Focus on Major in ‘Tomorrow When the War Began’
Throughout human history, conflict has been one of the biggest problems that can impact a teenager’s life. The novel Tomorrow, when the war began by John Marsden, establishes an excellent example of how teenagers change in positives ways when faced with conflict.
The characters in the novel “Tomorrow when the war began” develop strong characteristics when faced with conflict as three of the main protagonists, Homer, Ellie and Fi develop and demonstrate that they have the ability to change in a positive way when faced with conflict. These three characters show their changed personality, where it be Leadership or courage. When teenagers are facing conflict and adversity it causes them to change and grow in positive ways.
Homer has established leadership skill when faced with conflict as homer doesn’t just think about himself but also about his friends. In the novel, Homer starts to act and think like a soldier, homer starts to become more mature and thinks about the safety of the group and how they would get through this atrocious event.
Homer has changed as when homer was at school he had been a troublemaker and had been wild and outrageous. “Homer had an ability to put himself into the minds of the soldiers, to think their thoughts and to see through their eyes.” (p.122). Homer used his leadership skills to separate the group up as it would not just benefit him but benefit the others. “I hate to mention the fact, but five people free and two people locked up is better equation than no people free and seven locked up.
” (p.75). This shows us that homer in a life threating situation was able to take responsibility and led his team.
Fi demonstrates how she can control her fear and be courageous by showing that it is important to her to not let others down because of her actions. The fears she faces keeps fi determined as she wants to overcome her fears so that she can benefit the group. “I suppose when the time comes I’ll probably do whatever I have to do, but the main reason I’ll do it is because I feel the pressure of keeping up with you guys. I don’t want to let you guys down.” (p.240). Fi starts to want to sacrifice necessaries of loved ones and family. She also becomes more confident and true to her and others that are because she has been around homer a lot. Along the line, Fi develops some amount of bravery as she steps up more, she gets much more courage as she takes on some of their tasks.
Ellie displays courageous characteristics when faced with conflict as she starts to act like a soldier and think like one too. In the novel, Ellie has changed as she became a soldier in the attack. Ellie had to drive the truck and ran over a jeep of soldiers. “That was the first moment at which I started to realise what true courage was. Up until then, everything had been unreal, like a night-stalking game at a school camp. To come out of the darkness now would be to show the courage of a type that I’d never had to show before, never even known about. I had to search my own mind and body to find if there was a new part of me somewhere.” (p.81). This quote explains how Ellie has shown courage to others in this novel when faced with different conflicts.
The minute teenagers face war and hard times it causes them to change and grow in optimistic ways. Throughout this essay, each character can demonstrate when they are placed in a situation with conflict it can affect them in positive ways. It changes their personality and their characteristics towards other people which can be a good and a bad thing at the same time. This shows that teenagers can change in positive ways when faced with conflict.
