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TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN

John Marsden

Author Technique: the Creation of Convincing Characters

Marsden’s "Tomorrow" series has been immensely popular with young adult readers. One of the reasons suggested for this success is that, unlike many teenage characters in fiction, Ellie and her friends are like real teenagers. In other words, Marsden has succeeded in creating convincing characters. You are going to write an essay in which you explain how Marsden has built up his characters. You should use the following essay structure:

One of the strengths of John Marsden’s "Tomorrow When the War Began" is that his teenage characters are so convincing: they talk, act, react, interact and develop in the manner of real teenagers. In this essay, I shall [examine/ analyse/demonstrate] the author’s characterisation in terms of initial descriptions, dialogue, relationships and character development.

(Use a separate paragraph for each character you look at.)

In any novel, as in real life, first impressions matter: our view of a character is heavily influenced by the author’s first description of them. In the case of "Tomorrow", we meet characters who are as varied and complex as any group of real-life teenagers. For example, our first glimpse of Homer is when Ellie finds him fixing a pump valve on his parents’ farm. He is involved in a physical task (unlike Ellie herself, who is writing when we first meet her). Almost immediately Homer grabs Ellie’s arm and squeezes it, and when she tries to push him into the creek he is "too strong". Thus we become aware of Homer as a very physical character and one who enjoys horseplay. We also discover that he is a comedian, making constant wisecracks. He agrees to go camping but says he would rather they "went to a tropical resort and drank cocktails with umbrellas in them" and he teases his brother about the amount of hair-oil he uses. Finally, we observe that Homer has a rude, unconventional manner; unlike all his friends, he does not ask his parents for permission to go camping, instead he simply tells them he is going.

Look at the initial descriptions of 2 or 3 other characters and comment on them.

Perhaps the most authentic aspect of Marsden’s characterisation is his use of dialogue. His characters think and speak in the colloquial language of real young people and their speech is full of Australian slang. From the very first page we know we are listening to a true human voice. Ellie’s narrative is full of short forms (It’s, I’ve, they’ve there’s, we’ll, I’m, that’s) and she tells her friends to "rack off", a typically Australian expression. There is also a reference to "witchetty grubs", an aboriginal name for the grubs of a local beetle. Similarly, ..

Find other examples of authentic dialogue throughout the book and comment on these. (You might even like to contrast Marsden’s dialogue with some very unconvincing teenage dialogue in a different novel …)

In their relationships too, the "Tomorrow" gang are realistically portrayed. These are not the safe, chummy relationships of traditional teenage fiction. Instead, we have characters who get irritated with each other, feel sexual desire, struggle with their emotions and so on. For example, …

In real life, people are rarely static; they change as a result of their experiences. In successful fiction, therefore, we expect to find characters who develop in response to the events around them. The "Tomorrow" characters change profoundly as a result of the invasion of their country and the disappearance of their families. For example, …

Look at a few of the main characters, one at a time, and demonstrate how they change:

In summary, John Marsden’s characterisation in "Tomorrow When the War Began" is very effective. His teenage heroes and heroines are as complex, varied and changing as people in the real world. Consequently, we identify with them and become just as involved in their dilemmas and crises as if they were our flesh-and-blood friends.

Frankie Meehan