Tomorrow When the War Began

Essay

Tomorrow When the War Began is a fictitious novel focusing on the hardships of a group of teenagers, living in a war-torn country. They must explore things such as the morality of war, and how to survive in this situation they know nothing about. Over the duration of the novel, hidden qualities come to light, and you begin to see what the characters are really like, rather than what they want you to see. All of them mature immensely, and must adapt to their situation. They begin to adapt to this world, and this leads us to thinking about the world we live in, and how all of our perceived safety can be taken away in an instant.

The novel is set in the small town of Wirrawee, present time. This quiet setting makes the story more relatable, as well as being set in the same time frame that we are living our lives in. Close to Wirrawee is Hell. “Hell is a cauldron of boulders and trees…It’s a wild place…The cliffs all around it are spectacular, hundreds of metres high in places. There’s a series of small cliffs called Satan’s Steps that drop into it.” Now while Hell sounds like a horrible place, it is actually a paradise, and the best hideout they could’ve wished for. It seems like everything in this novel is backwards, hell is heaven, a short camping trip turns into an endless one, and the kids must save their parents. It shows me that not everything is as it seems, and to not take things by face value.

The morality of war is a topic that is discussed and thought about numerous times throughout the novel, especially by Ellie. “I was a devil of death, and there were no angels left in the world, no one to make me better than myself and save me from what I was doing.” (Chapter 12) This quote from Ellie is her berating herself for what she thought were evil, but necessary acts. This reference to the devil demonstrates just how awful Ellie is feeling, because it is so closely related to great evil. When Ellie discusses this and other points about the morality of war, it gives us something to think upon, to think on what she must do to survive, and how easy our lives are in comparison.

Fear is a constant presence in Tomorrow When the War Began. From fear of being captured to fear of losing their family or friends, fear is something they must learn to deal with. A small single movement was my key to finding my spirit. There was a tree about four steps away, in front of me and to my left, well inside the zone of light from the Showground. I suddenly made myself leave the darkness and go to it, in four quick light steps, a dance that surprised me, but made me feel a little light headed and proud… It was a dance of courage.” (Chapter 7) This small moment of courage is the first step Ellie takes in overcoming her fear. It is a small but meaningful step that leads to many more moments like it. This made me think about my world, about the fears I have, and what they are compared to the fears they must face everyday.