Mortal Engines

The main protagonist of Mortal Engines, Tom is “small and shy and ha[s] no friends” (8). Most of the novel is from his point of view. He begins the book as a nobody orphan, but by the end, he has built a family—most of whom he loses to death—and has learned that he doesn’t have to be alone just because he was in the past. Tom’s character arc represents the idea that “good” and “evil” are a matter of perspective. For most of the story, he loves London and hates the idea of static cities based on his limited experience and London’s propaganda. After Tom gains experience on the bare earth, he realizes that static life isn’t bad and that London is doing more harm to the planet than cities that don’t move. Similarly, Tom initially considers Valentine a hero, again because of limited perspective. After meeting Hester and witnessing the terrible things Valentine is capable of, Tom learns that a single perspective isn’t enough to develop informed opinions. Tom represents the idea that views don’t have to be set in stone. Changing our thoughts as we learn and have new experiences is healthy and natural.