Essay on Goodnight Mr. Tom

Essay that explores the content of the book Goodnight Mr Tom.

Modern readers benefit and learn greatly from fictional texts in many ways. A fictional text is a made up and creative story. Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian, is set back in World War II in a small town called Little Weirwold. This text is one of many examples of fictional texts that explore human existence and shows the readers what it is like to be a child that lives through the war. Some aspects of human existence are war, abuse, education and friendship. These aspects can all be seen in the fictional text Goodnight Mister Tom and will further be developed in this essay.

War can change people’s lives forever in positive or negative ways. War causes thousands of lives to be lost, whether fighting for their country or innocent people. Bad reputations are easily earned when fighting wars. The victorious country may win the war, but nothing could ever replace all the lives that had been lost during it. Young William Beech is sent away from his London home due to war. In Goodnight Mister Tom, the author explores what it is like for a child to live through and to experience death and loss of his family and friends by using figurative language. William loses his closest friend from the bombings in London, the effect this has on Will is that he is traumitised by the aspect that he will never see his friend again. This benefits the reader by showing them the effect of losing a close friend.

Abuse can leave scars on children’s lives forever. William Beeches mother is an outrageously abusive parent who teaches her son a wrong perspective of life. William has bruises and cuts all through his body, he is damaged mentally and physically from the abuse he has suffered. This shows the reader the effects of the abuse. William suffers negative thoughts on returning home to his mother that His own mother made him feel ill. Perhaps he really was wicked after all. Pg 230.William then starts to think that his mother may have been right all along that maybe he was wicked. Abuse has been around for a long time, the text explores how humans can behave due to abuse, such as being traumitised. 

Education is a part of everybody’s life and determines to a large extent the rest of their lives overall success. Throughout the time humans have been educated, fictional texts are one of the main ways people learn right from wrong. Fictional texts explore the education of different circumstances around the world. If it wasn’t for education fictional texts would not be here today. In Goodnight Mister Tom, Will had very little education before he was evacuated to Little Weirwold. William starts school very nervously because he is unable to read or write. He starts to learn how to read and write and starts to enjoy it so much he starts to love books. This shows the social importance of education, he feels he needs education to fit in. It benefits readers showing it is possible for people to learn new things quickly and easily from practice. Many school children do not like going to school, but it does and will help them throughout their lifetime. Education will always be around and it will always benefit people to understand the aspects of human existence.

Friendships play a very important part in everybody’s life. Friends help each other through tough situations and are always there. Goodnight Mister Tom shows how important friends are. William did not have friends before he was evacuated to Little Weirwold, however he then earns many close friends. When his new best friend Zach dies, William is changed from the horrible event and turns into a sad and miserable boy.  He is unable to get over Zach’s death until one day he takes out his friend’s old bicycle. He then realises he has not lost Zach, but he is a part of him. I can live without Zach even though I still miss him. Pg 369. This part shows the reader how important friends are and how they will always be remembered. People will always gain and lose friends, but they will always be part of who they are.

In conclusion, fictional texts do benefit modern readers and explore aspects of human existence. War, abuse, education and friendship from these fictional texts show the readers what it is like and how people deal with it. Fiction texts no matter what, will always leave an important message that the reader will benefit from

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