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Module C: Texts Texts and Society - Elective 2: Into the World Novel: The Story of Tom Tom Brennan Bur!e" # C" the Story of Tom Tom Brennan" $andom %ouse" 2&&'" ISBN-(): *+,(+(..&*2&/ Rubric: In this elective students explore a variety of texts that deal with aspects of growing up or transition into new phases of life and a broader world. People encounter different different experiences and respond to them individually. These personal experiences may result in growth, change, or other consequences. tudents respond to and compose a range of texts that illustrate different pathways into new experiences. They examine the features of texts that shape our !nowledge, attitudes and beliefs about individuals venturing into new experiences. "ou could be as!ed to respond to a question in the #$ exam in %&" form. '.g. essay, report, speech... etc. Tom is the teenage protagonist in a phase of transition, he copes with: - (iving with trauma transforming sibling sibling relationship relationship - % transforming acceptability in a new place - ocial acceptability Relationship with the opposite sex - Relationship - )amily coping mechanisms - *efining self worth through male+female relationships - 'motional growth - $hanged place in social order - ocial udgment - -ateship - eing mentored through the transition Synopsis: The tory of Tom rennan by /.$. ur!e starts with a fatal car accident 0 a young driver who1s had too much to drin! goes too fast and in an instant t wo of his friends are dead and his cousin is left with permanent spinal inuries. ut the boo! isn1t about the car crash2 it isn1t even about the driver. This is a boo! about seventeen+year+old Tom rennan, and how his life changes when his older brother, *aniel, !ills two people and paralyses another. The family must move from f rom -umbilli because they are no longer welcome in the town 0 *aniel1s *aniel1s actions have affected all their lives. ecause they fear the reaction of the township, they leave quietly at 3.45 am. /.$. ur!e uses their escape as a prologue, which which lures the reader immediately into the story as a sense of mystery develops. In the year that follows, while the family tries to settle into their new lives in $oghill, Tom develops immensely 0 from a teenager who feels constant torment, especially at the thought of his cousin )in1s inury, to one who is able to accept the situation and move on. This #erculean feat involves a myriad of other aspects and characters. )inding out that he can play rugby without his unbeatable partnership with *aniel, running with his 6ncle rendan, the possibility of a climbing trip to the #imalayas, seeing *aniel drag himself bac! from the brin! of suicide, and finding love amidst the chaos 0 all these things help Tom to find a tic!et out of the past. Characters: - Tom rennan 0 "ear 77 student and rugby half+bac! - *aniel rennan 0 Tom1s popular older brother and star rugby five+eighth - 8ylie rennan 0 younger sister of Tom and *aniel, doing "ear 9 - /oseph rennan 0 )ather of Tom, *aniel and 8ylie2 rugby coach
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Theresa rennan 0 mother of Tom, *aniel and 8ylie )in 0 cousin to Tom, *aniel and 8ylie2 inured in car accident -rs. #ealy;ran 0 grandmother
Features and Techniques: The concept of 7st person narrator who is a young male who can express his internal battles, dialogues and thoughts with sophistication and complexity2 yet is quiet, stoic and simple around his male friends. The effect of revealing more about the night of the accident in flashbac!. The contrast between Tom and *aniel and their representation. /udging *aniel as the story continues, firstly through the eyes of Tom and then through his own words. Impact of letters. &ot hearing the story from the victim1s perspective. The effect of placing Tom and his family from being well !nown in a small town to having a small presence in a larger town. The role of the grandmother and her social beliefs in the udgment of the family. Themes: 0ear − )ear is a dominant theme in this boo! as it affects so many of the characters. − Tom is initially frightened when he arrives at the scene of the accident. #e !nows that two of his friends are strangely quiet and therefore li!ely dead, but of even greater importance at the time, )in has no feeling in his limbs. )in naturally panics !nowing he could not move and is incredibly fearful throughout the night. − %fter the accident and the family1s move to a different town, Tom is afraid of the reaction of those in $oghill because of the anger generated towards the family by many in -umbilli. #is concern and fear over past hostilities ma!es him fearful of starting his new school. − Tom is also frightened that his mother will not get out of bed again. − /oe rennan is in fear of those who live in -umbilli because of the hostility that has been generated towards his family, which is why he organises their retreat from the town in the early hours of the morning. − oth he and Tess are also fearful when they consider *aniel1s ail term 1rin! 1rivin and its effects on families and communities − The result of *aniel driving while under the influence of alcohol, and the tragedy that ensued because of his rec!less behaviour, is of course the platform f rom which the story evolves. − *aniel has been not only responsible for two young people dying, but for the spinal inury his popular and talented cousin )in received. − This has led to his own family being uprooted from their comfortable existence in -umbilli
?=. − The sentence hanging over the family may even be considered a greater burden than *aniel1s ail sentence, even though he has become suicidal while there, as they have to live each day !nowing the problem he has caused, a crisis that can never be fixed. − &icole and (u!e cannot be revived and )in will never have a normal life again. @ne cannot imagine how his mother 8ath would feel !nowing her only son, a former athlete with great s!ill, would be confined to a wheelchair or a bed for the rest of his life. Indeed,
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the full horror of *aniel1s rec!less driving can probably be summed up in the letter sent to the rennan family by (u!e1s parents. Their cold hatred of *aniel is probably fair under the circumstances2 as even his ail sentence in their eyes is of course much too short 4=. 0amily relationshi3s and ho4 different 3eo3le deal 4ith crisis − The family adapts and adusts at different rates. − The manner in which the various members of the rennan family relate t o each other, as well as to the horrible situation they are faced with because of *aniel1s rec!less and irresponsible behaviour, are an important part of this text. They remain a united family, even though they are faced with an extremely complex situation. − /oe rennan, the father, is pulled in many directions but seems to be able to !eep a calm countenance at all times. #e visits *aniel and )in on a regular basis, which must be very difficult for him 5B=, and is very supportive of his wife Tess, who has become almost catatonic from her grief. &ot only that, he is also unfailingly polite to his mother+in+law, who irritates Tom, 8ylie and 8ath. − ;ran continues to act as though each member should simply adust to the situation and move on C9=. − rendan is also very supportive to everyone in the family. #e too visits both *aniel and )in regularly. Indeed it is rendan who helps Tom recuperate emotionally, as he not only helps him becoming interested in training again =, but treats him li!e a close friend. − ecause of rendan, Tom does indeed become fit and has a future that includes playing a high standard of rugby, romance < p. >4?= and a holiday in &epal. − rendan is extremely stoic and in order to help !eep the family together he hides his own feelings of despair < p. >4C=. − 'ven though Tom feels despairing after *aniel1s foolish and irresponsible act, he still tries to remain close to all members of his family C4=, although he chooses not to tal! about the accident if he can help it, and he doesn1t want others to !now about what happened. This is made difficult by 8ylie1s chaotic behaviour in giving her speech and his mother1s disinterest in anything but *aniel. − %lthough 8ylie appears to be inconsiderate of others and not relating to the problems the family faces, she finally shows her true feelings of family love when she explains to Tom how upset she was when she realised how much she had hurt him by her speech. -oreover, she responds to )in1s request to help him get settled in his new home in a most selfless way < p. >A4=. − )or 8ath, the most difficult tas! would have been to remain close to the f amily after )in1s inury. − The fact that they all remained close, even despite their different ways of dealing with the crisis, demonstrates the unique way in which this family relate to each other. 0riendshi3 − )riendship is a recurring theme in this novel. − Immediately following the accident, Tom and -att sustain their friendship despite many in -umbilli being overtly hostile to the rennan family B?=. %lthough Tom finds it difficult to tal! to -att after their move, -att remains supportive and understands why Tom behaves the way he does. − The t ennie1s football team rally around Tom, !nowing how hard it will be for him to face his old team t /ohn1s.
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Tom1s new friends at school support him without needing to spell out their actions 0 for instance, !eeping him company and protecting him from gossip after his sister ma!es a speech about everything that has happened. Tom, however, ta!es a while to see them as friends, since to begin with he measures everyone he meets against his previous friends and easy life in -umbilli, and finds those in $oghill lac!ing. rendan not only demonstrates a strong bond of friendship towards his whole family, but in particular to Tom by getting him fit again. rendan !nows that once Tom can ta!e his mind off the tragedy, he might begin to emotionally heal. Tom and ;ran also find friendship in their relationship, after they are frequently left alone in each other1s company
Irony − )in, who was becoming physically attractive to the opposite sex and thus caused *aniel to become ealous, is now wasting away with spinal inuries. − *aniel1s parents did nothing to control his behaviour fearing his volatile reaction, but must now suffer his depression and the results of his impetuous behaviour. − *aniel writes a letter of remorse to the families of the victims of the accident, but the letter he receives in return causes *aniel and his family even more pain. − The family expects that *aniel1s involvement in team sport might ma!e the udge lenient towards him, but instead the udge says that Deing a team player, you should have !nown better1 ?=. − ;ran, who believed that she would never have her beloved Dchoo!s1 again after her husband1s death, has had this part of her life restored because of the tragedy. − ;ran also has a close bond with Tom and 8ylie, which previously was nonexistent. − Tom, who reluctantly moved $oghill because of the accident, has met $hrissie, with whom he has begun a serious relationship. − *aniel and )in1s birthdays are ten days apart, and although before the accident *aniel always had more attention on his birthday, after the accident it is )in who the family wants to pay attention to. − It is also ironic that a family such as the rennans, who were previously held in high esteem by many in -umbilli, should suffer hostility because of the actions of one. Conflict − $onflict is a theme that naturally permeates this text because of the tragic circumstances of the story. − The most obvious is the conflict between many in -umbilli, who hold a grudge against the rennan family and in particular *aniel. They would li!e to see *aniel loc!ed up forever and cannot let their hostility lessen even a year later, as demonstrated at the rugby match when someone in the crowd referred to *aniel as a D!iller1.
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Then, on a more personal level, there is the conflict between Tom and 8ylie as they are drawn apart after they arrive in $oghill. 'ach feels a guilt they cannot at first share. Tess and 8ath, who are dominated by the problems facing their own sons, also conflict with each other, since 8ath faces the greater burden in loo!ing after )in for t he rest of her life, yet it is Tess who is unable to cope and brea!s down. There is also inner conflict as Tom feels guilty over his inaction on the night of the accident, and 8ylie feels guilty because of her involvement in the budding romance of )in and $laire. *aniel also faces internal conflict as he recognises the full impact of his behaviour. #e has altered the lives of so many: the f amilies who have lost children, his own family and his cousin, who is now paralysed. )in, too, faces internal conflict as he is torn between the thoughtful person he once was and the bitter, harsh person he is becoming. @n the sporting field there is conflict between the two ideas of Dwinning is everything1 and Dthe team is the most important1. There is also the conflict between t ennie1s and t /ohn1s, which is personally significant for Tom.
Genre, Style and Structure: 0irst 5erson − )rom Tom1s perspective. − #as an immediacy and rawness that ma!es the story all the more powerful. − ur!e captures the emotions of Tom by her use of the vernacular, which lends reality to his situation. The voice of Tom is strong and clear so that the reader can hear his pain and confusion and identify with his struggle to find a way bac!. − To explore how many lives are changed through the actions of another. *id not want to tell the story through the victim1s family P@E nor *aniel1s side. − '.g. FI !new I had to stay with )in, stay with the mess that *aniel had made.G This first person narrative shows that sometimes an individual is not in control of their ability to move into new phases in life. In this case, Tom reflects on the consequences of *aniel1s actions. 1ialoue − $olloquial language − Teenage vernacular − Realistic conversations between characters. 0lash6ac!s − howing readers only a glimpse at a time of past event with Tom1s present emotional state increases drama and tension. − Heaving the past into the story in the form of flashbac!s meant the reader1s experience of meeting *aniel was not so straightforward. It is not until page 74? when the reader finally meets *aniel in Dreal time1, and when they do this it is not that simple to feel disdain for him. )or *aniel is a bro!en man. − *oes not accelerate the plot, leaving time for each character to develop and change. '.g. *aniel, who is totally remorseful by the carnage that he has caused and initially is even suicidal, becomes determined to be a better person and becomes a mentor in prison. − ildungsroman ;enre 0 built around the conflict between the desires and dreams of adolescents and the obstacles they experience in trying to pursue them. 6sually these
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are the result of the complexities and faults of the adults around them, and in t urn of the larger society of which they are a part. /$ ur!e admitted that she bro!e the story Dinto flashbac!s as a tool to get the reader to turn the page and to... stimulate their curiosity.G
Motifs and Symbols: Blac! − *ar!ness or blac! is used throughout the novel to depict a state of despair. − The family fled -umbilli close to dawn when only the silhouettes of the houses could be seen. − Tom, who did not li!e living at his grandmother1s house, surveys his room only to see that it is brown and dar!. − Hhile remembering how they once were and comparing this to his present state, Tom slips into a long blac! tunnel. − % blac! curtain also descended over Tom when $hrissie as!ed him how his nonexistent grandfather was feeling, !nowing that the boots she gave him were really for )in. − Hhen discussing *aniel, his moods are also referred to as being dar!. − In order to show how vulnerable 8ylie is, she is described as having blac! ma!e+up all over her eyes. − Hhen -att discovers the dead bodies of (u!e and &icole, /$ ur!e describes the isolation of the setting. The imagery, both aural and visual of the Dblac! s!y1 and the piercing Dshrie!1 suggest the children are alone and frightened. Water − Hater or an area where one can swim is used on many occasions to generally show a positive outcome in this story. − 8ylie is told to have a shower by 8ath in order to cool off when she is upset. − Tom is caught in the shower by $hrissie, ust after he realises that he is sexually interested in her. − It is at the pool that Tom first goes out with his new friends from school, and he feels free and light when he umps into the pool. − It is at the pool that he sees $hrissie again. − )inally it is at the river when Tom believes he came bac!. − %lso, 8ath and )in move closer to the beach, perhaps with hope for a brighter future for )in. − #owever, it was also while *aniel and Tom were swimming when they were younger that *aniel pushed his head under the water, holding it there in anger. Perhaps this was a sign that *aniel needed discipline to control this aspect in his personality. 7Sudden 1eath8 The Dsudden death1 match that t /ohn1s has to play in order to have a place at the final for the Hattle hield ta!es on a new significance after the accident. )or Tom the phrase is lin!ed forever with what happened, and the irony is not lost on him. 1rivin *riving is also an important motif. It is *aniel1s drin! driving that causes the tragedy that follows2 the boo! opens with the rennan family driving quietly out of town while no+one is watching2 after they leave their wee!ends are spent driving to visit either *aniel or )in. $u6y − Rugby is the lynchpin that holds many of the stories together.
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It certainly symbolises the prestige that was accorded to the rennan brothers in -umbilli because of their football prowess. It also symbolises the friendships that Tom acquires in $oghill because once again he is an important member of a Rugby team. Rugby also symbolises fear when Tom !nows he has to play against a team from -umbilli.
$unnin − Positive step. − It gives the two time to tal!, it improves Tom1s fitness levels and helps him get bac! to rugby again, and it gives him a new goal: to get fit enough to go to &epal. − This contrasts against the fact that the family might be seen to be running away from their problems in -umbilli, or that Tom is running away from his problems by not wanting to tal! to anyone about what has happened. %ills and mountains − #ills symbolise Tom1s struggle and his ourney. − The hill near his ;ran1s place is steep 0 more li!e a mountain. ;ran calls it D%scension #ill1 and Drec!oned it lead all the way to heaven1 =, which is consistent with her religious world view. − *aniel hates climbing hills and would complain the whole way if made to wal! up one, which ma!es the family name the hill near their home in -umbilli D*aniel1s Hhine1. − This is symbolic of how *aniel gets everything easily despite his bad behaviour 0 no+one is able to stand up to him. − @n the other hand, Tom sees the steep hill as a challenge, and through his running with rendan, he becomes better at reaching its pea!. − 6ltimately he and rendan are going to visit &epal and climb world+famous mountains, showing how far Tom has come in his ourney, to see this future for himself. Names − The family in the boo! are always conscious of having the name Drennan1. − efore the accident, it symbolises their status in the town 0 the rennans were respected, and their boys were getting t he name even more well !nown because of their prowess on the rugby field. − %fter the accident, however, it becomes a name that they hate, since everyone in -umbilli associates the name rennan with *aniel. 'ven more than a year later the words D!iller1 and Drennan1 are heard at the rugby game Tom is playing in. − Their name has been defiled in graffiti saying Dhame on you, rennans1 47=. − %lthough Tom initially agreed, and wished his name wasn1t so well !nown, since he is always afraid someone will recognise it, he is able to say to 8ylie, D$ourse you will Jget thereK. "ou1re a rennan1 47=. %nd ultimately he feels comfortable enough with his name to say Dthat was the morning Tom rennan came bac!, forever1 ?4=. Key ssues: Tom8s understandin of 3eo3le evolves throuhout the text9 ur!e has stated that Dpart of Tom1s ourney is being forced to see situations and people as they really are, not as he thought they were1, and in the course of the novel Tom gains an understanding that he, rendan and 8ylie are all on ourneys that they have to ta!e independently. #e also grows to appreciate the wisdom of his ;ran1s remar! that you Dhave to leave your ghosts behind.1
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Tom learns to include others in his outloo!9 #e moves from a self+centred outloo! to one where is his able to relate to his sister and to try to ma!e his ;ran1s life more meaningful by constructing a choo! yard. The letter to the rennan family from the family of &icole, !illed in the accident, contains a remar! that D(ife is more than a one+man show. 'verything we do in this life affects others.1 Hhile this was aimed at *aniel1s thoughtlessness, Tom is able to apply it to himself. Tom ro4s to a33reciate his ne4 3hysical location9 )rom regarding his life in -umbilli as special, and his friends and immediate family as defining his existence, Tom grows to value his new life in $oghill. This is partly due to the guidance offered by his uncle, rendan, and by the relationship that develops with $hrissy, but it also includes a mature approach to gay relationships and recognition of the dangers inherent in the way his old team played football. 5art of Tom8s a6ility to enter the 6roader 4 orld is related to his emerence from the de3ressed state that threatens to enulf him9 #e uses metaphors of a cave and dar!ness to explain how he feels, but by the end of the novel he is much happier as he loo!s forward to travelling to &epal with rendan and continuing his relationship with $hrissy. The Message: The undercurrent message of learning to live for the pleasure of livinggiving, instead of winning, is poignant. ut the real power of this boo! is in the lesson for t he *aniel1s of this world. % lesson learned through painful showing not didactic telling. /.$. ur!e has that rare talent of writing for teenagers yet satisfying the over eighteen1s as well.
Supplementary Text 1 – THE DOOR by Miroslav Holub (poem) This text shows the resistance to change and the attitude that change is inevitable. The change from a childs view to an adults view shows the change in life !h"sicall" and mentall" as "ou grow u!# this is inevitable# ever"one grows older. This attitude can also be seen in the change of the environment. $er surroundings have changed since she was a "oung child# this is inevitable as ever"thing changes# it cannot sta" the same forever. Tom %rennan# in The &tor" of Tom %rennan# inevitabl" ma'es this transition from child to adult through his ex!eriences after (aniels car accident and )ail sentence. $is views change from an ignorant child to an *adult who realises that there is a world outside his old and *!erfect life in +umbilli and he discovers himself as a !erson se!arate from the status as (aniels little brother. The dominant reading in this !oem focuses on the value of being !re!ared to ,change, ones life or !ers!ective. -n this !oem ,change, is seen as a !ositive force. %" sa"ing *ven if there,s a fog, the !oem reassures the reader that it will clear. The !oet encourages us to see' change and /T 0/&T tr" and ,o!en the door,. %" o!ening the door individuals a!!roach the idea of ,change, allowing them to overcome obstacles. /lthough this is a cold and somewhat una!!ealing image the salient !oint is that the individual is willing to ma'e an attem!t. -n The &tor" of Tom %rennan# Tom initiall" nds oghill and living at his grandmothers house extremel" una!!ealing and he nds it ver" dicult to !ut his eorts into ad)usting. ventuall" he realises that he has no choice whether he wants to be in oghill or not so he *o!ens the door and lets himself become a more mature !erson and to let oghill become a !art of his life. ,!ening the door,# loo'ing be"ond ones own narrow existence and considering other worlds and lives can give a new !ers!ective on ones own !roblems. -t also indicates a !assing of time. /n unusual mixture of sights is used in the stanas to suggest that an"thing is !ossible .g. / dog rummaging... the !icture of a !icture. These diering !ers!ectives underline the !oems message that if we are !re!ared to ta'e action to ,change, our lives the !ossibilities are exciting and varied. Tom %rennan learns to realise that he loves his brother even for the accident he made and that it is a blessing that his brother still lives while others died and were seriousl" in)ured in the car accident. -n the case of *an"thing is !ossible Tom never guessed that the his ex!eriences in the town of oghill would lead him into a love relationshi! with hriss" Tula'e nor would he have guessed that he would be aiming to climb mountains in e!al. -n stana four the image of dar'ness tic'ing could signif" an un'nown or negative factor# "et the !rocess underta'en b" the individual to loo' into the dar'ness is a valuable learning ex!erience that will change them. /nd )ust as Tom %rennan falls into man" *blac' de!ressive holes and sometimes feel that there is no ho!e that his famil" and life will get better# he eventuall" learns to tr" and to acce!t how things have changed in his life# and will forever be changed# and so he is able to move forward.
1: The !oet reiterates the fact that negative and un!leasant ex!eriences are benecial for !ersonal growth and it has long term advantages as o!!osed to being stultied. The lac' of rh"thm# rh"me and conventional structure also give the !oem a conversational tone. The &tor" of Tom %rennan is also written in collo9uial language and teenage vernacular and therefore both texts are eas" for the audience to understand and relate to.
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Supplementary Text 1 – Father an Son by !at Stevens (son" lyri#s) The father is tr"ing to tal' his son out of doing something which he considers to be foolish# somewhat# and instead# settle down and have a famil"# as the father is getting on in age and wants to have grandchildren. This song reall" shows the relationshi! between an" fathers with his son. This !art shows that the father is tr"ing to give advice to his son and is also tr"ing to convince him to sta" and not leave home. -t can show how the son is inex!erienced and still did not face obstacles in life that will ma'e him thin' a lot before ta'ing an" action. The dads su!!ression of change in his sons !athwa" in life causes the son to re!l" bac' drasticall" to his father b" sa"ing ;ow theres a wa" and - 'now that - have to go awa". - 'now - have to go.< The fathers love and constant forceful advice forces the o!!osite of what he wants in his son# and his son feels that he $/& to leave and discover things for himself. $e wants to initiate the change in his life. This is the o!!osite case for Tom %rennan# in the &tor" of Tom %rennan# where the town of +umbilli forces the %rennans to feel the need to esca!e awa" to oghill. -n this wa"# Tom %rennan did not want to initiate this change= it was (aniels mista'e in the car accident that forced the change u!on his whole famil"# and on the lives# and famil"# of three other victims. This shows that although change and growth can be the initiated b" the individual# su!!ressed or forced u!on# b" the result of their environment and surroundings# it is inevitable that change will occur and will have signicant and lifelong im!act on the individual and the other !eo!le in their life where the individual will venture through dierent !hases of life.
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Module C: Texts and Society Elective: Into the World Text: The Story of Tom Brennan
DThe tory of Tom rennan1, by /$ ur!e, is a novel which follows the main character, Tom, and his family, deal with the dramatic event that the oldest son, *aniel, creates in a drin! driving accident. %n important theme that is carried throughout this text is drin! driving and how events have effects on many people surrounding it, and not only on the direct victims, and a strong theme of conflict runs deep throughout the novel. /$ ur!e has structured this novel in a way that does not deal with the customary experiences of the victims family, but instead focuses on the Dmurderers1 family, how each individual deals with crisis, and how such events can have a lasting and strong impact, much deeper than an observer naturally sympathiLes with. Thesis:
*aniel1s character is one of a stubborn and aggressive teenage boy who overestimates his capabilities and develops raging ealousy towards his cousin )in 0 over his sporting abilities and cover a girl, $laire. This results in the tragic events of the Dsudden death1 party where > teenagers are !illed, and )in is left a paraplegic at the expense of *aniel1s stupidity. Irony is used in calling the match that t. /ohns has to play in order to have a place at the final in the Hattle hield, the Dsudden death1 match, as the resulting after party leaves two individuals suddenly dead. Hhen the Dsudden death1 accident occurred, Tom was never able to be the same, F%bove all the silence, was the piercing sound of death.G This quote shows Tom1s un+ preparedness in this situation and that it is something he has never experienced before. The Dpiercing1 sound Jof deathK shows that he is so overcome by this situation that he suddenly becomes unaware of anything else. This is a maor scene of the novel as it determines and changes the future of the rennan1s life and for tom, the phrase is lin!ed forever with what happened, and the irony is not lost to him. The events that occurred on the night of the Dsudden death1 party is revealed in flashbac!s, and this is proven to be an effective technique used by /$ ur!e, as she admits that she bro!e the story Finto flashbac!s as a tool to get the reader to turn the page and to... stimulate their curiosity.G The flashbac!s show the reader only a glimpse at a time of past events with Tom1s present emotional state, thus increasing drama and emotions. Heaving the past into the story also mean the reader1s experience of meeting *aniel is not so straight forward 0 we do not meet *aniel in Dreal1 time until half way t hrough the novel. This ma!es it difficult for
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the readers to feel disdain towards him as we see that he feels guilt and remorse for his actions.
DThe *oor1, by -iroslav #olub, is a directive poem that encourages the reader to Dopen the door1 and accept the change that will inevitable occur. There is resistance shown in the poem where the reader is wary and frightened by what he may find on the other side. F%t least there will be a draughtG reassures the reader that even if it is not something exciting or huge, it stimulates curiosity by suggesting there will at least be something. The poem is trying to encourage the reader to simply see, and learn, what there is outside of the !nown life experiences. In DThe tory of Tom rennan1, Tom is the one resisting the change and the new transitions occurring in his life. #e is forced to move into the new town of $oghill but is unable to properly realise that *aniel is a criminal and Tom is unable to accept his families situation and changes they have experienced2 loss off two friends, disabled cousin, son in prison, and a new home and town, and he is therefore unable to move forward and ta!e advantage of what $oghill can offer him. #is un+preparedness results in his inability to Dopen the door1.
/$ ur!e has also stated that Dpart of Tom1s ourney is being forced to see situations and people as they really are, not as the thought they were. Tom1s understanding of people evolves throughout the text. FHhy don1t they realise that we aren1t li!e everyone else in hereMG Tom thin!s this to himself when he visits *aniel in prison. Is shows that he is yet to come to terms with the extent of *aniel1s situation and thus cannot understand why he is being treated as a criminal. Tom eventually accepts that his brother has in fact committed a serious criminal offence, but also realises that *aniel shows remorse and is trying his best to help others and to get his life bac! on t rac! 0 shown by *aniel becoming a peerleader for another young boy in custody, who has experienced a similar event to *aniel. %fter he realises this, Tom extends the hand of friendship to his brother again through a scrapboo! that was made especially to commemorate their brotherly experiences together. It is only when Tom sees that his future must be in $oghill, at least for a while, he comes to terms with his situation and Dopens the door1, thus illustrating a new pathway of life where is able to fully benefit from life in $oghill.
D)ather and on1, song lyrics, by singer $at tevens, is about the fathers resistance to his sons willingness to leave his hometown, experience change and grow himself as an individual. In contrast to DThe tory of Tom rennan1, the son is prepared for new phases of life and he attempts to initiate the change. This is shown by the sons lyrics Faway, away,
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away. I have to ma!e this decision, aloneG showing the son has grown to be an independent individual, and by the father1s lyrics, FIt1s not time to ma!e a changeG showing his resistance, but also showing the fathers concern and love for his son. #owever, the father1s forceful advice seems to ma!e the son more prepared to leave and fend for himself. In DThe tory of Tom rennan1, Tom has no choice but to follow his father and his families decision as they feel the need to support each other. #e is also underage and does not feel prepared enough to live by himself.
DThe *oor1 tal!s about many unusual sights such as F a dog rummaging, or a picture of a picture,G creating the idea of endless possibilities. uch possibilities are not realised by protagonist Tom rennan, where he earlier on would never have considered the possibilities i.e. that he would end up with gorgeous $hrissy Tula!e or aim to be climbing mountains in &epal with uncle rendan.
The lyrics in the song D)ather and on1 say, FI try to !eep these feelings inside, its hard, but its harder not to care.G These lyrics relate to Tom rennan as when he arrives in $oghill he feels as though he cannot express how he feels to his family or friends and he f ears that if people find out about what happened in the Dsudden death1 accident they will react the same way as those in -umbilli did, which would add onto the detrimental conflict that those in the rennan family have already experienced. This was thus a contributing factor into Tom1s ability to Dopen the door1.
y Dopening the door1, will initiate a change in the individual that will result in the development of perspectives. Tom rennan1s change from an ignorant child to the maturity of an adult as he learns from his experiences that there was a life beyond the Didyllicness1 of the town of -umbilli, that it ta!es time to heal, and that everyone heals at their own pace. This is symbolically shown in the celebration on his 7? th birthday. The change in Tom rennan is inevitably shown in the last chapter when Tom and $hrissy are together, FThat was the day Tom rennan came bac! forever.G ut he comes bac! with more experience and maturity than he had before.
Hhen comparing all three texts it becomes apparent that change is inevitable whether it is resisted, suppressed, forced upon or initiated by the individual, preparedness is not an issue in the transition into new phases of life 0 it will occur whether you are prepared or not2 but it is up to the individual to prepare for the changes they will experience as they move into their new world.