The novel, ‘Tomorrow When the War Began’, written by John Marsden, has an original and interesting story about eight normal, everyday teenagers who after returning from a camping trip suddenly discover that they were caught in the middle of a war. The events in the book change and shape the characters and also bring out real life themes that make the story engaging, captivating and intriguing for the readers. These real life themes are determination, fear and survival.
In times of struggle, the teenagers find it within themselves to use their determination and perform great feats to help and save each other. Determination means having or exhibiting the quality that makes a person continue trying to do something even when it is difficult, and the events that transpire throughout the novel have definitely shown that theme. Determination has aided the teenagers to do many things that they thought they were not able to do before.For example, Ellie was listening to Robyn recount her heroic effort to carry an injured Lee to safety. As Ellie is listening she thinks to herself, “Now I know Robyn’s fit, and strong, but she isn’t that strong”(Ellie 133). This is truly a remarkable feat of strength, achieved through Robyn
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The biggest human instinct is to survive and naturally, for these teenagers their main priority is to survive. They are determined to survive because there are people around them that are counting on them. Homer explains how there are other people counting on the teenagers to survive the war, he says, “...[it’s] important for ourselves, and for our families, and for that matter even our country, that we stay alive”(Homer 238). To survive for not only for their own sake but for their families and for their country, and of course for one