Tom Brennan free essay sample

The Story of Tom Brennan. Discussion Points. After the tragic accident, for Tom Brennan’s family everything and everyone went downhill for a long time. Tom became noticeably insecure and had a lot of trouble dealing with his own emotions let alone everyone else’s. Kylie became an angry teenager. She didn’t want anything to do with any of her family at first. She couldn’t stand being around them. Tess was neglectful to her family and only cared about Daniel. She was depressed to the point of being catatonic. Kath was bitter and became Kylies ‘surrogate mother’ while Tess was in the state she was in. Fin’s greatest regret was that he survived. Being a paraplegic, he has nothing to look forward to†¦he is forever a spectator. Joe was constantly trying to see things from everyone’s point of view. The whole family became very dependent on him, and his biggest job was keeping the family together. all this texts reflect the experiences, ideas, knowledge and beliefs that are evident in society,and reflected throughout these texts. J. C Burke emphases many themes thought out The Story of Tome Brennan such as fear, relationships and growing up. These thematic concerns are echoed in the related texts thus linking the texts and reflecting how texts may represent society. Fear is a fundamental theme throughout the text The Story of Tom Brennan. Fear becomes an obstacle for tom to move into the world, he feels unsure and paranoid of what his class mates have heard about him and his family. the old man told me that night that Harvey knew about the accident and Daniel and stuff. I didnt feel comfortable about it this conveys the message that tom is both afraid and uncertain of where his new life may take him. The use of flashbacks throughout the novel plays a vital role in conveying the theme of fear. This technique allows the reader to empathise with Tom and stimulate reader’s curiosity thus establishing reader engagement. Similarly kylie faces fear of acceptance within her new school. She reacts differently to Tom and exposes the secrets in a dramatic way. Her changing hairstyle is also representative of her fear and difficulty in facing challenges as they lie ahead. The film Charlie st Cloud directed by Burr Steer, deals with a tragedy similar to the catalyst for change found in Burkes novel. This film explores the perspective if the protagonist Charlie who is involved in a fatal car crash resulting in the death of his younger brother Sam. Gripped by remorse, guilt and fear Charlie abandons his future dreams and becomes the care taker of the waterside cemetery, leaving his friends and future at collage behind. he is tied to the cemetery via the ghostly appearances of his brother Sam, and friends that have ventured into the world and passed away. Charlies fear and withdrawal is evident when the recurring shots of his now abandoned sailing boat is juxtaposed with the possibilities of Charlie changing his life and moving into the world. the boat becomes a symbolic motif for Charlies fear and guilt. Whilst in Burke’s novel the hill becomes a symbolic motive for facing fears and challenges. Facing transitions and dealing with dramatic change has a influencing aspect on family and personal relationships, through the text we see the dynamics of relationships and roles of family shift to meet the needs of each individual as they face the challenge of moving in to the world before them. he manner in which the various members of the Brennan family relate to each other, as well as the horrible situation they are faced with because of Daniels reckless and irresponsible behaviour, are an important part of the text. They remain a united family even though they are faced with an extremely complex situation. Joe Brennan, the father i s pulled in many different directions but seems to be able to keep calm at all times. He visits Daniel and fin on a regular basis, tries to keep tom interested in rugby and is very supportive of his wife Tess, who has become almost catatonic from her grief. he contrasting behaviours of these characters highlights the differences in individuals when they are faced with challenges in their journey of moving into the world. Tracy champans song Fast Car also highlights the challenges and changes required by individuals to move into the world. Throughout the lyrics of this song we are introduced to the personas voice as she recounts the challenges and choices she has faced to move into the world. She chose to leave school to look after her alcoholic father but is astute enough to know that to remain is to die for he is beyond her help. Also throughout the lyrics we are introduced to her partner, and soon realise she is the productive one, the worked, the organiser, the one who access they have nothing to lose because they are both beginning from zero. The use of poetic voice here also shows the transition in time and a growing maturity and list of responsibilities for the persona in the text. Flashbacks like the non-linear structure of burkes text, are also evident within this song; they are used to give information about what she remembers and hoped for. The song explores three time phases, past, present and future which are representative of the young woman’s limited poverty bound existence, hopes and dreams and the final decision that offers her a change to move into the world. Growing up is a recurring theme within the novel ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’ and each character grows and matures though time. Tom matures sexually and his romantic interest in Chrissie is possibly all that is needed for him to lead forward. As he says in the final line of the novel, ‘that was the morning Tom Brennan came back forever’. Tom also shows growth and maturation within his football team. Football symbolises the friendships that Tom acquires in Coghill because once again he is an important member of the team. The ascension hill symbolise toms struggle and his journey, he sees it as a challenge, and though running with Brendan, he becomes better at reaching its peak and subsequently moving into the world. Tess also shows growth within the novel. ‘†one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ cause today for my family, that is what it was like. Tom stating how he felt when Tess got out of bed. This was the beginning of her emotional recovery and the initial transition for Tess to again enter the world after the dramatic crisis faced. growing up and moving into the world is also evident in the film ‘Charlie st cloud’ as Charlie makes a live changing decision to leave his brother Sam behind and chase his future dreams. This is symbolic in his return to sailing. Film techniques which help highlight this are the use of ‘heavenly light as Charlie watches the sunset aboard the boat and makes the decision to leave his past behind. The symbolism of the sun rising reflects this change in attitude. The storm and the violent scenes presented in this scene sequence along with the dramatic and loud music and sound utilised in the scene also highlights the conscious decision for Charlie to change and move into the world choosing the path of his future. You cannot alter the past. Only when individuals move on can they achieve happiness. People encounter different experiences and respond to them differently, this is highlighted throughout the novel ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’ by J. C Burke and related text ‘Fast Car’ by Tracy Chapman and the film ‘Charlie st. Cloud’ by Burr Steer. Themes such as fear, the dynamics of relationships and growing up are all evident within these texts and help show understanding of how characters face challenges and move into the world. Techniques which are used to convey this is flash backs, past and present tense, first person narrative and non-liner structure along with filmic techniques which shape meaning and understanding