The novel follows the life of its title character and protagonist, Tom Brown, from infancy to young manhood. Tom attends Rugby, a real public school for boys in Warwickshire, England. He is intelligent but is more interested in sports and other physical activities than in studying. The unwritten rules and traditions which all of the boys at Rugby follow are more important to Tom than the rules imposed by teachers, who Tom initially regards as his natural enemies. Although Tom cannot abide bullying (he suffers physical torment from the bully Flashman) and only fights to protect his friends, he becomes unruly and is frequently in trouble. In order to improve Tom's behavior, he is made to look after a younger and frailer boy named George Arthur. Tom helps Arthur to become stronger and more ou