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Chapter 5: Chamberlain Announces
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Good Night, Mr. Tom, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Biological Family vs. Chosen Family
Civilians in Wartime
Grief and Healing
Talent and Community
Religion
Summary
Analysis
The curly-haired boy introduces himself as Zacharias Wrench, though people call him Zach. Embarrassed by Zach’s keen stare, Willie goes back to covering the shelter. Zach asks to help, and Willie hesitantly agrees. As they work, Zach asks whether this is Willie’s first time in the country. Before Willie answers, Zach launches into a description of his experiences with the country on holidays and in books. Then he says that Willie seems to be an “independent soul” like Zach and asks whether he lives with Mr. Oakley, who’s known to keep to himself. At Willie’s confusion, Zach says Willie must think he’s “forward” but explains that because his parents are traveling theater people, he doesn’t waste time: he talks to people as soon as he realizes he likes them.
Willie’s fascination with Zach in the post office earlier suggested that Willie wanted to make friends with this interesting boy his own age—yet when Zach actually comes and talks to Willie, Willie is embarrassed and hesitant. Willie’s extreme social anxiety reminds readers of the severe abuse and bullying he has suffered. Interestingly, Zach seems to have mistaken Willie’s anxiety and shyness for evidence of an “independent soul.” In stark contrast with Willie, Zach seems extroverted and bold—even, in Zach’s own words, “forward.”
Themes
Willie is utterly shocked to hear that Zach likes him: his mother only liked him when he was “invisible,” and no one else has ever liked him at all. After the boys have worked a bit longer, Zach points out that they can’t reach the shelter’s top and asks whether there’s a ladder. When Willie says Tom has a ladder in the cottage hall, Zach suggests they go get it and finish the ladder as a surprise, offering to take responsibility if Tom gets angry.
William’s belief that his mother only likes him when he is “invisible” hints that—in his view and maybe in truth—she wishes he didn’t exist at all. Zach and Tom’s immediate affection for Will sharply contrasts with his mother’s antipathy.
Themes
As the boys get the ladder, Tom walks into the village hall, which is full of villagers. People sneak looks at Tom, as he stopped attending town functions when Rachel died and never got back into the habit. Mr. Peters and other presenters explain protocols around blackout curtains, gas masks, and air raids. People volunteer for various tasks. Tom thinks he’s done well in life by “mind[ing] his own business,” but he recognizes that the volunteers genuinely want to help others. Abruptly, he volunteers for a two-hour shift of fire-watching duty. Miss Thorne volunteers too. When Tom leaves, he rather dazedly realizes that several villagers spoke to him. He speculates that Rachel is having a “good laugh.”
Tom wanted to avoid other people during the worst of his grief. As a result, he formed antisocial habits and lost contact with his wider community. Though Tom casts his own antisocial behavior as “mind[ing] his own business,” the wartime context makes him realize that community-oriented behavior is important to his village’s safety—including, implicitly, his new charge Willie’s safety. Thus, he volunteers to do “fire-watching,” a term for spotting potential German bombings. When Tom thinks that Rachel is having a good laugh, it suggests both that engaging with his community makes him think about her more and that she would have approved of him coming out of his shell.
Themes
Back at the cottage, Tom calls for Willie and finds him outside in the dark. When Tom asks why Willie didn’t go indoors, Zach interjects, introduces himself, and explains that he “persuaded Will.” Tom asks who Will is, and Zach says that “Willie” is a terrible nickname. After a pause, Tom invites Zach in. In the light, Tom sees that Willie is covered in dirt and that Zach is a boy about Willie’s age but taller, wearing a red jersey around his shoulders. Tom asks whether they finished the shelter. When Willie says yes, Tom asks how they reached the top. Willie admits they used the ladder. Zach says that it was his idea. Tom asks whether they put it back, and Zach assures him they did.
Earlier, readers learned that Willie’s mother told him the color red was sinful. Zach’s red jersey hints both that Willie’s mother would disapprove of extroverted Zach and that Zach’s friendship may help Willie overcome his mother’s abuse. Willie’s behavior suggests that he fears Tom will get angry about the ladder—anxiety rooted in his mother’s physical abuse—but Tom doesn’t get angry. Instead, he only wants to know whether the boys were responsible and put the ladder back.
Themes
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Zach realizes it’s 9:00 p.m. and says that he has to leave. He asks Tom whether he can come back the next day to play. Tom says to ask Willie (much to Willie’s surprise), and Willie agrees. Zach shouts: “Wizard! Callooh! Callay!” After Zach leaves, Tom starts pouring hot water into a tub, telling Willie he needs a bath. Willie, terrified, explains that he can’t swim. Tom begins to ask whether Willie has “never”—but cuts himself off. Instead, he explains that you don’t need to swim in the bath. Willie manages to relax in the water. After Willie is clean, Tom tells him the creation story from Genesis and reads to him from Just So Stories.
Zach’s slangy expressions of joy (e.g., “Wizard!”) emphasize his extroversion in contrast to Willie’s shyness. Tom lets Willie choose with whom he’ll socialize, which shocks Willie. Willie’s shock implies that his mother did not allow him to make independent choices. Meanwhile, Willie’s terror of the bath indicates that his mother never bathed him, another sign of her neglectful parenting—whereas Tom gently persuades him to do so. Yet again, the novel contrasts Willie’s mother’s abusiveness with Tom’s affectionate, gentle guardianship. It also contrasts Tom’s gentle religiosity (as when Tom tells Willie the creation story rather than simply reading to him from the Bible, which might be too difficult for a young boy) with Willie’s mother’s severe religious dogmatism.
Themes
