Tom's Midnight Garden

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of bullying and gender discrimination.

Tom visits the garden every night. He can never predict what time of day it will be, but the weather is always perfect. When he encounters the maid and the gardener, they look right through him. However, he often has the feeling that someone is watching him.

Tom makes no physical impression on the garden. Tree branches do not shake when he climbs them, and he cannot open doors. Experimenting, he realizes that he can walk through doors and walls, but the sensation is unpleasant. He sees the gardener praying to God for protection from the devil.

One night, Tom enters the garden, where it is dark and stormy. Lightning strikes the tallest fir tree, and Tom hears someone cry out when the tree falls. The following evening, the tree is standing again.

Tom asks Alan how a tree could resurrect itself after being struck down by lightning. His uncle says that this would only be possible if one could “put the clock back” (55). Tom asks, “What clock?” and Alan impatiently explains that it is impossible for time to go backward. Frustrated, Tom insists that his uncle is wrong.