as they share memories of Zach. One night, when William returns home, whom he now calls “Dad” to Tom, he reflects on how much his life has changed since coming to Little Weirwold and realizes he is growing up.

Analysis:

In the novel, Zach and Willie become very close and create an unbreakable friendship. The friendship they create is crucial in the book as they do almost everything together such as going on a vacation together. This bond may have been supported by the fact that they were both evacuees. This is also proven by the scene when Willie gets the news of Zach’s death. He couldn’t get closure quickly. It is also interesting how Willie didn’t do anything when his mom abused and accused him. He might have believed what his mom was saying since he was so young or was too scared that he might get in trouble with his mom. It was a miracle that Mister Tom came to rescue Willie in the nick of time. It is also important how Willie is growing up with the help of Mister Tom and Sammy. He was able to love and enjoy his life when he experienced love from Mister Tom and spent time with the people he loved. His mom made him think that he was full of sin and that impacted his mindset and thoughts immensely. When Willie first met Mister Tom, Willie was very timid and thought it was his fault whenever Mister Tom looked mad or annoyed. From his acts especially when Willie blamed himself for not being able to save his younger sister, his kind personality could be inferred. 

Conclusion: 

Goodnight Mister Tom is a historical fiction novel by Michelle Magorian. It was published in 1981. It was also made into a film in 1998. The novel is set in England at the time of World War II. The main character, William Beech, is a boy whose mother is mentally unstable and abuses him and makes him think that he is full of sin. He starts a new life when he is forced to go to the countryside because of war. He experienced what a true happy life is.