What is the author's style in Tom Brown's Schooldays by Thomas Hughes?

The novel is written from the first person omniscient point of view, but not from the point of view of the central character as is often the case in novels written from the first person. The first person in this case is the narrator, who frequently uses the pronoun "I" as he makes equally frequent, clear, and pointed interjections of opinion and attitude. This makes the novel as much a lecture on proper behavior and learning as it is the telling of the story. That story is focused on the character of Tom Brown, whose thoughts are monitored and revealed more thoroughly by the narrator than those of the other characters. This is not to say that no attention is paid to the others - while Arthur and East in particular are examined in a little less depth than Tom, on certain occasions their motivations, attitudes, and thought processes are nevertheless recounted in no less detail. An interesting incorporation into the style of this piece is the way the narration shifts back and forth between present tense (during times of great action or emotional intensity) and past tense (during times of more intellectual, philosophical explorations). This shifting of tense gives a greater sense of presence in the moment, creating opportunities for greater identification with the characters (usually Tom) participating in a given sequence. The intent here is to inspire the reader to the same kind of growing, deepening relationship with God that Tom experiences, a goal that the narrator states point-blank on several occasions.