Module C Essay - J.C Burke’s novel “The Story of Tom Brennan”, includes techniques and themes PDF

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J.C Burke’s novel “The Story of Tom Brennan”, includes techniques and themes ...

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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 selfknowledge 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. The very first battle, his opponent challenges him and insults him saying “this ain’t Detroit, 8 Mile road is that way”. This shows a high divide in values as well as placing Rabbit in a low class as this isn’t his place or world where he should venture into, demonstrated with the full shot of the whole crowd laughing and jeering at him and a close up of his face where he is speechless, unable to talk showing how transitions can be confronting. Rabbits challenge is to overcome stage fright and he realises not long after that if he wants to succeed and move into the world, change must occur for him to grow and become successful. Another reason as to why Rabbit cannot endeavour into the world is due to his mother. The dialogue in ‘Where’s your record deal Rabbit?’ is a common question his mother has asks as they live in a trailer and have no money. Rabbit has a low paying job and is not educated and therefore has no other option to get out as he feels alienated and isolated of all existence. Rabbit enjoys his success through his journey which doesn’t end exactly the way he would’ve wished, but he overcomes his obstacles. He is determined, shown in the final battle where he sings ‘lose yourself’ which is based on his journey through all his encounters and makes something of himself because ‘failure isn’t an option’. When Rabbit starts to rap, portrayed in the long shot, every face in the crowd is transfixed and mesmerised by his singing skills and his fortitude which led him to perform at the level. He is successful because he realises that the only way he can ‘make it’ is on his own, and even if he never fully achieves his goals, he has won the rap battle and made the transition into the world, and to himself as he has achieved what he wanted for himself on his own terms, as his ‘own man’. This shows how transitions are challenging however, they result in growth in a renewed perception of self and others....