“billeting officer”, “evacuees”, “black-outs”, “air-raid shelter”, “gas masks”
This made it more believable that the novel was set during the war and helps the reader understand what people did in response to the country being at war. The author also paints a picture of the setting in the reader’s mind through detailed description. I could easily imagine what it would have been like to be in the same room.
“…earthen floor covered with planks…on either side were two rough bunk beds. A tin with one side cut out of it hung from a hook at the back…inside was a candle. Underneath it…an orange box...on top were two flower pots...one placed like a lid on top of the other and had a hole in the base…inside was another candle…over the entrance was a dark piece of rolled canvas. A potted plant hung in a near-by corner.”
The depictions are similar throughout the book, all creating an accurate image in the reader’s mind.
There are numerous fascinating characters in this book but I find William particularly interesting. When Willie first arrives in Little Weirwold he is “like a frightened rabbit”. His confidence and self-respect have been destroyed by his mother’s treatment of him. He was bullied at school and has never had any friends. He is described as being:
“thin and sickly-looking, pale with limp sandy hair and dull grey eyes.”
Michelle Magorian uses words like “reticent”, “cautiously” and “gingerly” to describe his actions at this time. Willie changes a lot throughout the novel. Among other factors, the love and respect he receives from Tom allow Willie to become a normal 9 year old. After staying with Tom for 6 months Willie is healthy, confident, happy, energetic, has made friends and feels good about himself. He is the opposite of how he was when he first arrived,
“Willie sang…he was bursting with energy…grinning and twirling…cheeks flushed with pleasure…burst into the room.”
Willie realises how much he has changed after returning to London and being violently beaten up by his mother,
“he felt as though he was a different person…he was no longer Willie. It was as if he had said goodbye to an old part of himself. Neither was he two separate people. He was Will inside and out.”
I found it fascinating to see how and why Willie changed throughout the story.
Another character I found interesting was Tom Oakley. He, like Willie, changes dramatically during the novel. At the start of the book he is a grumpy, anti-social, lonely old man due mainly to losing his wife and son. He had cut himself off from people in his grief, refusing to join in any of the social activities in the village. Caring for Willie helps “Mr Tom” let go of his sorrow which leads to him becoming less moody and bad tempered,
“Trust a strange boy to soften him up.”
Tom faces up to his grief and remembers the happy times he had with his wife. He now becomes more involved in village life and volunteers for the war efforts. In the closing stages of the book Tom adopts Willie and is a lot happier. He “dances for joy”. He is the reverse of how he was at the beginning of the story.
This book makes us think about a lot of important issues. The main themes are the effect of upbringing and environment on children, the consequences of child abuse and the effect of losing loved ones. The author explores the theme of the effect of upbringing on children by describing Willie and his best friend Zach. They both have very different backgrounds therefore are very different people at the start of the book. William comes from a deprived background with a religious mum who severely beat him. As a result he is terrified with no confidence. He was taught that everything he did was wrong. Zach is the opposite of Willie. He is overconfident, very outgoing and has “exuberant friendliness” due to being “practically born in the theatre”. His parents are travelling entertainers so he has never had stability and is constantly moving around. He enjoys being the centre of attention whereas Willie likes to fade into the background. As the story goes on Willie becomes more confident and more like Zach whereas Zach becomes quieter and more like Willie. The writer has depicted very well through these characters how much your upbringing affects the type of person you end up as.
Both Tom and Willie lose loved ones in the book and both deal with their losses in similar ways. Both first denied anything had happened and tried to ignore the fact they were gone then eventually faced the pain and remembered their loved ones. They were then able to move on yet remember the happy memories. It takes Tom many years to get over losing his wife and son but Willie, with the support of Tom, is able to come to terms with both Zach and his younger sister’s death.
I agree entirely with the statement given. Michelle Magorian has combined all the elements necessary for a good read with “Goodnight Mister Tom”. I thought this book was very enjoyable and would recommend it to anyone.
