Talent and Community Theme in Good Night, Mr. Tom

In Good Night, Mr. Tom, individual talent needs a supportive community to express itself. The novel’s protagonist, a school-aged child named William Beech, is an innately talented artist. Yet his abusive biological mother Mrs. Beech and his under-resourced school in London, full of discipline-focused teachers and bullies, prevent him from expressing that talent. William, along with many other children, is evacuated from London in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II because the English government anticipates that the Nazis will bomb densely populated urban areas in and around London. Staying in the rural village of Little Weirwold, William finds the supportive community that allows his artistic talent to flourish. He stays with Tom Oakley, an elderly widower who—unlike William’s abusive mother—praises his drawings and buys him art supplies. He makes friends with fellow evacuee Zach and Little Weirwold children George, Carrie, and Ginnie, who—unlike the bullies at his school in London—appreciate rather than mock his artistic sensitivity. Finally, he finds supportive teachers in young Mrs. Hartridge and veteran Geoffrey Sanderton who—unlike his punitive, discipline-focused teacher in London—encourage him to express himself and develop his technical artistic skill. William cannot flourish as an artist in London; it is only when he has a whole community supporting him that his innate talent comes to the fore. In this way, Good Night, Mr. Tom implies that people must have supportive communities if they are to develop their talents.

Talent and Community ThemeTracker

The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Talent and Community appears in each chapter of Good Night, Mr. Tom. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.

How often theme appears:

chapter length:

Chapter

Talent and Community Quotes in Good Night, Mr. Tom

Below you will find the important quotes in Good Night, Mr. Tom related to the theme of Talent and Community.

He raised the lid and stared at the brightly colored pots. “Paints?” he inquired.

Tom grunted in the affirmative. “Bit old, but the pots’ll do. You paint?” Willie’s face fell. He longed to paint. “Nah, ‘cos I can’t read.”

“The ones that can read and write gits the paint, that it?”

“Yeh.” Willie touched one of the pots gently with his hand and then hastily took it away.

Related Characters: William Beech (speaker), Tom Oakley (speaker), Rachel

Related Symbols: Rachel’s Paint Box

Page Number and Citation: 33

Explanation and Analysis:

Willie continued to gaze at the materials. He loved the reds, but Mum said red was a sinful color.

Related Characters: William Beech, Tom Oakley, Zach Wrench, Mrs. Beech/William’s Mother

Related Symbols: Zach’s Bicycle

Page Number and Citation: 49

Explanation and Analysis:

“We must all help one another now.”

Related Characters: Mr. Fletcher (speaker), William Beech, Tom Oakley, Mrs. Beech/William’s Mother

Page Number and Citation: 71

Explanation and Analysis:

“As soon as I see someone I like, I talk to them.”

Willie almost dropped the clod of earth he was holding. No one had ever said that they liked him. He’d always accepted that no one did. Even his mum said she only liked him when he was quiet and still.

Related Characters: Zach Wrench (speaker), William Beech, Tom Oakley, Mrs. Beech/William’s Mother

Page Number and Citation: 73

Explanation and Analysis:

He couldn’t read or write. He couldn’t swim or ride a bicycle. He had never made anything and he couldn’t tell the difference between one flower and another. He couldn’t play cricket or any other game for that matter and he had never been fishing. He began to panic. The others would get bored with waiting and go off on their own without him. He swallowed hard and looked up at their faces. They didn’t look bored. He relaxed a little and then he remembered something.

“I likes drawin’.”

Related Characters: William Beech (speaker), Zach Wrench, Carrie Thatcher, George Fletcher, Ginnie Thatcher, Mrs. Fletcher

Page Number and Citation: 92–93

Explanation and Analysis:

The jersey had a polo-neck collar in red. The cuffs and the waistband were ribbed in the same color. Willie thought that next to Zach’s deep complexion and black hair the red looked pleasing.

“I think it’s fine,” he said quietly, and Zach knew he was speaking truthfully.

Related Characters: William Beech (speaker), Zach Wrench, Carrie Thatcher, George Fletcher, Ginnie Thatcher

Page Number and Citation: 126

Explanation and Analysis:

“And here’s me dying to act and I can’t be in it because I’m Jewish.”

“Now you know how I feel about the high school,” said Carrie.

Related Characters: Zach Wrench (speaker), Carrie Thatcher (speaker), William Beech, George Fletcher, Ginnie Thatcher, Miss Emilia Thorne

Page Number and Citation: 142

Explanation and Analysis:

“I’m afraid I’ve had some rather bad news. Robert and Christine’s mother came early this morning and took them back to London. It seems she felt they were being used as unpaid labor. This means we have no Scrooge.”

Related Characters: Miss Emilia Thorne (speaker), William Beech, Tom Oakley

Page Number and Citation: 154

Explanation and Analysis:

“Everythin’ has its own time,” he whispered, and he blushed. “That’s what Mister Tom ses.”

Related Characters: William Beech (speaker), Tom Oakley, Mrs. Beech/William’s Mother, Miss Emilia Thorne, Rachel

Page Number and Citation: 155

Explanation and Analysis:

Tom grunted. “I ent ‘ere to listen to meself. One more time.”

Related Characters: Tom Oakley (speaker), William Beech, Rachel

Page Number and Citation: 162

Explanation and Analysis:

Good Night, Mr. Tom

Michelle Magorian

Talent and Community Theme Analysis

Talent and Community ThemeTracker

Talent and Community Quotes in Good Night, Mr. Tom