Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, child abuse, bullying, and gender discrimination.

Tom is the novel’s protagonist. The story unfolds through his third-person perspective, and his emotional journey and experiences form the book’s core. Tom’s discovery of the midnight garden and his growing friendship with Hatty drive the narrative; acting as a bridge between the 1950s and the Victorian era, his adventures create the basis of the time-slip story. Tom is naturally inquisitive, and it is his curiosity that leads to his discovery of the mysterious garden. It also prompts him to research Hatty’s era and question the nature of time itself. His highly developed imagination means that he is open to phenomena that contradict the other characters’ understanding of reality.

Tom’s character arc throughout the novel involves his coming of age, as he develops empathy and maturity through his adventures and relationship with Hatty. At the start of the story, he is angry and frustrated when he is sent to stay with the Kitsons against his wishes. While the readers are encouraged to empathize with his sense of powerlessness, Tom also displays less likable qualities.