Draft Essay #2
A quote by Doug Cooper states “Identity cannot be found or fabricated but emerges from within when one has the courage to let go”. This quote relates brilliantly with the character of Tom Brennan in The Story of Tom Brennan written by J.C Burke (2005). 17-year-old Tom Brennan’s life revolved around rugby, mates and family but one night Tom’s life changed forever. Tom’s older brother Daniel causes a car crash resulting in the death of two of his passengers and leaving another a paraplegic. The crash divided the community leaving the Brennan’s as outcasts. The novel positions the reader to respond to the character of Tom through the use characterisation within the themes of identity, personal choices and overcoming/ facing mental…show more content… The reader is positioned to respond sympathetically towards the character of Tom as everyone has felt like they don’t belong somewhere at one point in their life. At the start of the book, Tom feels lost and doesn’t know what to do, as everyone he had previously known is disappointed with Daniel and the whole of the Brennan family. So when they move to Coghill, Tom feels like he doesn’t belong there but when he gets back into his rugby and become friends with more of the guys at St Benedict’s and he also begins his relationship with Chrissy he starts to feel more included. Tom thinks, “I missed me, Tom Brennan, and that’s why now I could smile, ‘cause I could see that he was coming back.” He realises that he is starting to find himself all over again. Further on in the novel when Tom and Chrissy are together, Tom realises he is finally where he wants to be in his life and remembers, “That was the morning Tom Brennan came back, forever”. Throughout the novel, the reader responds empathetically towards Tom, as they know that he has gone through a hard time in his community and within his family and the reader’s want Tom to become what he seemed like in the flashback phases of the book; fun loving, happy and without a care. With the use of the theme identity, the reader is positioned to respond to the character of Tom through his