Private Peaceful Comparative Essay

The novel Private Peaceful and the short story "The Best Christmas Present in the World" are both by Michael Morpurgo, however the author is not the only thing that connects the two. When looking at these stories you realise just how similar they are, mainly the characters, plot and many of the themes. However, these stories are also very different, and the main characters face challenges that are different to each other yet hold just as much importance. Tommo, our narrator in Private Peaceful, faces difficult times when he is forced to leave his loved ones to fight for his country in the First World War. Jim Macpherson is the protagonist in "The Best Christmas Present in the World" and also has to leave his friends and family for the same reason. They are both caring characters and wish for an end to the war as it has caused great pain in their lives, with Tommo in the death of his brother, Charlie, and Jim 's own death. We are not told of Jim 's family, other than his wife Connie, however we do know that he is a school teacher, indicating that he likes children. Tommo is very family orientated and cares for his brother, Big Joe, as he has a disability. However Tommo is unhappy with his relationship with his sister-in-law Molly. Molly and Charlie are married and have a child before Charlie is killed. Tommo has been in love with Molly for quite a while and used this as a selling point for himself to go to war. In Private Peaceful he states, "…how Molly would admire me, might even love me," indicating that he thought that being a 'hero ' would effect Molly 's view of him. In "The Best Christmas Present in the World" we get the idea that Jim is a very peaceful man and was forced to go to the war to protect his wife as apposed to impress her. Connie and Molly are also quite similar. When Tommo and Charlie go to war, Molly is left feeling alone and desperate as she has no one to turn to. The same goes for Connie when Jim leaves. They both also feel the loss of