Character Analyses Table

Characters – The Story of Tom Brennan Using the information about the other characters given to you by the other groups fill in the boxes below, include: * Adjectives to describe their personal (how they act, what they’re like) and physical characteristics (what they look like) * How they deal with the crash & do they blame themselves for the crash? How? (Include a quote from the novel to illustrate this and explain why this quote is appropriate) * Outline how they have grown or changed throughout the novel (Include a second quote from the novel to illustrate this and explain why this quote is appropriate)
Tom BrennanBefore: determined, strong, horny, talented, and athletic. How he dealt with it: Tom blames himself at the start but learns to accept that it was not his fault. He soon sees that he could never have stopped Daniel from getting in the car. “Tomorrow? I felt my heart slip to the ground… there would be a tomorrow… the world went on, regardless of how I felt”. It shows how Tom is struggling to get through the days and just when it gets better he remembers how crap his life is. Tom changes hugely throughout the book, he works hard to improve his life and become happy again even when he wants to give up. I just wish I was starting to feel a bit better” “You will, I know you will”. “Really? ” “Yeah”. “Do you? ” “Yeah” I answered. “It’s slow but I can see ahead now, if you know what I mean? ” “Like? ” “Like life being okay again. ” I squeezed her hand. Shows how Tom starts to live again. | Daniel BrennanBefore accident: arrogant, Sentenced to 3 years in jail. Blames himself, ashamed of what he has done. He has plenty of time to think about what his done. Daniel improves at the end. Reckless at times. Doesn’t deal with the crash that well because he blames himself for what happened at the beginning.
He has a mentor that helps him deal with the accident and then Daniel begins to help someone else. “Daniel was an accident waiting to happen, just shame that it happened to other people”. From Nicole’s parents. He became sorry and a mentor. This is how he changed throughout the novel. | Kylie BrennanSmoker, stubborn, argumentative. After accident: aggressive, angry, guilty, frightened, secretive and bitchy. Builds a strong relationship with Tom and Daniel. Expresses her feelings through her speech about domestic terrorism.

Kylie becomes caring about Fin and made sure he was ok. “Kyle’s we’ll never be the same, but that doesn’t mean it has to be bad just different”. This show that things can change but doesn’t have to be negative. How she dealt with it: She moved on quickly, but she blamed herself secretly because she encouraged Fin and Claire to get together. She hated herself, and cut her hair off. “Tell someone who cares Tom”. As she got up and walked out. This shows she is angry. She started being rebellious as a form of coping. She started smoking and even swearing.
Unlike Tom though, she can’t talk about the accident. As she told her new friend Brianna and her old friend Becky. | FinBefore accident: mature, relaxed. After accident: confused, depressed, quadriplegic. “Hey Tom” and here he was 6 months later, his had grown back and he could breathe for himself. But he’d never be the real Fin, the Fin I knew. “Who’s Bennies 5/8th”, “A bloke called Rory”, “Is he any good”. I answered carefully “He’s not bad”He became quadriplegic, becomes depressedBecause he can’t move, he had more time to think.
When becoming angry, the only way to feel better is to take it out on his family. About the crash: angry, lost confused, depressed. Blames Daniel for the crash and how he ruined his life. | Uncle Brendan| ClaireRegretful, forgiving, scared, caring and thoughtful. Claire broke up with Daniel and he went crazy which resulted in the accident. | Gran| Aunty Kath| Jo Brennan and Tess Brennan (Tom’s Parents)Sympathetic, dull, depressed, neglectful. He does not blame himself for the accident as he felt they all had the reason to celebrate.
They got in to the final end they wanted a premature party. Joe did not know the full relationship between Fin and Claire had the secret relationship. Joe just saw it as a night of fun not tragedy. She nodded. “you’ve always been one step ahead of her”. “You and Kylie both have. ” “So what did I do wrong my first born? ” “Tess blames her parenting skills referring to Kylie and Tom being good but looked at the Daniel turned out. Tess used to be very neglectful to the rest of family and has come to deep depression.
She didn’t show much interest other than Daniel this has extended not only to her own children but Fin as well. She changed throughout the novel by taking care of her health and making effort with her children. “Mum made dinner. ” Kylie and I helped. They were only omelettes but that was the most she’s cooked in ages. She kept going on about how delicious they were and how you had to eat the eggs in a particular way to make them fluffy. Kylie gave me a bit of an eye roll but she didn’t say anything. We knew these were big steps for mum. We didn’t want to do nything to ruin it in case she went back to bed and never got out. “Not only has god given you a gift, I mean sincerely. Now, it was good, but it was never going to be as good as you” But I think deep down he meant that. Joe comes to senses and realises that Daniel, is not so much the golden child. Joe realises that Tom has so much, he has a chance at a better life, a great rugby career and a chance to become a great someone, special. This relates to Joe in changing because he realises that Tom can be someone and he can lift his brother and family from the disaster. Tess blames herself.
She felt saddened, depressed as if she never wanted to wake up from her bed. Tess often slept, and slept in the dark clutches of doona. It was though she would never wake from under the bed ever again, but Tess after all that sleeping she was just thinking that she should of stopped Daniel. But there was no way. Tess did not know what was going to happen. Daniels actions affected Tess in a way where she would never able to look at her sister in the eye again. The damaged that ripped Tess’s family apart that to her was unbearable to forget, and to beg for forgiveness. |