The youngest son of George and Matilda. Tom reacts to his father’s spendthrift, wastrel and philandering ways by simply hiding his emotions. A quiet, handsome young man, Tom believes surviving slavery will only come through hard work as a blacksmith. The stories of his great grandfather, Kunta Kinte, resonate for him as parables of hard work and perseverance. He is provoked when he realizes that he cannot protect his wife and family by keeping his head down, and is inner warrior comes out during the Civil War.