Tom's Midnight Garden

Tom’s Midnight Garden bridges two different periods in British history, allowing the author to explore how British life, values, and society changed. Tom Long’s “present” is the post-World War II world of the 1950s. Tom inhabits a setting where the effects of the war are still being felt. When he goes to stay with his aunt and uncle, the Kitsons’ apartment is in a converted Victorian manor house, reflecting the housing shortages in post-war Britain. During and after World War II, many large houses were divided into smaller apartments to accommodate the growing urban population and displaced families. The old manor house is described as “crowded round with newer, smaller houses that beat up to its very confines” (4), illustrating the emergence of new housing developments. The loss of the house’s garden, leaving only a meager yard, denotes the urban lifestyle that was becoming more common in mid-20th-century Britain.

Tom’s parents’ decision to send him away when Peter has measles is a further reflection of a population living in increasingly closed quarters. Before the measles vaccine was discovered in 1968, epidemics of the highly contagious disease were common. Mrs. Long’s observation that “[t]here’s so little room in the house […] when there’s illness” emphasizes how modern living conditions accelerated the spread of disease (2).

The novel also explores Victorian Britain, as Tom’s visits to the midnight garden transport him to the late 19th century. The Victorian era, named as such because it spanned the years of Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901), is characterized by the height of the British Empire’s imperialism, a rigid, hierarchical class system, and strict social norms, vividly brought to life through Hatty’s world. The Melbourne family’s manor house and their employment of servants, such as a maid and a gardener, demonstrate the privileged lifestyle of the British upper classes during this period. 

Hatty’s world also espouses more patriarchal and traditional values, reflecting the era. As a girl, Hatty is expected to be obedient and “ladylike,” reflecting the Victorian ideal of femininity. Her adventures in the garden with Tom represent a rebellion against those constraints, showing a longing for freedom and self-expression.

Small details in the novel also convey the distinctive fashions of the Victorian era. For example, Hatty pins up her long skirts and discards her fur muff to skate more freely. The scene conveys the restrictive nature of women’s clothes during this period. Meanwhile, the stuffed animals displayed in the Melbourne family’s hallway illustrate the Victorian craze for taxidermy. The chapters describing the midnight garden covered in snow and skating down the frozen river illustrate the Great Freeze between December 1894 and February 1895, during which the rivers froze, a very unusual occurrence. Tom and Hatty’s expedition to Ely demonstrates how rivers were repurposed as ice rinks during one of the coldest recorded winters in British history.

By blending these two historical contexts, Pearce invites readers to consider how the past and present interact. The contrast between Tom’s urban, post-war reality and Hatty’s more romanticized yet restrictive Victorian childhood serves as a way to explore The Impact of History on the Present. The novel suggests that while much has changed—from housing to social roles—human emotions like loneliness, childhood curiosity, and the need for connection remain constant.