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Chapter 8
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Tomorrow, When the War Began, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
War, Law, and Morality
Family, Friendship, and Love
Coming of Age, Transformation, and the Loss of Innocence
Writing and Storytelling
Summary
Analysis
Fiona wakes Ellie at 11:00 a.m. just like they planned, but Ellie has a hard time waking up. As she climbs up to the treehouse to take her watch, she feels groggy and slow. Ellie wakes slowly sitting in the treehouse, and thinks that it has been less than 24 hours since they came in from Hell and found their lives rearranged. Life can change in an instant, Ellie thinks, remembering all the hours she and Corrie spent playing dolls and other childhood games in the treehouse. One day they just stopped playing, and Ellie tried to pick it up again months later, but it wasn’t the same. Ellie can’t believe how quickly she has lost everything, and, as she mourns, she is scared for the future.
Though Ellie is remembering a much more distant past here in thinking of her childhood and playing dolls, the treehouse is a stark reminder that Ellie and the others were really just kids a matter of hours ago. The war is forcing them to grow up quickly and in profound ways. Instead of playing dolls and make believe, Ellie and the others are evading enemy soldiers and blowing up people with bombs made from gasoline. They have to grow up if they want to survive, and Ellie and they others rise to the challenge even though they are scared, and this reflects Marsden’s argument that young people are capable of maturity and wisdom in the midst of stressful situations.
Themes
Ellie hears a sound from below, and Corrie climbs the ladder. Corrie can’t sleep, so she figured she would come and sit with Ellie. Corrie wonders out loud about their parents and hopes they are safe at the Showground, but she can’t stop thinking about World War II and Kampuchea. Then she thinks about the soldiers shooting at them and the sounds of their screams when the lawnmower exploded, and her brain overloads. War is something that happens on TV, Corrie says, and even if they manage to live, she says that she will never feel safe again.
Corrie’s realization that they weren’t safe like she had believed marks her fall from innocence. Corrie now understands the world is a dangerous place, and this realization rockets her into adulthood. Kampuchea is a reference to the Cambodian government that perpetrated a genocide on its own people during the Cold War. World War II and the violence of communism during the Cold War seemed so removed from Corrie’s life, but she now realizes such things could happen anywhere—a very adult realization.
Themes
Corrie asks Ellie if she thinks the soldiers will come, but Ellie agrees with Homer. There is no way they can search the whole district right away, and they probably have some time. Ellie says they likely came in through Cobbler’s Bay, which gives them access to all of Australia. Their town is too small to be any real target, so they are probably just here for access to Cobbler’s Bay. “You children come down from that tree right now!” Homer yells playfully from below and climbs the ladder.
Ellie’s explanation to Corrie about the soldiers and their reasons for invading their small town again suggests that Ellie is maturing. She is looking at their situation rationally and then planning accordingly. Homer’s playful call from below, however, reminds them that they are in fact still kids, and that the stress of the war is forcing them to act like adults
Themes
Corrie, Ellie, and Homer sit in the treehouse talking and suddenly hear the sound of planes in the distance. An Australian plane comes into view, and Homer begins to celebrate; however, Corrie points to three foreign planes in hot pursuit. Not great odds, Homer says with disappointment and hopes the pilot survives. Later, inside Corrie’s house, they eat a late lunch and talk about Robyn and Lee. Homer hasn’t spoken in a while, and the rest of them stare at him, waiting for him to lead them. He begins to talk naturally, not seeming to notice they are all waiting for him.
Homer is slowly emerging as one of the unofficial leaders of their group, which is ironic given his reputation for being an irresponsible troublemaker. This transformation suggests that Homer is maturing, and that perhaps he has been slightly misunderstood from the start. Meanwhile, the Australian plane implies that the government is fighting back against the foreign invaders, but the three-to-one ratio bleakly suggests they are losing.
Themes
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Homer says it might not be such a good idea to stick together. They like being together and feel better that way, but they have to get tough. He suggests that two of them go into town and look for Robyn and Lee. If they don’t find them by midnight, they should go scope out Lee’s house—maybe they are injured and hiding there. Kevin stops Homer. He didn’t think Homer believed in friendship anymore, but here he is suggesting they split up and risk their lives to find Robyn and Lee. It isn’t just friendship, Homer says. A group of seven is stronger than a group of five.
Homer is thinking rationally here, even ignoring his obvious emotions, and this again reflects his profound personal growth. It isn’t that Robyn and Lee aren’t important to Homer on an emotional level, but he is also thinking of them on a practical level. Their chances of survival increase with their numbers, and they are certainly better off with Lee and Robyn than without them.
Themes
Kevin asks what the remaining three do while the other two are looking for Lee and Robyn, and Homer says they should load anything they can find into Corrie’s Toyota and then move on to Kevin’s and Ellie’s and do the same. He instructs them to get the Land Rover and fill it with supplies—food, gas, clothing, rifles, and tools of every kind—and be ready to go. Kevin asks where they are going. “To Hell,” Homer says.
Homer is completely in charge here, which again highlights his rapid growth over the last 24 hours. They are running to Hell to hide out from the invading soldiers, but the name Hell has important implications, especially since Ellie and Kevin are struggling with their decision to kill the soldiers. In participating in this conflict, Ellie and Kevin are entering into a kind of moral agony or personal Hell.
Themes
They spend the next hour making a list of everything they should take, including Ellie’s teddy bear, Alvin. Much of what they packed for their camping trip is still in the Land Rover, but they will need more food and clothing, soap, toothpaste, pens, paper, books, a radio, batteries, tampons, playing cards—everything. When someone suggests family photos, and Corrie says she wants to take her mom’s diaries, Homer stops them. This is war, he reminds them, and they can’t afford to take stuff like that. Homer’s comment sparks an argument, and Fiona stops the bickering by suggesting they bury everything of value in the garden. That way, they can get it later.
Ellie’s insistence that she bring her teddy bear to Hell again speaks to her young age and immaturity. They are forced to grow up and meet the war with maturity beyond their years, but they are really just kids. Their desire to bring family photos and heirlooms into the bush, possibly saving them from destruction by the invading soldiers, reflects the importance of family within the novel. However, because of the war, they are forced to make difficult decisions, even about their families, which Homer does here.
Themes
Kevin comes into the room with two rifles and a shotgun. They will have .22 Hornet, a .410, and Ellie’s dad’s .303, too, but very little ammunition. Suddenly, another plane can be heard in the distance. It is a helicopter, Corrie says, and Homer yells for them to stay away from the windows. They should have someone on watch, he says and orders them all to different corners of the house, giving them a 360 degree view of the surrounding area.
The group makes a mistake in not having someone stand watch, which again points to their inexperience and young age. Still, Homer immediately snaps into action and orders the others to different rooms to get a better view of their surroundings—proof that Homer is still growing despite their mistakes.
Themes
As Ellie hides behind the curtains, she notices Kevin’s corgi wandering around outside. Ellie is terrified. Whoever is in the helicopter is sure to notice a healthy dog walking around. She considers calling the dog but stops. The helicopter moves closer, and Ellie holds herself flat against the wall, sliding out of the room and back to Homer. She can’t see any soldiers, Ellie says, but the dog is outside. The dog will probably make them suspicious, Homer guesses. He says they have been stupid, and they can’t afford to make such mistakes again. Ellie goes back to the window and tries to count the soldiers in the helicopter.
The mistake made in leaving Kevin’s corgi outside again points to the group’s inexperience and young age. They are just kids—not soldiers or adults with more life experience—and they are completely out of their element. Yet Homer is determined to learn from their mistakes, a quality which underscores his obvious maturity and capabilities beyond his young age.
Themes
The helicopter hovers outside, making no attempt to land, but Homer suggests they make a plan just in case. If the helicopter lands, they can run in the opposite direction and make their way into the bush, or they can surrender. Ellie says she really doesn’t want to die and suggests they surrender. Everyone agrees and goes back to watching. Kevin says the soldiers are looking right at him, but he doesn’t think they can see him. Suddenly, the helicopter gains altitude and flies away. Homer springs into action and orders them about. They can’t make any more mistakes, he says.
Again, Homer is completely in charge, and he lays out their options clearly so they can make an informed decision, another quality that suggests he is maturing and growing. Their decision to surrender instead of risking death seems like a reasonable one. They can assume from Ellie’s sighting of her former schoolteacher at the Showground that prisoners are not being harmed—as long as they don’t pose a threat.
Themes
Homer begins talking and tells them to interrupt only if they disagree with something. They don’t have time for conversation, he says. They must abandon the dogs, Homer begins. They can’t keep the dogs, and they will only slow the group down. They will leave as much food and water as they can, but that is all they can do. And the milking cow outside, Homer tells Corrie, has an infection that is gangrenous. She is sure to die, and they can’t let her suffer. They will have to shoot her. Lastly, they can’t take the Toyota. It is out in the open, and the soldiers probably saw it and will notice if it is gone.
Here, Homer proves he is able to make the difficult decisions that go along with being an adult. Abandoning the dogs and killing the cow won’t be easy, especially with the stress they are already under, but it is necessary to ensure their survival. Homer is also thinking ahead and considering what the soldiers will think and do even after the group escapes to Hell, which again illustrates how capable he really is, especially under pressure.
Themes
Homer suggests they ride the bikes to Kevin’s and get Kevin’s dad’s Ford, and then move on to the Land Rover. They will go to Hell tonight, but first, Homer thinks that he and Ellie should go into town and look for Lee and Robyn. Homer tells Kevin, Corrie, and Fiona to leave a car hidden at Ellie’s and leave another at the top of Tailor’s Stitch. They can walk into Hell from there. For now, Homer is scared that the helicopter is coming back, and he suggests they run. They can come back after dark for supplies. He picks up the rifle and looks at Corrie, but she doesn’t take it. Homer goes out to the barn alone, followed by the sound of a single rifle shot.
Corrie clearly can’t bring herself to kill the cow, which is what is implied when Homer lifts the rifle. Homer doesn’t object or complain when it becomes clear that he must kill cow. Homer is learning that being an adult is more than just making difficult decisions—being an adult is also about seeing those same difficult decisions through to the end.
Themes
Ellie and the others go out to the garden shed, and Homer follows, just as a fighter jet rips through the sky. It is flying deliberately, like it is on a mission, and Ellie notices two missiles fixed to the bottom. Suddenly, two rockets shoot from the plane, and Corrie’s house explodes in a ball of fire. The second rocket hits the mountain behind the garden shed, barely missing them. Corrie falls to the floor, sobbing and flopping around like a fish. Ellie grabs a bucket of water and dumps it on Corrie, and she stops moving but sits quietly sobbing. They all wait. Corrie doesn’t move, and they each silently agree to wait until she does.
The fighter jet is another reminder that they are not playing a game, and that the soldiers are willing to kill in order to take over the country. Presumably, the second missile is meant to strike the shed where they are hiding; the jet simply misses the mark, thereby sparing their lives. As a teenager, Corrie isn’t equipped to handle such stress, and she begins to break down. The group’s silent decision to wait with Corrie, even though they might be in danger, underscores their friendship and love for each other.
Themes
