Private Peaceful Essay Questions

When Grandma Wolf moves in, things change for the worse because of her cruelty. Why does Tommy blame himself, rather than her, for the family's unhappiness?

Tommo blames himself for his father's death; because of that, he sees every negative thing that happens to his family as a result of this. The cottage they live in is a tied cottage, which means that it is tied to his late father's job. To keep the cottage, Tommo's mother is forced into servitude caring for the local landowner's wife, which will allow them to pay to stay in the house. This would not have happened had Tommo's dad still been alive, and he sees this as his fault. Grandma Wolf arrives to babysit the boys; she is very mean and exceptionally cruel. Because he feels responsible for the accident that killed his father, Tommo feels responsible for everything that happens as a result of his death, almost by default.

How does the reader learn that Tommo is a soldier in World War I? How does this discover illustrate their experience of the narrative they've read up to that point?

The first time Tommo refers to his current situation, he tells us that he has seen larks over no man's land. Since this is also the first time he has referred to his present and not his past, we realize that he must be serving in World War I and that he must be fighting in the trenches of France. We also realize that his recollections of his childhood are his way of trying to put himself mentally back home, even if he cannot put himself there physically, and that his precarious situation is what precipitated his thinking about the existence of heaven. The next reference to his being a soldier is of seeing the new moon and hoping that those back home are seeing the same moon, again showing that he is overseas and missing his family.

How is Charlie's eventual fate foreshadowed throughout the novel?

Charlie breaks a number of rules, foreshadowing his eventual accusation of "cowardice" while in the army. The first rule that Charlie breaks is when he goes poaching on the Colonel's land to feed his family. Later on, he makes a baby with Molly out of wedlock, suggesting that he has a certain disregard for rules. He breaks the strict schoolteacher Mr. Munning's rules by fighting a boy who hurt Tommo, and when he is punished for this, he does not cry out or beg for mercy. Charlie antagonizes Hanley by being polite and playful, which infuriates the serious Hanley since he feels he is not being respected. All of these incidents suggest that, although Charlie has a strong sense of morality, that moral compass has the potential to get him in trouble with the law.

Tommo blames himself for his father's accidental death. What happened, and what purpose does this narrative thread serve in the broader narrative?

Tommo followed his father on his job as a forester and was playing when his father cut down a tree. Tommo realizes too late that he is in the shadow of the tree and would soon be crushed by it, but his father shoves him out of the way in time, though he is crushed by the tree in the process. Tommo's father dies instantly, but he falls with his finger pointing at Tommo. Tommo feels that he is responsible for his father's death and keeps this a secret all his life—though Charlie reveals at the end that the whole family knew about it because Tommo talks in his sleep and that none of them blamed him for it. This incident draws a parallel to Tommo's role in his brother Charlie's death: as his father did, Charlie died for trying to protect Tommo. Fortunately, Tommo knows better than to blame himself for his brother's death and instead focuses on taking care of his brother's wife and child.

Describe the character of Molly. What is she like, and what purpose does she serve in the story?

Molly is a polite, friendly, adventurous girl. She meets the Peaceful brothers at school, where she helps Tommo learn how to tie his shoes. Later, she goes on a number of adventures with the boys and eventually falls in love with Charlie. She is polite and one of the few children who earns the Wolfwoman's approval. Molly's parents are very strict and cruel, which might account for her excessive politeness.

Despite these interesting character traits, Molly is largely just a love interest and point of contention for the two brothers. In the end, Charlie tells Tommo to take care of her without taking into account what Molly herself might want.