Tom's Midnight Garden: Self Development

Both texts advance the theme of self-development through the transformation of a historic landscape that the protagonist inhabits. In Tom’s Midnight Garden the past landscape is used to reconcile differences in the present. The river in the past is described as ‘flow[ing] beside meadows’ with ‘back-garden strips on one side and an asphalt path on the other’ which implies an rural, idyllic setting in its natural form. (TMG, p.156) However, in Tom’s present he is presented with a river which ‘isn’t pure and healthy anymore’ but is rather ‘clothed in a kind of dingy, brown fur’ presenting the corruption of the rural setting through modernisation in Tom’s present. (TMG, p. 157) The theme of self-development is presented through Tom’s question

Kit, through his narrative endeavours, redirects his attention to a creative writing that is concerned with a pre-historic boy who travels the world. Lak, the protagonist of Kit’s narrative, reflects similar characteristic and traits to John Askew. Askew’s domestic life is defined through the abuse of his father, who Kit describes as ‘snarl[ing] in the boy’s ear’ and ‘grip[ing] the boy’s throat tighter’ which echoes the Lak narrative as his father ‘took [his] throat’ and ‘hit [him]. (KW, p. 46/108) The paralleling of Askew and Lak is furthered through Kit qualifying the safety of Askew through Lak, Kit claims ‘I think if Lak and his sister are safe, then Askew will be safe’ suggesting the characters are intermixed rather than separate. (KW, p. 203) Through his narrative Kit experiences a personal growth that relates to social interaction and returning to the community. A friendship develops between Kit and Askew in the drift mine where Kit recalls his tale of Lak to Askew. Upon leaving the mine Kit and Askew’s bond is reflected through their laughter in which Kit describes how ‘Askew and I looked at each…and even he laughed’ indicating a shared experience between the two characters. (KW, p. 208) This friendship contrasts with the earlier depiction of Askew who is described as a ‘lout’ and depicted as ‘lounging bitterly outside a closed classroom door’ the image of the classroom door

The historical backdrop in which both texts use allows for the protagonists, Kit and Tom, to develop and dispute adult concepts in their own personal experience. Both protagonists negotiate social forces through the use of the landscape. Kit is confronted with the reality of death through the wilderness whilst Tom is presented with the threat of modernity in his own society. A relationship between societal forces and constructions is established between the protagonists which relates to Perry Nodelman’s claim that ‘Perhaps children are always more like adults than adults are ever able to see.’ The development of childhood becoming intermixed with adult concepts allows the protagonists throughout the novels to bridge the divide between childhood and adulthood. It is notable that the history in which the child reader and the protagonists are presented with are negotiated by the adult. However, the children use this history as a platform to create their own sense of development and experiences. Through this, the children in accordance with Inglis’ comment take the stories of history and transform these events into intelligible experiences of growth and