This short story intimately concerns the psychology of children, and in particular, how the way a child sees the world conflicts so often with how an adult sees it. We are presented with a scene with two children who are both busily involved in their own activity, the girl reading, the boy playing, and then the boy's Nurse enters and tells the boy off because he is not playing with the girl. The boy goes into a tantrum, and the girl and Nurse leave. Moments later, however, the girl re-enters, only for both of them to resume the exact activities they were engaged in before, and the same tranquility and peace descends on the scene.

Note how Tom responds to his Nurse when he is told off for ignoring Jenny and not playing with her:

"She's not by herself," Tom said.

"Oh, Tom, that really is naughty of you. Where are all your nice manners? Get up, my dear, and play with her like a good boy."

"I am playing with her," Tom said, in a surly tone, and he gave Nurse a sidelong glance of anger.

Here we have the conflict presented in stark terms. The "nice manners" of the adult world are opposed by the child's instinctive understanding of what it means to "play" with someone and being with someone. Tom and Jenny, even though they are both engaged in different activities, are perfectly happy and playing "together" even though they are not doing the same thing. It is the imposition of the adult's view that makes Tom suffer a "large and complicated grievance." Perhaps, the story suggests, we as adults have a lot to learn from the way that children see the world.

Please summarize "A Special Occasion" by Joyce Cary.

In Irish author Joyce Cary's "A Special Occasion," a little boy (Tom) is in his nursery—a playroom for children of the upper classes. We can assume that he comes from a wealthy home: not only because he has a nanny, but also because he is dressed in very nice clothes. He is described as...

... a dark little boy, aged five, also in a party suit, blue linen knickers, and a silk shirt...

The nanny shows a little girl into the nursery that is also dressed up—in a silk party dress. The little boy pays close attention to his guest for a moment:

Tom, having stared at the girl for a long time as one would study a curiosity, rare and valuable, but extremely surprising, put his feet together, made three jumps forward and said, "Hullo."

The little girl (later identified as Jenny) returns his greeting. As the children come together, they seem to associate in an unusual manner—at least from an adult's standpoint. The little boy runs around the room, hollers ("twanky tweedle") and then sits down to play with his train. The little girl rides his bike around the room, talks briefly to the boy, and then sits under the table to read a book. Both are particularly occupied with what each is doing, but seem satisfied to "play" in this way.

When Nurse returns to the room, she scolds the little boy for being "naughty," in not playing as she believes he should. Imposing her sense of appropriate behavior between children, she tries to make Tom interact with Jenny as she wants him to. She tells him that he is not playing with Jenny as a mannerly boy should—leaving Jenny all alone under the table. He explains that she is not alone—for Tom and Jenny understand that they can be in the same space and share quiet camaraderie; ironically, Nurse (the adult) cannot fathom this sophisticated concept. Nurse tries to force the little boy and he becomes frustrated and angry. When Jenny notes also that he is "naughty," Tom loses control, and the children go after each other:

Tom flew at her, and seized her by the hair; the little girl at once uttered a loud scream, kicked him on the leg, and bit his arm.

Nurse picks the little girl up under her arm, threatens Tom with punishment when his father gets home, and leaves the room. Tom is now beside himself with fury and frustration, and howls for a good five minutes, throwing things about the room, sobbing. Then the door opens...

...and the little girl walked in. She had an air of immense self-satisfaction as if she had just done something very clever. She said in a tone demanding congratulation, "I've come back."

Tom looks at her with tears on his cheeks, sobs (still angry), but begins to play with the train once more. Studying the toy, he suddenly speaks with "surprise and pleased excitement." That quickly, his good humor is restored. Jenny, in the meantime, has daintily lifted her party dress out of the way so as not to crush it, and sits under the table, soon immersed in her book again. Then she...

...gave an enormous sigh of relief, of very special happiness.

It would seem that the children better know how to play than Nurse; they also understand that playing is not defined by one kind of interaction; and Jenny quite simply works things out by returning to Tom (we can assume unnoticed) to continue their play in a way that completely satisfies both children—even if Tom's nanny doesn't understand. But why should she? She is not a child and does not understand how to play.

What is the theme in the short story "A Special Occasion" by Joyce Cary?

Although Irish author Joyce Cary's "A Special Occasion" involves children, the theme that speaks to me is one that applies most especially to adults.

Tom is a young child of privilege: he has nice clothes, a nursery full of toys and a nanny. Nurse's expectations of the child brook no argument: he is to be polite and give his undivided attention to this guest, Jenny, who it appears he has been asking to play with all week. 

However, Nurse does not give the boy her undivided attention. This is ironic in that she expects Tom to do something different than what she does with him. She leaves him alone in the nursery with Jenny:

Nurse had gone into the night nursery, next door, on her private affairs.

When she finishes her personal affairs, she returns:

Nurse, having completed her private business, came bustling in with the air of one restored to life after a dangerous illness

"Life after dangerous illness" seems to indicate that her vigor is restored and can now return and deal with Tom, who seems quite content to play as he is. And Jenny is equally content with a picture book. However, Nurse believes that she knows what is best for the children, and begins to scold Tom for leaving Jenny alone—which is exactly what Nurse has just done.

The author points out that Nurse is plump, and old-fashioned. This infers that she is older; being plump may indicate that it is not so easy for her to actively entertain Tommy. Being old-fashioned may indicate that she expects the child to be seen and not heard, and/or to follow her directions without question. We can assume that Tom plays as he does because she leaves him to entertain himself as she does things for herself that do not involve spending time with him.

Tom does not see the sense in Nurse scolding him, for both children are doing what they want, and they see it as comfortable entertainment: they are sharing a moment much like adult camaraderie. If these children come from similar households, this may be the way they play at home: alone. Tom denies that Jenny is alone: after all, he's right there in the room with her.

Tom is only five, but he doesn't like to be embarrassed: when Nurse reveals that he has been begging for Jenny to come over, he denies it and becomes angry at her disclosure. But still he doesn't want Jenny to leave. Then he contradicts himself, saying he never wanted her there in the first place!

Violence erupts between the kids; Nurse has to carry a furious Jenny out of the room, while an equally enraged Tom throws his toys about, and howls for a full five minutes. However, before long, with a sense of self-satisfaction, Jenny returns (unbeknownst to Nurse it appears) and joins Tom once more. At first he is still angry, but soon he is playing with "surprise and pleased excitement." Jenny climbs daintily under the table, once again with her book.

The conflict arises between the children because Nurse wants them to "play" as the she expects them to. Tom and Jenny are perfectly happy playing quietly together. Nurse imposes her will on the children without concern of how she can help, but how she can control.

Nurse should let them play as they want. They should be allowed to engage in activities that they enjoy. Left to themselves, Tom plays on and...

...[Jenny] gave an enormous sigh of relief, of very special happiness.

The theme seems to be that people should not try to tell others how to be happy (or live). Only we can find this for ourselves.