Tom Brown's School Days

Tom Brown's Schooldays, first published in 1857 is a novel by Thomas Hughes, set in the classrooms of a 19th century public school, Rugby School for Boys. The novel was originally published as being 'by an Old Boy of Rugby', and it is immediately apparent that much of this novel is autobiographical.

Language

Much of the language and sentence construction are the very epitome of mid-Victorian obfuscation. It is singularly dense and impenetrable, with complex and interweaving sub-clauses, and is rife with what now appear to be condescending references to 'Gentle readers' etc. This, however, went with the territory with much of the writing of the time, and it took writers of the calibre of Dickens and Hardy to break these self-inflicted linguistic shackles, to demonstrate that, as le Corbusier was to later put it, 'Less is more'. In this respect, therefore, it should be considered that Tom Brown's Schooldays is representative and indicative of a much broader style of writing.

Themes

The central theme of the novel is bullying, and its effects and impacts. The novel is essentially didactic, and was not primarily written by its author as an entertainment. As Hughes said: "Several persons, for whose judgement I have the highest respect, while saying very kind things about this book, have added, that the great fault of it is 'too much preaching'; but they hope I shall amend in this matter should I ever write again. Now this I most distinctly decline to do. Why, my whole object in writing at all was to get the chance of preaching! When a man comes to my time of life and has his bread to make, and very little time to spare, is it likely that he will spend almost the whole of his yearly vacation in writing a story just to amuse people? I think not. At any rate, I wouldn't do so myself.”

Synopsis

The early chapters of the novel deal with Tom Brown's arrival at Rugby School, and also with the people who lived in the area of the school and its environs. Much of the scene setting which goes on in the first chapter is deeply revealing of Victorian England's attitudes on society and class.

On his arrival, the shy eleven year old Tom Brown is looked aftre by an older boy, East. Soon after, Tom and East become the targets of the school bully Flashman.

The intensity of the bullying increases, and, after refusing to hand over a sweepstake ticket for the favourite in a horse race, Tom is roasted in front of a fire.

Tom recuperates and learns boxing to defend himself. On his return to school, Tom is given the care of a frail newcomer, Arthur. Eventually Tom defeats Flashman.

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