Except for his occasional use of authorial intrusions in order to ensure that readers grasp the moral point of certain episodes, Hughes propels Tom Brown's Schooldays along quickly with a straightforward, action-packed narrative. The book is not deeply analytical, and character development hinges on the events of the plot. Hughes's characters speak in a highly colloquial dialect, leading some critics to argue that the novel contains so much slang that reader comprehension suffers.

Perhaps Hughes's greatest achievement in Tom Brown's Schooldays is the vividness and timelessness of his schoolboy portraits. Tom and his friends engage in the same activities enjoyed by modern adolescents. Never the creations of an idealistic do-gooder, they learn about what helps or prevents an individual's reaching maturity as they progress through their schooldays.

Despite the excitement and humor of the narrative, Hughes's tone is serious.

The boys are moving through a time...