Tomorrow When The War Quotes

Words: 718
Pages: 3

John Marsden’s novel Tomorrow when the war began tells of seven Australian teenagers who have to make hard decisions regarding life and death being unexpectantly plunged into invasion and war. Throughout the text, readers evidently see characters in Tomorrow when the war began who teach us humans are not solely ‘good’ or ‘bad’, rather they are capable of both. Ellie and Robyn are prime examples of characters balanced between good and evil. Also the quote “evil is a human invention” supports the theory that humans have both a dark and a light side.

Ellie Linton reveals both a luminous and darker side throughout the text. Ellie demonstrates the good of human nature by being a supportive leader, expressing her love for her family and friends,
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‘people are told stories of people killing people and becoming heroes’, this comments on how murder can be seen as a heroic act if in order of survival. Ellie also comments on how the hell is not a place but it is about people. A deeper understanding is that people can express dark and light sides of their personality and values and this is proven in Tomorrow when the war began when talking about the theme of survival and whether it is right or wrong if it is believed that one person’s life is valued above others. Survival is an individual’s mental and emotional state, physical needs, freedom and what priorities they show in life threatening situations such as war. The teens in TWTB act on love for their families but also on the means of survival which therefore makes them act in a somewhat good way but also in a dark way against the soldiers.

In Tomorrow when the war began, Characters illuminate that humans are not purely ‘good’ or ‘bad’, rather they are capable of both. Ellie displays a conflicted love of her friends but unjustifiable actions and Robyn displays a part in conflict even with her beliefs challenged and also the quote “evil was a human invention” links to the theme of survival and the dark and light sides of human nature. This, therefore, tells readers that there is no good or bad but