Good Night, Mr. Tom Questions and Answers
Good Night, Mr. Tom
Why is William's mother so rude to him?
William Beech comes from a troubled home environment, where he is physically and verbally abused by his mother on a shockingly regular basis. Without wishing in any way to absolve Mrs. Beech of any...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
In Good Night, Mr. Tom, George invites William and Zach to go pick blackberries, despite his sisters' anger. Why does...
George and the twins are going blackberry picking. They'll be taking a large picnic with them made by George's mum. On the face of it, it sounds like it'll be a lot of fun. But George doesn't...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
How would you describe the setting of Good Night, Mr. Tom?
Good Night, Mr. Tom takes place in England during the beginning of World War II. It tells the story of a young boy, Willie Beech. He is originally from London, but he is sent to the English...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
What has caused Mr. Tom Oakley to be a recluse for years in Good Night, Mr. Tom?
The answer is to be found a little way into the book when the reason for Mr. Tom's slightly bizarre behaviour is revealed. Mr. Tom used to be married, but tragically his wife and their newborn son...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
In chapter 2 of Good Night, Mr. Tom, why does Tom put up "blackouts"? What do you think Willie's mother meant by...
Good Night, Mr. Tom is set in the era of World War II in England, which is important to understand the context of the "blackouts" that people put up in the evenings. People in England lived in fear...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
What is Mr. Stelton's opinion on what’s best for Willie in Good Night, Mr. Tom?
In chapter 17 of Good Night, Mr. Tom, William is discovered in the most traumatic circumstances at his family home in Deptford. He has been imprisoned in a closet under the stairs with his baby...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
In Good Night, Mr. Tom, why is Willie reluctant to invite the group over to his bedroom?
In chapter 10 of Good Night, Mr. Tom, titled "The Case," Willie is gaining more and more confidence in his academic and social skills thanks to the help of his immediate support systems, including...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
In chapter 3 of Good Night, Mr. Tom, what does "sultry" mean? What is wireless? What does ARP stand for? How do Dr....
In chapter 3 of Good Night, Mr. Tom, the word "sultry" means hot and humid and refers, as is often the case, to the weather. A wireless is a radio, so called because sound is transmitted using...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
In Goodnight, Mr. Tom, why is Willie so fearful and sure that he is worthless?
Willie is quite simply the victim of domestic abuse. It becomes apparent later in the novel that his mother is mentally unbalanced as seen through her cruel discipline of Willie based on extremely...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
How is the month of November described by the author? How have the events of the war disturbed Miss Thorne's plans...
In the chapter titled "The Show Must Go On," the setting is November and is described with dismal imagery: November had been a damp and drizzly month, bringing shorter days and causing...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
What would the advertising for the play be like in chapter 12 of Good Night, Mr. Tom?
Advertising for the children's play in Good Night, Mr. Tom would have been of two types. There would have been posters or bills to be pinned to noticeboards or stuck on walls, and flyers to be...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
Describe the play that the children will perform in Good Night, Mr. Tom.
In Good Night, Mr. Tom, the play the children are to perform in the chapter titled "The Show Must Go On" is an adaptation of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. This play is to be staged at short...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
Why was Tom unusually quiet when Will returned from his play rehearsal in Good Night, Mr. Tom?
Tom was quiet after William returned from rehearsal because he had been asked to step in and direct the choir at the school. The old choir teacher, Mr. Bush, was "called up" to military service, so...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
What happens during the war in Good Night, Mr. Tom?
As a result of the outbreak of World War 2, a young boy named Willie Beech, who has been abused by his mother, ends up staying at the home of elderly widower Tom Oakley. The damaged young boy and...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
What is plimsoll?
A ship never completley floats on water, a part of it is always submerged below the water surface depending upon its weight. The Plimsoll line is a line drawn on the lower end of ships, marking the...
Good Night, Mr. Tom
What is hedgerow?
A hedgerow is a type of fence or border between properties. In much of rural England, such as the area around Little Weirwold, bushes and trees would have been allowed to grow over the years along...