Tom Brennan

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 suffocating, and the film 'Charlie St. Cloud' also explores a protagonist faced by challenges of moving into the world and dealing with issues of fear, growing up and developing relationships. 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 classmates 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 didn't 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...