What does the fight scene tell us about tom? what does it tell us about the boys in the village? were they mean? why or why not?

The fight scene itself is all about Tom marking his territory, per se. He's a boy in the days when fighting was acceptable, all while frowned upon. Picking on the new kid to see what he's made of was all a part of a game.... it was a ritual in which the boys asserted their prowess and showed who was boss. The boys weren't necessarily mean.... they were commandering social order and practicing for the world of adulthood.