Character Analysis
Non-Celebrity Apprentice
We see Revenge of the Witch's enchanted world of ghasts, boggarts, and pointy-toed shoes (oh my) through the eyes of the Spook's apprentice, Tom. Current apprentice, we should say, since these apprentices seem to have pretty short lifespans. Perhaps it's this disposable nature of the Spook's trainees that prevents us from learning too much about Tom.
We don't even learn his full name until Chapter 4. He's merely a vehicle for us to travel into another world.
We do know, however, that Tom is his parents' seventh son. There's a lot of fanfare early on in the book about this fact. Tom is told, "Seven times seven, you are, and you have the gift" (1.76). But this "gift" is a little discomfiting, like a holiday sweater that fits really well but has a hideous pattern on it. Why?
Well, Tom can see dead spirits. But so can his mam and the Spook, who tells him, "Don't start thinking you're anything special" (4.27). Hmm, maybe all that ado about being the seventh son is much ado about nothing.
Another reason we don't learn too much about Tom is because he's barely thirteen years old. Other than knowing that farming is boring, he doesn't know too much about himself yet. Plus, in this book, he's busy absorbing all the information the Spook is giving him.
Tom's a sponge, but he usually only does what he's told. He's not one to ask too many questions, believing, "You'll know, you'll be told when it's the right time" (14.72). But pure-and-simple rule-followers don't often get too far in life; lucky for us, Tom is not that kind of guy.
Doubting Thomas
Tom's last name is Ward, which reminds us of Burt Ward, the actor who played Robin in that campy Batman show. More importantly, Ward is a good name for an apprentice, because a ward is a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another.
It's also a word for a hospital wing, but let's hope Tom doesn't end up there. Healthcare probably isn't all that advanced in his County.
Perhaps most important of all, the name Thomas brings to mind a Biblical Thomas. And like that Thomas, our Tom is a skeptic. He doubts some of the Spook's methods, especially the barbaric way he treats witches. Tom says, "I didn't hold with keeping an old woman as a prisoner in a hole in the ground" (8.4).
Unfortunately, Tom's sympathy leads to the book's major crisis. His misplaced kindness gives the evil Mother Malkin the strength to escape. Kind of makes you wonder if some people deserve kindness at all. What do you think?
Spook Junior
What Tom doesn't doubt are the Spook's rules. Because Tom knows they'll keep him alive. He does have a lot of trouble following them at first, however. He makes some pretty grave mistakes. But who among us doesn't?
What sets Tom apart from the rest of the proverbial pack is that he learns from his mistakes. And he learns quickly. He's also a good apprentice because he's braver than any thirteen year-old we know. Heck, he's braver than most adults we know.
First, he takes on the evil Mother Malkin alone. This not only shows great courage, but also a huge amount of responsibility. How many kids would just say "I didn't do it," after accidentally setting free the world's most evil witch? Not Tom. He tracks her down—in the dark, we might add—and defeats her.
After killing Mother Malkin, Tom thinks his "shadow didn't seem to belong to me anymore" (10.5). In fact, it looks just like the Spook's shadow. We guess the Spook's knowledge is seeping into Tom, and Tom is becoming a Spook faster than he ever could have anticipated. With all his wits and bravery, doubt and kindness, Tom just might have a long career ahead of him.
Tom Ward's Timeline