Society's Influence on Individual Experience in The Story of Tom Brennan

Do other people encourage or prevent the individual’s experience of new worlds?

Throughout our everyday lives, events may occur which place us in situations which may be for the good or may even lead to consequences. Throughout these experiences, events can place individuals or groups to be encouraged, prevented or even forced upon them which place the victims into new worlds and different environments which can present them with new goals or challenges. For this module, the novel “The Story of Tom Brennan” written by J.C Burke and the film “Girl, Interrupted” directed by James Mangold allows us viewers to observe how the impact of surrounding people allow individual’s to experience new worlds.

The “The Story of Tom Brennan” is about rugby, mates and family. The novel centrals around the main character Tom who is a teenager experiencing the stage of adolescence where his world is turned upside down from a celebration that got out of hand. It centres on Tom and his family and the consequences that follow through affecting the family and the ways that the family goes through in order to cope with the guilt resting upon their shoulders.

The novel revolves around a young adult, Tom, who faces difficult life issues and attempts to move on and to cope in his new phase of life. In this instance, it refers to the leaving of his old life in Mumbilli and living in his new world in Coghill. The novel adopts a first person narration which allows the readers to be invited into Tom’s world. Allowing us to communicate with the character as it allows us to know what Tom knows and feel what he is feeling as if we were in his own two shoes.

The structure of the novel is effectively used in the attempt to bring out the transition between Tom’s old and new world. The effect of using flashbacks jumping from the past and the present allows the audience to know bit by bit of how the catalyst for Tom entering his new world came about. The evidence in the flashbacks clearly enables us readers to know that from the accident that Tom’s brother, Daniel, had caused Tom and his family to move on into their new world. From the actions of Daniel, it can be concluded that Daniel had forced Tom and his family to move into the new transition of the worlds.

Initially Tom finds it hard to fit in with the new town with the fear of people finding out and rejecting them just like the people from Mumbilli had. However, the aspects of the new town allow Tom to slowly piece together his life and to make a fresh start. Supporting characters within Tom’s life allow Tom piece together his thoughts and feelings and to gain control of his life that he once had. Joe, his father, helps Tom in understanding that footy isn’t all about winning, which he once believed to be true back in Mumbilli, he encourage Tom to play footy in the new town where he is able to make new friends and it provides him the distraction away from his old life.

Brendan acts as a symbolism in the novel, symbolising as a teacher and mentor towards Tom. His daily runs and talks with Tom helps Tom physically and mentally as it allows Tom to get fit and talking with Tom allows him to understand the situation that he is in allowing Tom to find his way. From Brendan’s actions, we know that he encourages Tom into the new world as Tom slowly understands why he is there and eventually starts to cope better.

The film “Girl, Interrupted” also invites viewers into the world of the film from the perspectives and world of Susanna Kaysen.