Module C: Texts and Society - Elective 2: Into the World

Novel: The Story of Tom Brennan
(Burke, J C, the Story of Tom Brennan, Random House, 2005, ISBN-13: 9781741660920)

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 experiences and respond to them individually. These personal experiences may result in growth, change, or other consequences. Students respond to and compose a range of texts that illustrate different pathways into new experiences. They examine the features of texts that shape our knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about individuals venturing into new experiences.
You could be asked to respond to a question in the HSC exam in ANY form. E.g. essay, report, speech... etc.

Tom is the teenage protagonist in a phase of transition, he copes with: - Living with trauma - A transforming sibling relationship - Social acceptability in a new place - Relationship with the opposite sex - Family coping mechanisms - Defining self worth through male-female relationships - Emotional growth - Changed place in social order - Social judgment - Mateship - Being mentored through the transition

Synopsis:
The Story of Tom Brennan by J.C. Burke starts with a fatal car accident – a young driver who’s had too much to drink goes too fast and in an instant two of his friends are dead and his cousin is left with permanent spinal injuries. But the book isn’t about the car crash; it isn’t even about the driver. This is a book about seventeen-year-old Tom Brennan, and how his life changes when his older brother, Daniel, kills two people and paralyses another.
The family must move from Mumbilli because they are no longer welcome in the town – Daniel’s actions have affected all their lives. Because they fear the reaction of the township, they leave quietly at 4.30 am. J.C. Burke uses their escape as a prologue, 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 Coghill, Tom develops immensely – from a teenager who feels constant torment, especially at the thought of his cousin Fin’s injury, to one who is able to accept the situation and move on. This Herculean feat involves a myriad of other aspects and characters.
Finding out that he can play rugby without his unbeatable partnership with Daniel, running with his Uncle Brendan, the possibility of a climbing trip to the Himalayas, seeing Daniel drag himself back from the brink of suicide, and finding love amidst the chaos – all these things help Tom to find a ticket out of the past.

Characters: - Tom Brennan – Year 11 student and rugby half-back - Daniel Brennan – Tom’s popular older brother and star rugby five-eighth - Kylie Brennan – younger sister of Tom and Daniel, doing Year 9 - Joseph Brennan – Father of Tom, Daniel and Kylie; rugby coach - Theresa Brennan – mother of Tom, Daniel and Kylie - Fin – cousin to Tom, Daniel and Kylie; injured in car accident - Mrs. Healy/Gran – grandmother (Theresa’s mother) - Uncle Brendan – Theresa’s (emerging) gay brother; Gran’s son; Tom’s mentor. - Chrissy – Tom’s love interest - Claire – Daniel’s girlfriend

Features and Techniques: • The concept of 1st person narrator who is a young male who can express his internal battles, dialogues and thoughts with sophistication and complexity; yet is quiet, stoic and simple around his male friends. • The effect of revealing more about the night of the accident in flashback. • The contrast between Tom and Daniel and their representation. • Judging Daniel as the story continues, firstly through the eyes of Tom and then through his own words. • Impact of letters. • Not hearing the story from the victim’s perspective. • The effect of placing Tom and his family from being well known in a small town to having a small presence in a larger town. • The role of the grandmother and her social beliefs in the judgment of the family.

Themes:
Fear
– Fear is a dominant theme in this book as it affects so many of the characters. – Tom is initially frightened when he arrives at the scene of the accident. He knows that two of his friends are strangely quiet and therefore likely dead, but of even greater importance at the time, Fin has no feeling in his limbs. Fin naturally panics knowing he could not move and is incredibly fearful throughout the night. – After the accident and the family’s move to a different town, Tom is afraid of the reaction of those in Coghill because of the anger generated towards the family by many in Mumbilli. His concern and fear over past hostilities makes him fearful of starting his new school. – Tom is also frightened that his mother will not get out of bed again. – Joe Brennan is in fear of those who live in Mumbilli 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. – Both he and Tess are also fearful when they consider Daniel’s jail term

Drink Driving and its effects on families and communities – The result of Daniel driving while under the influence of alcohol, and the tragedy that ensued because of his reckless behaviour, is of course the platform from which the story evolves. – Daniel has been not only responsible for two young people dying, but for the spinal injury his popular and talented cousin Fin received. – This has led to his own family being uprooted from their comfortable existence in Mumbilli (p. 1), because of the intense hostility the accident created. – It has also led to incredible anguish and tension within his own family (p. 28). – The sentence hanging over the family may even be considered a greater burden than Daniel’s jail sentence, even though he has become suicidal while there, as they have to live each day knowing the problem he has caused, a crisis that can never be fixed. – Nicole and Luke cannot be revived and Fin will never have a normal life again. One cannot imagine how his mother Kath would feel knowing her only son, a former athlete with great skill, would be confined to a wheelchair or a bed for the rest of his life. Indeed, the full horror of Daniel’s reckless driving can probably be summed up in the letter sent to the Brennan family by Luke’s parents. Their cold hatred of Daniel is probably fair under the circumstances; as even his jail sentence in their eyes is of course much too short (p. 123).

Family relationships and how different people deal with crisis

– The family adapts and adjusts at different rates. – The manner in which the various members of the Brennan family relate to each other, as well as to the horrible situation they are faced with because of Daniel’s reckless 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. – Joe Brennan, the father, is pulled in many directions but seems to be able to keep a calm countenance at all times. He visits Daniel and Fin on a regular basis, which must be very difficult for him (p. 196). He also tries to keep Tom interested in rugby (p. 205), and is very supportive of his wife Tess, who has become almost catatonic from her grief. Not only that, he is also unfailingly polite to his mother-in-law, who irritates Tom, Kylie and Kath. – Gran continues to act as though each member should simply adjust to the situation and move on (p. 64). Gran, although abrasive, because of her desire to keep a sense of normality in her house and even insisting on a religious input (p. 14), gives the Brennan family an area that is in its own way a haven. Her perseverance finally pays off because even Tom ultimately recognises the love in her (p. 279). – Brendan is also very supportive to everyone in the family. He too visits both Daniel and Fin regularly. Indeed it is Brendan who helps Tom recuperate emotionally, as he not only helps him becoming interested in training again (p. 112), but treats him like a close friend. – Because of Brendan, Tom does indeed become fit and has a future that includes playing a high standard of rugby, romance ( p. 238) and a holiday in Nepal. – Brendan is extremely stoic and in order to help keep the family together he hides his own feelings of despair ( p. 237). – Even though Tom feels despairing after Daniel’s foolish and irresponsible act, he still tries to remain close to all members of his family (p. 273), although he chooses not to talk about the accident if he can help it, and he doesn’t want others to know about what happened. This is made difficult by Kylie’s chaotic behaviour in giving her speech and his mother’s disinterest in anything but Daniel. – Although Kylie 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. Moreover, she responds to Fin’s request to help him get settled in his new home in a most selfless way ( p. 263). – For Kath, the most difficult task would have been to remain close to the family after Fin’s injury. – 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.

Friendship

– Friendship is a recurring theme in this novel. – Immediately following the accident, Tom and Matt sustain their friendship despite many in Mumbilli being overtly hostile to the Brennan family (p. 258). Although Tom finds it difficult to talk to Matt after their move, Matt remains supportive and understands why Tom behaves the way he does. – The St Bennie’s football team rally around Tom, knowing how hard it will be for him to face his old team St John’s. – Tom’s new friends at school support him without needing to spell out their actions – for instance, keeping him company and protecting him from gossip after his sister makes a speech about everything that has happened. – Tom, however, takes a while to see them as friends, since to begin with he measures everyone he meets against his previous friends and easy life in Mumbilli, and finds those in Coghill lacking. – Brendan not only demonstrates a strong bond of friendship towards his whole family, but in particular to Tom by getting him fit again. Brendan knows that once Tom can take his mind off the tragedy, he might begin to emotionally heal. – Tom and Gran also find friendship in their relationship, after they are frequently left alone in each other’s company (p. 185). – Tom and Kylie, who had always enjoyed a sibling friendship, once again regain this status after she explains to Tom how desperate she felt when she gave her speech to the school forum. – Tom also extends a hand of friendship once again to Daniel when he gives him the scrapbook he has made (p. 178). – Chrissie demonstrates friendship towards Tom, when she shows concern after Kylie’s speech and after he is heckled at the rugby match (p. 183). Their relationship would become more intense than friendship ultimately, but without her friendship, it would not have progressed. – The relatively new relationship between Kylie and Brianna is also an important element in this tragedy, as it gives Kylie a haven to retreat to when life becomes intolerable for her at Gran’s house.

Irony

– Fin, who was becoming physically attractive to the opposite sex and thus caused Daniel to become jealous, is now wasting away with spinal injuries. – Daniel’s parents did nothing to control his behaviour fearing his volatile reaction, but must now suffer his depression and the results of his impetuous behaviour. – Daniel writes a letter of remorse to the families of the victims of the accident, but the letter he receives in return causes Daniel and his family even more pain. – The family expects that Daniel’s involvement in team sport might make the judge lenient towards him, but instead the judge says that ‘Being a team player, you should have known better’ (p. 128). – Gran, who believed that she would never have her beloved ‘chooks’ again after her husband’s death, has had this part of her life restored because of the tragedy. – Gran also has a close bond with Tom and Kylie, which previously was nonexistent. – Tom, who reluctantly moved Coghill because of the accident, has met Chrissie, with whom he has begun a serious relationship. – Daniel and Fin’s birthdays are ten days apart, and although before the accident Daniel always had more attention on his birthday, after the accident it is Fin who the family wants to pay attention to. – It is also ironic that a family such as the Brennans, who were previously held in high esteem by many in Mumbilli, should suffer hostility because of the actions of one.

Conflict

– Conflict 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 Mumbilli, who hold a grudge against the Brennan family and in particular Daniel. They would like to see Daniel locked 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 Daniel as a ‘killer’. – Then, on a more personal level, there is the conflict between Tom and Kylie as they are drawn apart after they arrive in Coghill. Each feels a guilt they cannot at first share. – Tess and Kath, who are dominated by the problems facing their own sons, also conflict with each other, since Kath faces the greater burden in looking after Fin for the rest of her life, yet it is Tess who is unable to cope and breaks down. – There is also inner conflict as Tom feels guilty over his inaction on the night of the accident, and Kylie feels guilty because of her involvement in the budding romance of Fin and Claire. – Daniel also faces internal conflict as he recognises the full impact of his behaviour. He has altered the lives of so many: the families who have lost children, his own family and his cousin, who is now paralysed. – Fin, too, faces internal conflict as he is torn between the thoughtful person he once was and the bitter, harsh person he is becoming. – On the sporting field there is conflict between the two ideas of ‘winning is everything’ and ‘the team is the most important’. – There is also the conflict between St Bennie’s and St John’s, which is personally significant for Tom.

Genre, Style and Structure:

First Person

– From Tom’s perspective. – Has an immediacy and rawness that makes the story all the more powerful. – Burke 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 back. – To explore how many lives are changed through the actions of another. Did not want to tell the story through the victim’s family POV nor Daniel’s side. – E.g. “I knew I had to stay with Fin, stay with the mess that Daniel had made.” 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 Daniel’s actions.

Dialogue – Colloquial language – Teenage vernacular – Realistic conversations between characters.

Flashbacks – Showing readers only a glimpse at a time of past event with Tom’s present emotional state increases drama and tension. – Weaving the past into the story in the form of flashbacks meant the reader’s experience of meeting Daniel was not so straightforward. It is not until page 138 when the reader finally meets Daniel in ‘real time’, and when they do this it is not that simple to feel disdain for him. For Daniel is a broken man. – Does not accelerate the plot, leaving time for each character to develop and change. E.g. Daniel, 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. – Bildungsroman Genre – built around the conflict between the desires and dreams of adolescents and the obstacles they experience in trying to pursue them. Usually these are the result of the complexities and faults of the adults around them, and in turn of the larger society of which they are a part. – JC Burke admitted that she broke the story ‘into flashbacks as a tool to get the reader to turn the page and to... stimulate their curiosity.”

Motifs and Symbols:
Black
– Darkness or black is used throughout the novel to depict a state of despair. – The family fled Mumbilli close to dawn when only the silhouettes of the houses could be seen. – Tom, who did not like living at his grandmother’s house, surveys his room only to see that it is brown and dark. – While remembering how they once were and comparing this to his present state, Tom slips into a long black tunnel. – A black curtain also descended over Tom when Chrissie asked him how his nonexistent grandfather was feeling, knowing that the boots she gave him were really for Fin. – When discussing Daniel, his moods are also referred to as being dark. – In order to show how vulnerable Kylie is, she is described as having black make-up all over her eyes. – When Matt discovers the dead bodies of Luke and Nicole, JC Burke describes the isolation of the setting. The imagery, both aural and visual of the ‘black sky’ and the piercing ‘shriek’ suggest the children are alone and frightened.

Water – Water or an area where one can swim is used on many occasions to generally show a positive outcome in this story. – Kylie is told to have a shower by Kath in order to cool off when she is upset. – Tom is caught in the shower by Chrissie, just 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 jumps into the pool. – It is at the pool that he sees Chrissie again. – Finally it is at the river when Tom believes he came back. – Also, Kath and Fin move closer to the beach, perhaps with hope for a brighter future for Fin. – However, it was also while Daniel and Tom were swimming when they were younger that Daniel pushed his head under the water, holding it there in anger. Perhaps this was a sign that Daniel needed discipline to control this aspect in his personality.

‘Sudden Death’
The ‘sudden death’ match that St John’s has to play in order to have a place at the final for the Wattle Shield takes on a new significance after the accident. For Tom the phrase is linked forever with what happened, and the irony is not lost on him.

Driving
Driving is also an important motif. It is Daniel’s drink driving that causes the tragedy that follows; the book opens with the Brennan family driving quietly out of town while no-one is watching; after they leave their weekends are spent driving to visit either Daniel or Fin.

Rugby – Rugby is the lynchpin that holds many of the stories together. – It certainly symbolises the prestige that was accorded to the Brennan brothers in Mumbilli because of their football prowess. – It also symbolises the friendships that Tom acquires in Coghill because once again he is an important member of a Rugby team. – Rugby also symbolises fear when Tom knows he has to play against a team from Mumbilli.

Running – Positive step. – It gives the two time to talk, it improves Tom’s fitness levels and helps him get back to rugby again, and it gives him a new goal: to get fit enough to go to Nepal. – This contrasts against the fact that the family might be seen to be running away from their problems in Mumbilli, or that Tom is running away from his problems by not wanting to talk to anyone about what has happened.

Hills and mountains – Hills symbolise Tom’s struggle and his journey. – The hill near his Gran’s place is steep – more like a mountain. Gran calls it ‘Ascension Hill’ and ‘reckoned it lead all the way to heaven’ (p. 112), which is consistent with her religious world view. – Daniel hates climbing hills and would complain the whole way if made to walk up one, which makes the family name the hill near their home in Mumbilli ‘Daniel’s Whine’. – This is symbolic of how Daniel gets everything easily despite his bad behaviour – no-one is able to stand up to him. – On the other hand, Tom sees the steep hill as a challenge, and through his running with Brendan, he becomes better at reaching its peak. – Ultimately he and Brendan are going to visit Nepal and climb world-famous mountains, showing how far Tom has come in his journey, to see this future for himself.

Names – The family in the book are always conscious of having the name ‘Brennan’. – Before the accident, it symbolises their status in the town – the Brennans were respected, and their boys were getting the name even more well known because of their prowess on the rugby field. – After the accident, however, it becomes a name that they hate, since everyone in Mumbilli associates the name Brennan with Daniel. Even more than a year later the words ‘killer’ and ‘Brennan’ are heard at the rugby game Tom is playing in. – Their name has been defiled in graffiti saying ‘Shame on you, Brennans’ (p. 174). – Kylie hates it: ‘I don’t want to be Kylie Brennan … Kylie anyone, but not Kylie Brennan’ (p. 231). – Although Tom initially agreed, and wished his name wasn’t so well known, since he is always afraid someone will recognise it, he is able to say to Kylie, ‘Course you will [get there]. You’re a Brennan’ (p. 231). And ultimately he feels comfortable enough with his name to say ‘that was the morning Tom Brennan came back, forever’ (p. 283).

Key Issues:
Tom’s understanding of people evolves throughout the text.
Burke has stated that ‘part of Tom’s journey is being forced to see situations and people as they really are, not as he thought they were’, and in the course of the novel Tom gains an understanding that he, Brendan and Kylie are all on journeys that they have to take independently. He also grows to appreciate the wisdom of his Gran’s remark that you ‘have to leave your ghosts behind.’

Tom learns to include others in his outlook.
He moves from a self-centred outlook to one where is his able to relate to his sister and to try to make his Gran’s life more meaningful by constructing a chook yard. The letter to the Brennan family from the family of Nicole, killed in the accident, contains a remark that ‘Life is more than a one-man show. Everything we do in this life affects others.’ While this was aimed at Daniel’s thoughtlessness, Tom is able to apply it to himself.

Tom grows to appreciate his new physical location.
From regarding his life in Mumbilli as special, and his friends and immediate family as defining his existence, Tom grows to value his new life in Coghill. This is partly due to the guidance offered by his uncle, Brendan, and by the relationship that develops with Chrissy, but it also includes a mature approach to gay relationships and recognition of the dangers inherent in the way his old team played football.

Part of Tom’s ability to enter the broader world is related to his emergence from the depressed state that threatens to engulf him.
He uses metaphors of a cave and darkness to explain how he feels, but by the end of the novel he is much happier as he looks forward to travelling to Nepal with Brendan and continuing his relationship with Chrissy.

The Message:
The undercurrent message of learning to live for the pleasure of living/giving, instead of winning, is poignant. But the real power of this book is in the lesson for the Daniel’s of this world. A lesson learned through painful showing not didactic telling. J.C. Burke has that rare talent of writing for teenagers yet satisfying the over eighteen’s 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 child’s view to an adult’s view shows the change in life physically and mentally as you grow up, this is inevitable, everyone grows older. This attitude can also be seen in the change of the environment. Her surroundings have changed since she was a young child, this is inevitable as everything changes, it cannot stay the same forever.

Tom Brennan, in The Story of Tom Brennan, inevitably makes this transition from child to adult through his experiences after Daniel’s car accident and jail sentence. His views change from an ignorant child to an ‘adult’ who realises that there is a world outside his old and ‘perfect’ life in Mumbilli and he discovers himself as a person separate from the status as Daniel’s little brother.

The dominant reading in this poem focuses on the value of being prepared to 'change' ones life or perspective. In this poem 'change' is seen as a positive force. By saying ‘Even if there's a fog' the poem reassures the reader that it will clear. The poet encourages us to seek change and AT LEAST try and 'open the door'. By opening the door individuals approach the idea of 'change' allowing them to overcome obstacles. Although this is a cold and somewhat unappealing image the salient point is that the individual is willing to make an attempt.

In The Story of Tom Brennan, Tom initially finds Coghill and living at his grandmother’s house extremely unappealing and he finds it very difficult to put his efforts into adjusting. Eventually he realises that he has no choice whether he wants to be in Coghill or not so he ‘opens the door’ and lets himself become a more mature person and to let Coghill become a part of his life.

'Opening the door', looking beyond ones own narrow existence and considering other worlds and lives can give a new perspective on ones own problems. It also indicates a passing of time. An unusual mixture of sights is used in the stanzas to suggest that anything is possible E.g. A dog rummaging... the picture of a picture. These differing perspectives underline the poems message that if we are prepared to take action to 'change' our lives the possibilities are exciting and varied.

Tom Brennan 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 seriously injured in the car accident.
In the case of ‘anything is possible’ Tom never guessed that the his experiences in the town of Coghill would lead him into a love relationship with Chrissy Tulake nor would he have guessed that he would be aiming to climb mountains in Nepal.

In stanza four the image of darkness ticking could signify an unknown or negative factor, yet the process undertaken by the individual to look into the darkness is a valuable learning experience that will change them.

And just as Tom Brennan falls into many ‘black depressive holes’ and sometimes feel that there is no hope that his family and life will get better, he eventually learns to try and to accept how things have changed in his life, and will forever be changed, and so he is able to move forward.
The poet reiterates the fact that negative and unpleasant experiences are beneficial for personal growth and it has long term advantages as opposed to being stultified.

The lack of rhythm, rhyme and conventional structure also give the poem a conversational tone.
The Story of Tom Brennan is also written in colloquial language and teenage vernacular and therefore both texts are easy for the audience to understand and relate to.
Supplementary Text 1 – Father and Son by Cat Stevens (song lyrics)

The father is trying to talk his son out of doing something which he considers to be foolish, somewhat, and instead, settle down and have a family, as the father is getting on in age and wants to have grandchildren. This song really shows the relationship between any fathers with his son. This part shows that the father is trying to give advice to his son and is also trying to convince him to stay and not leave home. It can show how the son is inexperienced and still did not face obstacles in life that will make him think a lot before taking any action.

The dad’s suppression of change in his son’s pathway in life causes the son to reply back drastically to his father by saying “Now there’s a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.” The fathers love and constant forceful advice forces the opposite of what he wants in his son, and his son feels that he HAS to leave and discover things for himself. He wants to initiate the change in his life.

This is the opposite case for Tom Brennan, in the Story of Tom Brennan, where the town of Mumbilli forces the Brennan’s to feel the need to escape away to Coghill. In this way, Tom Brennan did not want to initiate this change; it was Daniel’s mistake in the car accident that forced the change upon his whole family, and on the lives, and family, of three other victims.

This shows that although change and growth can be the initiated by the individual, suppressed or forced upon, by the result of their environment and surroundings, it is inevitable that change will occur and will have significant and lifelong impact on the individual and the other people in their life where the individual will venture through different phases of life.

Module C: Texts and Society
Elective: Into the World
Text: The Story of Tom Brennan

‘The Story of Tom Brennan’, by JC Burke, is a novel which follows the main character, Tom, and his family, deal with the dramatic event that the oldest son, Daniel, creates in a drink driving accident.
An important theme that is carried throughout this text is drink 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. JC Burke has structured this novel in a way that does not deal with the customary experiences of the victims family, but instead focuses on the ‘murderers’ family, how each individual deals with crisis, and how such events can have a lasting and strong impact, much deeper than an observer naturally sympathizes with.
Thesis:

Daniel’s character is one of a stubborn and aggressive teenage boy who overestimates his capabilities and develops raging jealousy towards his cousin Fin – over his sporting abilities and cover a girl, Claire. This results in the tragic events of the ‘sudden death’ party where 2 teenagers are killed, and Fin is left a paraplegic at the expense of Daniel’s stupidity. Irony is used in calling the match that St. Johns has to play in order to have a place at the final in the Wattle Shield, the ‘sudden death’ match, as the resulting after party leaves two individuals suddenly dead. When the ‘sudden death’ accident occurred, Tom was never able to be the same, “Above all the silence, was the piercing sound of death.” This quote shows Tom’s un-preparedness in this situation and that it is something he has never experienced before. The ‘piercing’ sound [of death] shows that he is so overcome by this situation that he suddenly becomes unaware of anything else. This is a major scene of the novel as it determines and changes the future of the Brennan’s life and for tom, the phrase is linked forever with what happened, and the irony is not lost to him.
The events that occurred on the night of the ‘sudden death’ party is revealed in flashbacks, and this is proven to be an effective technique used by JC Burke, as she admits that she broke the story “into flashbacks as a tool to get the reader to turn the page and to... stimulate their curiosity.” The flashbacks show the reader only a glimpse at a time of past events with Tom’s present emotional state, thus increasing drama and emotions. Weaving the past into the story also mean the reader’s experience of meeting Daniel is not so straight forward – we do not meet Daniel in ‘real’ time until half way through the novel. This makes it difficult for the readers to feel disdain towards him as we see that he feels guilt and remorse for his actions.

‘The Door’, by Miroslav Holub, is a directive poem that encourages the reader to ‘open the door’ 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. “At least there will be a draught” 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 known life experiences. In ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’, Tom is the one resisting the change and the new transitions occurring in his life. He is forced to move into the new town of Coghill but is unable to properly realise that Daniel is a criminal and Tom is unable to accept his families situation and changes they have experienced; loss off two friends, disabled cousin, son in prison, and a new home and town, and he is therefore unable to move forward and take advantage of what Coghill can offer him. His un-preparedness results in his inability to ‘open the door’.

JC Burke has also stated that ‘part of Tom’s journey is being forced to see situations and people as they really are, not as the thought they were. Tom’s understanding of people evolves throughout the text. “Why don’t they realise that we aren’t like everyone else in here?” Tom thinks this to himself when he visits Daniel in prison. Is shows that he is yet to come to terms with the extent of Daniel’s 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 Daniel shows remorse and is trying his best to help others and to get his life back on track – shown by Daniel becoming a peer/leader for another young boy in custody, who has experienced a similar event to Daniel. After he realises this, Tom extends the hand of friendship to his brother again through a scrapbook that was made especially to commemorate their brotherly experiences together. It is only when Tom sees that his future must be in Coghill, at least for a while, he comes to terms with his situation and ‘opens the door’, thus illustrating a new pathway of life where is able to fully benefit from life in Coghill.

‘Father and Son’, song lyrics, by singer Cat Stevens, is about the fathers resistance to his sons willingness to leave his hometown, experience change and grow himself as an individual. In contrast to ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’, the son is prepared for new phases of life and he attempts to initiate the change. This is shown by the sons lyrics “away, away, away. I have to make this decision, alone” showing the son has grown to be an independent individual, and by the father’s lyrics, “It’s not time to make a change” showing his resistance, but also showing the fathers concern and love for his son. However, the father’s forceful advice seems to make the son more prepared to leave and fend for himself. In ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’, Tom has no choice but to follow his father and his families decision as they feel the need to support each other. He is also underage and does not feel prepared enough to live by himself.

‘The Door’ talks about many unusual sights such as “ a dog rummaging, or a picture of a picture,” creating the idea of endless possibilities. Such possibilities are not realised by protagonist Tom Brennan, where he earlier on would never have considered the possibilities i.e. that he would end up with gorgeous Chrissy Tulake or aim to be climbing mountains in Nepal with uncle Brendan.

The lyrics in the song ‘Father and Son’ say, “I try to keep these feelings inside, its hard, but its harder not to care.” These lyrics relate to Tom Brennan as when he arrives in Coghill he feels as though he cannot express how he feels to his family or friends and he fears that if people find out about what happened in the ‘sudden death’ accident they will react the same way as those in Mumbilli did, which would add onto the detrimental conflict that those in the Brennan family have already experienced. This was thus a contributing factor into Tom’s ability to ‘open the door’.

By ‘opening the door’, will initiate a change in the individual that will result in the development of perspectives. Tom Brennan’s change from an ignorant child to the maturity of an adult as he learns from his experiences that there was a life beyond the ‘idyllicness’ of the town of Mumbilli, that it takes time to heal, and that everyone heals at their own pace. This is symbolically shown in the celebration on his 18th birthday. The change in Tom Brennan is inevitably shown in the last chapter when Tom and Chrissy are together, “That was the day Tom Brennan came back forever.” But he comes back with more experience and maturity than he had before.

When 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 – it will occur whether you are prepared or not; but it is up to the individual to prepare for the changes they will experience as they move into their new world.