Module C – Essay – J.C Burke’s novel “The Story of Tom Brennan”

Resource Description

In J.C Burke’s novel “The Story of Tom Brennan”, transitions may be challenging and confronting and result in individuals to experiences transitions into new phases of life and social contexts. The family leaving their home in Mumbilli shows their escape through the middle of the night. “At 4:30am on Friday the 23rd of January, my father, Joseph Brennan, closed the front door of our home for the last time” shows the symbolism as well as emotive tone which creates mystery at the beginning of the novel. It suggests that the family is closing the door to their current life as they venture into the world that is to come. 

Transitions may be transformative and therefore result in change and consequences. Tom recalls the fun moments that he had with his friends prior to the accident of his brother on the night of a party. Through this the recount shows how normal life used to be prior to the incident. The simile conveyed in “they sound like pissed cockatoos” shows Toms humorous side and also highlights the difference between the past and the present which reinforces that transitions result in change and that there are consequences for the individual and others. 

Transitions may challenge and result in a shift in attitude which can contribute to change. Tom is at Grans house where his appetite is a reflection of his mood. The motif of eating and the aggressive tone in “now I wished I’d eaten that charred slab of cow shit” shows how eating symbolises how Tom feels. He is depressed, and the food is a reminder of how different his life is from the happy times in Mumbilli at Australia Day the year before. Eating nourishes one where the lack of appetite and terrible food shows how he is struggling to accept what has happened and deal with the situation. 

Individuals are able to transitions into new fazes of life and may challenge and result in shifts in attitudes which are able to deepen the understanding of ones self and others. Tom and Kylie discuss their thoughts and feelings in Kylies room back in Coghill where she is more open and wants to talk about the accident whereas Tom feels uncomfortable. The dialogue in “Do you think they care?” shows the closeness of the siblings. It portrays the family dynamics and reveals how Kylie has been coping with what has happened. Her smoking is symbolic of her guilt and also shows her rebellious behaviour of smoking. 

Curtis Hanson employs the central character, Rabbit, in “8 Mile” in order to achieve personal growth and self-knowledge which allows him to transition and go on an adventure to discover new worlds. The film begins with Rabbit locked up in the public toilets which are old and in a derelict state. At that moment the audience automatically see the low social economic area he lives in, shown with the surrounding of graffiti. We see a medium and close up shot of his reflection of him practising, suggesting he is nervous as well as uncertain about his moves and his life. Once he leaves the setting and enters the rap world, the long shot demonstrates that the world surrounding him is a crowd filled with African Americans. Automatically the security guard that stops Rabbit creates a barrier for him entering the rap world which shows how transitions to new worlds can be challenging.