The Story Of Tom Brennan By J. C Burke: Success Of A Transition

It is often by undergoing meaningful relationships with others that an individual will experience the success of a transition. Transitioning into new phases of life may be challenging and transformative which ultimately result in stronger relationships with others and the world. J. C Burke strongly utilises this notion in her novel, The Story of Tom Brennan, through the prominent character Tom. Tom conveys the personal qualities of strength, sensitivity and responsibility in his attempt to seek a successful transition, as he is faced with the confronting challenges of fear and overcoming adversity. This character is significantly shaped and evolved by the relationships developed with others. These commonalities can be further explored through Gus Van Sant’s film, Finding Forrester (2000).

Throughout both materials, relationships are portrayed as catalysts for an individual’s self-transition, thus enabling them to evoke profound understandings of themselves and the world. Transitioning into new phases of life often encounters the confronting challenges of overcoming adversity, allowing for self-growth to occur as a result of renewed perceptions. J. C Burke effectively conveys this notion through the protagonist Tom. It is evident that Tom’s growth and transition into adult life has been severely hindered by the accident his brother Daniel caused. Tom’s inability to accept this tragic reality of his family’s current situation has created a barrier to his ability to overcome adversity. This is evident through Tom’s shift in setting from the town of Mumbilli to Coghill. Burke has utilised evocative imagery throughout her novel to enhance the reader’s experience of Tom’s physical transition and emotional transformation, which is further explored through Tom’s use of a metaphor, “down, down we glided”.

This symbolises the family drive down the hill leaving Mumbilli as their reputation and moral standing in the community has also gone downhill. Burke reinforces Tom’s despair through the utilisation of darkness as a reoccurring motif in order to depict Tom’s inner turmoil as a result of his family being rejected and downtrodden by the town of Mumbilli as they retreat to Coghill, away from the superficial façade of their tragedy. This turmoil can be further illustrated through Tom’s use of personification through his words “…and let the darkness suck me into its belly”, in order to highlight the darkness’ domineering power and Tom’s powerless ability to take control over his own life. In time, however, Tom finds the means to cope with his inability to overcome adversity by developing a meaningful relationship with his uncle Brendan. He catalyzes his ability to develop the personal qualities of resilience and patience which he utilises in order to equip himself to deal with his new situation and to move beyond the darkness of his past. This is represented through Brendan’s guidance and insistence in convincing Tom to attend the rugby team at his new school. His ability to overcome adversity is present through his continued participation in rugby, despite the emotional difficulty of continuing to play without Daniel and his friend Fin. Tom’s perseverance is further catalyzed by his father’s passionate speech at the footy camp through his use of a gratifying tone “but we can’t undo what’s done. Bennie’s is giving you a chance and, as pathetic as it may seem to you, it’s still a chance. ” This acts as Tom’s main turning point as it enabled him to move beyond complacency and really strive to return to his old playing form and his old self. By overcoming this obstacle, Tom has been able to achieve a successful transition by overcoming adversity through meaningful relationships with others, allowing him to recognize the value of life.

Clearly, it is only when individuals accept the reality of their lives and allow others to help, that they will achieve a successful transition. It is essential that individuals overcome the elements of fear within their world that hinders their ability to achieve a successful transition. Fear is a significant burden for Tom as it restricts him from engaging with others, negatively impacting his ability to face his fear of not being able to find himself again. This is first sparked by his change of setting from Mumbilli to Coghill as he was forced to tackle his fear of change which is evident through his critical tone “The backs of my legs were wet, hot and stuck to the seat. In fact all of me was stuck, stuck in a place I didn’t want to be”. His use of a light-hearted metaphor provides a stark contrast between his attitude and his situation, thus revealing his inability to engage with the severity of his fears. Furthermore, his fears are also manifested through his inability to accept the reality of his life, forcing himself into solitude which is effectively represented through the running motif of the ‘cave’. The cave operates metaphorically as Tom comes to use his room as a sanctuary from the heated moments which mark his family’s life, thus reinforcing his inability to face the fear of change as he wishes “he could crawl back into the cave”. Tom’s desire to ‘crawl back into the cave’ symbolises Tom’s inability to face the fear of dealing with the reality of his life that is change. Overtime, however, Tom develops meaningful relationships with others, in which enable him to face his fears, leading to a successful transition. Tom eventually finds his ways of confronting his fears and advancing onto the next stages of his life.

Tom’s ability to overcome fear is first revealed by his change of setting, as the naturalistic setting of the pool acts a symbol for the healing power of truth, thus allowing him to engage with his inner self and seek a successful transition. Tom expresses that “the water was so cool and fresh. Somehow it felt full of promises”, symbolising the pervasive culmination of Tom’s enlightenment and growth. Indeed, this suggests that Tom has found a new sense of self as he was in the water naked with Chrissy, symbolising their rebirth for a new sense of self. It is here that he allows himself to engage in a romantic relationship with Chrissy, acting as his healer, thus enabling Tom to develop hope for the future and his desire to move forward. This is further demonstrated as Tom says through the use of a gratifying tone, “You helped me find my old self”, revealing his ability to achieve a successful transition by tackling his fears of confronting Chrissy about his past. Tom’s act of courage reveals Chrissy’s sincere ability to perpetuate her role as Tom’s new light through her personal qualities of kindness and tranquility, in which navigate him to a more optimistic view of life. Moreover, Tom’s ability to engage with others and nature, removes his burdens of his individual past, enabling him to move unburdened towards a positive future. By overcoming his fears, Tom has been able to achieve a successful transition through the help of others, further enabling him to accept reality and move on.