The Light Between Waves Tom Sherbourne Conflict Essay

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The main character in the novel ‘The Light between Oceans’, Tom Sherbourne undergoes many conflicts, including internal and external conflicts. There is a Man vs. Self-conflict that occurs consistently throughout the story. Tom has been emotionally scarred by the horrid images he has experienced firsthand whilst being a war veteran in the time period of World War 1. This information is evident on pg. 10, where he states that he “is scarred all the same.” The trauma he had faced during the battles was the sole purpose behind his spontaneous decision to become the caretaker of Janus. Tom had believed that the isolation from social environments would help him heal from the frightening shadows he had carried along with him. On pg. 11, he narrates that “if he can only get far enough away—from people, from memory—time will do its job.” This proves that his agony and grief had been the basis of his travel to Janus and that he had wanted to be alone and separated away from everyone else. …show more content…

This quickly changed when he had met Isabel Graysmark in the small town of Partageuse. He found a young innocence in Isabel that he had been yearning to find in himself and Tom had believed that Isabel had the potential to change him into a happier person, somebody willing to take risks and believe in the extraordinary aspects of life. In the beginning of the story, Tom is introduced as a civilized character, whose personal foundation is based off of morality and subordinate behaviour. His personality soon fluctuates as he meets

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