The Story Of Tom Brennan Analysis Essay Example

gone, far away, so as not to remind them of their pain and what our family now means to this town. ” This quote creates a clear image in the responder’s head of what Tom is leaving behind in Mullumbimby. The reflective tone implies ________. The decision to leave was already made for Thomas and his sister Kylie before they had the chance to dispute it. This created tension between the Brennan family, which creates more obstacles, but in the end brings them closer than ever.

It can be seen in the novel ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’ that by vercoming the obstacles that are thrown at the characters, one may learn to move on into a new world with greater understanding. Venturing into society can alter the perception of society and change an individual’s life in an instant. In the memoir “At least its not contagious” by Samantha Miles, the responder gets a glimpse of how Samantha’s life has dramatically been changed by the prospect of being diagnosed with Leukaemia. Miles uses rhetorical questions to show her disbelief.

“Oh no. Really? Leukaemia? … Isn’t that something little kids get? This disbelief changes the formation of the story and allows the responder to have better insight to how much your life can change in a matter of seconds. “At 2am a resident doctor was called in” and “At 9am by body collapsed and my life changed forever. ” These statements give the responder the illusion of time running out. This is effective as it prompts the reader to imagine that one’s life can be controlled by uncontrollable factors. Samantha fails to understand why she has the disease

and is left in disbelief. This idea is shown through the quote “I’m a big kid.

I go to university. I don’t think so. ” This reflects on Samantha’s arrogance about being a university student, thinking she couldn’t possibly fall ill until she’s old. Her failure to understand what’s happening is what causes Samantha to lose faith in herself. Samantha Miles’ story reveals the changing attitudes that individuals experience when confronted with difficult situations, such as death. The actions and attitudes of people in this text have changed according to Samantha Miles disease. Each individual handles growing up and moving into a new world differently.

Following the car accident, Tom suffers periods of depression and despair. “That was the thing I couldn’t quite get my head around – there would be a tomorrow, and a day after that, and a day after that. The world went on regardless of how I felt. ” The use of colloquial language and first-person narration in this line accurately captures the confusion with which young people confront the prospect of moving into a new world. Tom wants his old life back and views the accident as the end of his life as he knew it.

This is evident through the way they celebrate Australia Day. I wanted to be back home having a barbie, having our normal Australia day. Our Brennan Australia Day, the way we always did. ” The use of the words ‘home’, ‘normal’, ‘Brennan’ and ‘always’ emphasise Tom’s longing for his past family experiences and traditions that he now believes are gone forever. J. C. Burke’s use of flashbacks provides insight into Tom Brennan’s world. These flashbacks cease when

he begins his ‘journey in the world’, symbolising that he has let go of his past in order to move on, which is juxtaposed to his previous feelings of despair and longing on Australia day.

Tom’s way of moving on from the accident was evidently different to the rest of his family and created an overwhelming effect on the people around him. Therefore, moving into a new world can change an individual’s beliefs and attitudes and the responder may take this away from the text. Both Tom Brennan and Samantha Miles experience a whole life change swiftly and without any warning. In both excerpts, they express their frustration that their futures have been altered dramatically and their immediate fate has been put into the hands of others.

Both Tom and Samantha are arrogant in their confidence as young Australian’s, feeling that their terrible experiences and situations are unfair and that other people should be held accountable. Both texts reflect the different ways in which individuals respond to growing up or transitioning into a new phase of life. “At least its not contagious” and “The story of Tom Brennan” are both similar in that they both face their difficult situation with determination and bravery to move into a new society.