Practice Essay – Goodnight Mr. Tom * Compose an essay explaining the impact of war and conflict on the main characters * Main themes: determination, love, strength to overcome grief. Throughout her novel Goodnight Mr. Tom, Michelle Magorian explores the impact of war and conflict on individuals. The protagonists William Beech and Thomas Oakley are challenged to overcome the impact and tragedy of both personal and global war and conflict.

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The issues faced by them throughout the course of their lives may seem incomprehensible to many, yet through determination, love, and hope, they move beyond these hardships and continued to strive through whatever could be thrown at them. Their amazing transformation together and determination at the hardest of times is made clear to the reader through Magorian’s description of the two protagonist’s journeys through hardship, war and conflict. The reader is challenged to consider the irony of war and tragedy bringing people together and impacting positively on people’s lives.

One of the most central and main themes in the novel is the theme of death and grieving over loved ones. Both main characters William and Thomas, experience tragic incidents over the course of the novel that have a very significant impact on their lives and the people around them. When Mr. Tom’s wife and young child pass away, he is overwhelmed with sadness; he isolates himself from others, and allows himself to suffer alone. Similarly when William experiences the death of both his younger sister and his best friend Zach he suffers in the same way Mr. Tom had before him. He felt like half of himself had been cut away, that life without Zach was only half a life and even that half was empty. ” The impact that these experiences had on the two, however brought them closer as they used each other’s love and care to move forward. As Mr. Tom suggests, “Better to accept, than pretend that they never existed. ” When William is sent from his mother in London to live with Mr. Tom, he is challenged to explore the meaning of home and love. When William first arrives in Little Wierwold, Mr. Tom is shocked at the bruises and marks covering his body. Something heavy hit him across the head and he sunk into a cold darkness”. Mr. Tom is not only outraged at the physical scarring this evacuee has been caused by his mother but also by the mental and physiological pain he has endured. William has been brainwashed to think that he is disobedient, disliked, full of sin and worthless causing him to have extremely low self-esteem. “He was such a bad boy, he knew that”. However, the love, care and joy discovered by Will during his time with Mr. Tom, has a much greater impact than anything his mother may ever had implied to him.

It is made clear to the reader throughout the novel that William has discovered the true meaning of home while staying with Mr. Tom and the impact both words and actions can have on people. From a young child, never having experienced friendship or family, the experience of close and loving relationships is very new to William. When Thomas Oakley welcomes Will into his home and provides him with much needed care and compassion, William almost does not know how to react. He is shocked at the concept of somebody actually “liking” him.

However as William develops throughout the novel, he begins to respond well to this care as he learns to love not only others around him, but himself. “I love you Mr. Tom, I love you. ” Through the authors touching description of the relationship between the two protagonists, it is made clear to the reader the significance of the impact this relationship had on the two In conclusion, throughout the novel Goodnight Mr. Tom , Michelle Magorian explores the impact that war and conflict can have on individuals and others around them.

While this impact is obviously going to be life changing, the reader is challenged to consider the irony of whether this change can possibly be a positive one. Through the themes of death and grieving, home, and friendship and family, the author develops the readers understanding of the impact of war and conflict on the two main protagonists in the novel. However, as the novel concludes, both main characters William and Thomas, while both experiencing both the tragic and uplifting impacts of war and conflict, are in a better place that ever thought possible.

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