Tommy D

Tommy is a Hailsham pupil, and both a friend and later a romantic partner (at different times) to both Ruth and Kathy. Tommy’s character is most strongly defined by his violent temperament that he struggles with continually. This temperament is exacerbated by the anxiety caused by Tommy’s lack of artistic abilities, which in Hailsham, a home where such abilities are highly prized (as seen in the gallery, exchange and sales) causes him to become a social pariah. Tommy is distinct from Kathy and Ruth in that he is neither passive nor controlling. Instead, Tommy typically takes more of a middle ground approach that many times can come across as unintentionally blunt.