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The Old Mother Whale
Tom, Jeff’s father and Clara’s husband, is a white settler and plantation owner in Papua New Guinea. Due to Parkinson’s disease, Tom can no longer supervise the native laborers who work for him, so he calls Jeff to come home and help. He is far more welcoming and hospitable to Rawiri than Clara is.
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Tom Character Timeline in The Whale Rider
The timeline below shows where the character Tom appears in The Whale Rider. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Autumn: Chapter 11
...Jeff’s family’s coffee plantation, Jeff’s mother, Clara, is uncomfortable with Rawiri being Maori. Jeff’s father, Tom, works hard to manage his plantation, even though he can’t walk or see due to...
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...trip. Jeff says that Rawiri seems homesick. He does, especially because Jeff’s parents (Clara and Tom) are ostracizing him more and more for being Maori. Back on the plantation, Rawiri gets...
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...driving one night. Rawiri gets out to check on the man, but Jeff, Clara, and Tom are more afraid than concerned, so they keep driving and leave Rawiri behind. And finally,...
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