Good Night, Mr. Tom: Chapter 1: Meeting Summary & Analysis

Tom opens his door and asks the harried woman outside what she wants. She introduces herself as a Billeting Officer and begins to talk about the looming war when Tom interrupts, saying he’s aware. The woman explains that she’s here about a child, Willie, whose mother wouldn’t let him be evacuated unless he was placed in a religious household or a household near a church. Tom examines Willie, a pallid, stunted-looking child, wearing a cardboard sign that reads “William Beech.” He tells Willie to come in. The Billeting Officer thanks him and leaves.

Inside the cottage, Tom examines his coat rack, realizes it’s too high for Willie, and brings Willie a pencil to mark the wall where Tom should insert a coat peg for him. When Willie hesitates, Tom tells him not to waste time—but when Willie draws a circle for the peg, Tom praises him as a “neat little chap.” Then he takes Willie’s raincoat and hangs it on the rack for the time being.

Tom leads Willie into the front room, tells him to sit by the fire, and makes him some bacon, bread, and tea. Willie has no appetite but tries to eat; he anxiously recalls that his mother told him to follow orders. When Tom notices Willie eating slowly, he says they can save the food for later and tells Willie to put more sugar in his tea and to sit back down by the fire. Willie’s sock falls, and Tom spots a bruise on his leg. He asks Willie what happened—and Willie yanks his sock back up.

Tom announces that he needs to go out. He says he’ll prepare Willie’s attic bedroom when he gets back and suggests that Willie wander around the neighboring graveyard—there’s nothing to be afraid of there, as the dead don’t bomb anyone. Before Tom leaves, he reminds Willie to close the door, lest “Sammy” get in and eat Willie’s bacon. After Tom leaves, Willie reminds himself to be good: his mother claims she’s a gentle parent, only giving Willie “soft beatings,” and Willie’s afraid what will happen if Tom, who looks more robust, finds out how bad a child he is.

Willie recalls how his mother told him that war was God’s punishment and that “he’d better watch out,” but she never said what to watch out for. He wonders whether the thing in question might be in the graveyard and peers out the window at the graves, but they don’t look scary. He realizes he can’t hear any traffic and decides to go explore the graveyard. Outside, Willie sees Tom’s garden, the graveyard, and a church, the scene dotted with trees. He begins walking toward an oak tree in the graveyard.

A pretty blond woman walks alongside a man in uniform. When she nears Willie, she stops and asks whether Willie is from London. He says yes. She asks his age, and he says he’s eight. She tells him that she’s Mrs. Hartridge and that he’ll likely be in her class. Then the couple walks on. Willie’s teacher in London yelled and hit children’s knuckles, but Mrs. Hartridge seems different. Willie keeps on walking toward the oak. A black-and-white collie runs around the tree and starts leaping around Willie and barking. Willie, terrified, recalls his mother’s warnings that dogs spread fatal diseases. He picks up a stick and weakly threatens to kill the dog. 

Tom, appearing behind Willie, tells him to drop the stick: the dog won’t hurt him. Willie, petrified, freezes. Tom takes the stick from Willie. Willie cries out, protecting his face with his arm. Tom throws the stick across the graveyard, the collie chasing after it. Tom tells Willie he can lower his arm and suggests that they go back to the cottage and talk. Willie becomes more frightened as they walk back to the cottage. Inside, Tom stirs the fire with the poker, and Willie, convinced that Tom will brand him, faints. 

Tom carries Willie to an open window and makes him breathe in fresh air. Willie vomits repeatedly. When he’s done, Tom cleans his face, puts him in an armchair, and watches him till he falls asleep. Tom has heard that the evacuees are ill-behaved; he wasn’t expecting a terrified little boy. He asks himself what whether Willie could have thought—and interrupts himself, saying, “Surely not!” The collie, Sammy, scratches at the door. Tom lets him in and quietly tells him that while he may not know much about children, he knows not to beat and terrify them.

Tom goes into the hall, opens a trapdoor in the ceiling, and pulls out a ladder, which he’s hardly used since his wife, Rachel, died about 40 years ago. Then he walks to a bedroom, where he opens a cupboard with sheets, a blanket, and some keepsakes of Rachel (including her paint box) and their baby son, who died shortly after Rachel did. Tom takes some bedding from the cupboard and carries it up the ladder.