Tom Brennan Character Analysis

This period of our lives is a one bursting with challenging events and life-changing transitions, don’t you think? However testing this phase may be though, it's how we accept and counteract these alterations that ultimately opens up a deeper understanding of our world and self. J.C. Burke’s thought provoking novel, ‘The Story of Tom Brennan’ and John Marsden and Matt Ottley’s heartbreaking picture book ‘Home and away’, address this concept of transition and their challenges associated as each protagonist undergoes a catastrophic journey surrounding a challenged attitude and the need for maturity development.

The experience of moving into the world can challenge individuals attitudes and beliefs. Into the world explores the aspects of growth, transition and change. The novel ' The Story of Tom Brennan' by J.C Burke explores the different ways individuals grow when they are taken out of their comfort zones and venture into new experiences. This concept is also conveyed within the song 'Fast Car' By Tracy Chapman and the film 'Charlie st Cloud' Directed by Burr Steers. 'The Story of Tom Brennan' follows the lives of the Brennan family after the events of a fatal car accident, it shows how Tom the protagonist struggles to cope with his past, similarly the song 'Fast Car' is a representation of an escape, a women seeking to flee a life she finds

‘The back page of the Billi Weekly ran a photo of me throwing a dive pass to Daniel’ (p. 120)

What have the attitudes and actions of people in your texts revealed to you about venturing into society?

In life, the line that separates victims from perpetrators is as clear as a window pane, but in some situations that window can crack, causing damage and danger. A victim is someone who has been harmed, or worse, due to a crime or accident. A perpetrator is a person who has committed a crime, either accidently or purposely. Three stories that capture this blurred line are Shattered, an Australian Story episode on ABC’s website, The Story of Tom Brennan, a story written by Australian author J.C.Burke, and In My Little Town, another Australian Story episode. They all share the common theme of having a blurred line between victim and perpetrator.

“Courage, I seemed to think, comes to us in finite quantities, like inheritance and by being frugal and stashing it away and letting it earn interest, we steadily increase our moral capital in preparation for that day when the account must be drawn down.” (pg.40) Tim O'brien turns a boy decision of weather to fight in the Vietnam war or flee to Canada into such an exciting piece of writing by using character Elroy Berdahl who is a silent Observer who helps Tim overcome his fears and hallucinations.

The author, Tim O’brien of the book The Things They Carried uses events and characters from the memoir in place of some experiences him and the narrator shares. Fictionalizing many emotions and events that happened to Tim through other characters usually that he wouldn’t feel or do. For example Tim talks about how at a point he wanted to run away to canada when he received his draft notice. This feeling of discontent and the thought of war sickened him to the point he was just yards away from Canada but felt as though that would be a coward move. The author and character shared similar ideas however the author Tim didn’t attempt to run away but his character did. O’Brien informs his audience on the difference of the war from the stereotypical

Human dignity was the founding principle of the America. William Brennan was a staunch supporter of the Constitution as a vehicle to promote human dignity for all. For Brennan, applying the notion of “the intent of the Founder’s” to modern issues was preposterous. Brennan asserted that it was the duty of the Supreme Court to promote each individual’s human dignity. The role of the Supreme Court was to interpret current situations in light of the advancement of human dignity for all. Brennan went so far as to discuss the death penalty as a violation of human dignity that should be addressed by the Court. Brennan viewed the Constitution as a “living constitution” that needed to be viewed in terms of modern times. It would be impossible

When the supposable love of your life turns it around in the space of 2 minutes… Most will be thinking how is this possible, but for Helen Meads, this event changed her life for the worse. David White describes the events of that day, and what led to it, and tells of the ordeals that a family is subjected to when one of their own is murdered. It is a poignant and compelling story. There are issues of custody, access and bail, and looming court appearances. And often, as in this case, there is the killer’s family to deal with. Finally, there is also the bureaucracy and the media that have to be faced and accepted as inevitable intrusions on the private lives of the victim’s families – families who would prefer to be left alone to grieve. Now

Tom Benecke is a man who lets his perseverance get in the way of living his life. His goal of becoming a big name in the marketing business gets in the way of his family time, and takes time away from his personal life. He is so absorbed in his work project that he misses quality time with his beloved wife. Tom Benecke is a stubborn man who lets himself get carried away when his mind is set on achieving something. This man’s perseverance is both the cause of his problems and the resolution of it.

To start with, the television show that I watched is called: The X-Files. Particularly, I will be referring to episode 19 of season 9. The two characters who displayed various task roles in the show are: Assistant Director Walter Skinner and Special Agent Fox Mulder of the FBI. In the episode, Mr. Skinner was a pseudo attorney on behalf of Fox Mulder in a military tribunal because he allegedly killed a military officer named: Knowle Rohrer, on a secretive military base. Walter Skinner was an information seeker because he questioned various witnesses about their testimony in regards to a government conspiracy of human/alien hybrids, so that Walter can justify Mulder’s actions and innocence. For example, Mr. Skinner asked Marita Covarrubias the following, “What are you afraid of now?”

The short story "Accident" is by David Eggers. The short story is about a car accident that happens at intersection between older gentlemen and three teenagers. The readers are able to deeply connect with the story through author use of the word you and get an understanding of what the author wants us to feel. Throughout the story readers will be able to connect and understand social dynamics of the society people live in. The story begins with the older gentlemen stepping out of his car and realizing he has cause the car accident.

In my opinion, if I were in the same position as Tom, I would not have gone with the rest of the militia. This is because I know my parents have experienced more and know better than me. If Tom’s father was my father, I should be aware that my father has fought in a war with the same militia and knows what it is like. “Both his [Tom’s] father and his uncle had fought for The Union army in the great Civil War in the United States twenty years earlier.”... “They told funny stories about army life and sometimes about the hardships. They never spoke about the actual fighting.” (p. 23). This proves there are always topics where you can only understand what meets the eye, until you go and experience it yourself. This is Tom’s situation; he is oblivious

Ambulance and firetrucks stormed through the roads heading towards the two young teenagers who never knew they would ever be in a situation so heartbreaking. As they got out of the car, their mom had finally arrived and ran up to them in tears as she saw her two only kids in pain and fearing for their life. Later on, after everything had been settled with insurance and having Nate’s car had to be totaled because it had too much damage in order for it to be revived so he had lost his very car that had been in our family for years. Why had this happened? What caused this? Everyone asked themselves this question every day except for one person, Nate. He had been on drugs while he was driving and wasn’t paying attention to anything that was going on which caused him to not see the oncoming car.

Many individuals could be categorized into labels as socially constrained in their abilities to conform to the principles of their society. As a matter of fact, an anonymous representative once declared, “The biggest challenge of life is to be yourself in a world that is trying to make you like everyone else.” According to this reference, individuals tend to venture off onto their mindless adventures. Therefore, each person would carry a distinctive personality that would resolve to their own special character that counteracts with everybody else. On the other hand, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is a bildungsroman novel which recalls a young boy in St. Petersburg named Tom Sawyer. He has difficulty dismembering the expectations of his fantasy world to the reality that is expected in his town.