Tom Brown's School Days

Tom Brown's School Days Set in early Victorian times at the prestigious Rugby School, Tom Brown's School Days is a book about social norms and personal morality. Written by Thomas Hughes, this energetic story is set against a backdrop of class and privilege in the 1830s. It showcases the natural development of boys through their fighting spirit and emerging sensitivity.

Tom Brown is a healthy young English boy full of fun and adventure. This semi-autobiographical work is peppered with schoolboy mischief, from cheating to bullying and outright theft. Beyond descriptive portrayals of natural and not-so-healthy boyish behavior lies an underlying concern for values and class struggle.

The first part of the book is about Tom's relationship with an older bully named Flashman. Harry Flashman was later developed by George MacDonald Fraser, appearing in 12 of his books known as The Flashman Papers. The second part of the book is devoted to Tom's growing friendship with a younger boy named Arthur. Brilliant, pious, but also frail, Arthur helps shape Tom's perspective of the world. Along with exploring the institutions and customs of Rugby — the birthplace of rugby football — this much-loved book is about the development of a masculine morality.