Tomorrow, When the War Began

Introductory activities

Tomorrow, When the War Began follows Ellie Linton and her friends, a group of teenagers growing up in the fictional Australian town of Wirrawee. While camping at a local spot affectionately known as ‘Hell’, the friends learn that their town has been invaded by an unknown foreign power. From here they plan and launch a guerrilla-style attack on the soldiers occupying their territory, resisting their invasion and trying to regain control of Wirrawee.

The following activities will prepare students to tackle some of the themes, ideas, and concepts explored in Tomorrow, When the War Began.

Storytelling

NOTE: All page references are drawn from Pan Macmillan Australia’s 2016 edition of Tomorrow, When the War Began.

Begin by encouraging students to discuss the role of storytelling in their lives. Guide the conversation towards the documentation of stories. Discussion prompts may include:

• When do you tell stories? Why?
• Whose stories do you listen to and why do you like them?
• What makes a good story?
• How do you keep your stories ‘alive’?
• Do you write stories down? If so, where? If not, why?

Appearing on The Garret podcast, John Marsden explains the importance of the physical act of writing and its role in Tomorrow, When the War Began. Listen to the interview from 07:40–08:43 OR have students read the relevant section of the transcript, highlighting Marsden’s points about his characters having a reason to write and wanting to be remembered.

Place students in small groups and encourage them to hypothesise about what would make a good excuse, reason, or motivation for writing something down. Allow time to discuss the following ideas:

• How does writing something down allow you to be remembered?
• What are the pros and cons of writing an account of your own behaviour?
• How might social media impact the importance of documenting something?
• What do you think Marsden means when he refers to ‘the posterity of the written word’?

Encourage the groups to share their responses with the rest of the class, and to elaborate and debate each other’s ideas.

Now read the opening paragraphs of Tomorrow, When the War Began to students, finishing at the top of p. 3. How does Ellie capture some of the thoughts and feelings expressed by students in the above discussion?

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Modern teenagers

Inform students that the term ‘teenager’ was not widely adopted until the 1940s. Few people thought of teenagers as having distinct fashions, language, behaviours, and rites of passage until after the Great Depression. In 1944, LIFE magazine published an article entitled ‘Teen-Age Girls: They Live in a Wonderful World of Their Own’. The article was accompanied by a photo series depicting a group of 15- to -17-year-old girls from St Louis, Missouri. Show students the photographs (25 in total) and draw their attention to the descriptive captions beneath each one. Be sure to read the paragraph from the original article about the ‘6,000,000 U.S. teen-age girls’ and their idyllic lifestyle.

• How do these photos make the life of a teenager appear?
• What might the teenage boys who are not in these photos be doing?
• Describe the typical American teenager from these photos in five words.

Distribute an article about Generation Z and/or Generation Alpha teenagers (McCrindle and Medium provide good starting points). You could share a few different options to encourage rich discussion. Give students time to read over the article(s) and highlight key points that describe the average member of Gen Z/Gen Alpha. As a class, create a list of the main characteristics of today’s teenagers, paying attention to the kinds of lifestyles they lead and the attitudes other generations have towards them. Then discuss:

• Do people perceive Gen Z/Gen Alpha to be a capable generation?
• What are the biggest concerns of parents of Gen Z/Gen Alpha teens?
• What behaviours do people expect from Gen Z/Gen Alpha?
• Describe a typical member of Gen Z/Gen Alpha in FIVE words.

The main characters in Tomorrow, When the War Began are teenagers. Marsden does not specify the year, but Ellie is around 16 or 17. Assuming that the events of the novel take place in 1993, when the book was published, this would make Ellie a Gen Xer born around 1977 (give or take). Give students time to research the late 1970s and early 1980s in Australia. What was happening in society at the time? How might this have affected the upbringing of Australian teenagers?

Have students compare the attitudes and behaviours of teenagers from the 1940s, late 1970s/early 1980s, and 1990s/early 2000s in terms of their education, personal life, biggest concerns, and ability to cope under pressure. A template has been provided (PDF, 77KB).

It would be interesting to add another column for the present day so that students can compare their own generation to those that came before.

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Guerrilla warfare, partisans, and resistance movements

In the novel, Ellie and her friends spearhead a resistance movement against a foreign invader. Break down the concept of warfare with students:

• What types of warfare has Australia been involved in?
• How has warfare changed since the earliest battles?
• What are the risks associated with warfare?

Come up with a shared definition for ‘warfare’ – along with ‘guerrilla warfare’, ‘resistance’, and ‘partisan’ – to ensure that students have the correct vocabulary when discussing the text.

Show students some excerpts from films, television shows, or documentaries depicting guerrilla warfare and partisan involvement in battle. Choose your clips carefully, as some may depict graphic violence that would be unsuitable for students. Suggestions include ‘The Final Battle’ from Les Misérables (revolution/resistance), the trailer for Kokoda: 39th Battalion (2006, guerrilla warfare), and this short video about Lawrence of Arabia’s transformative military tactics in the Arab Revolt.

Alternatively, you could give students excerpts from novels, biographies, or textbooks that describe guerrilla tactics and partisans throughout history. Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, Nancy Wake’s The White Mouse, or R. J. Minney’s Carve Her Name with Pride would all be suitable. You could also refer to images or paintings that depict battles or ambushes on occupying forces. A quick Google search will bring up a range of appropriate images for use.

You will find many other examples of resistance movements and figures throughout history (e.g. the Edelweiss Pirates in Nazi Germany). The Frontier Wars also provide a rich tapestry for exploring the concept of resistance. There were many influential First Nations resistance fighters during this period, including Pemulwuy, Jandamarra, Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner.

After exploring these examples and their underlying concepts, discuss the following questions:

• Are the terms ‘partisan’ and ‘resistance’ interchangeable?
• What examples can you think of from the modern world?
• Where do ‘freedom fighters’, ‘rebels’, or ‘terrorists’ fit among these definitions?
• Can the actions of resistance fighters be justified?

Have students create a concept map or collage of ideas as a reference point for their reading of Tomorrow, When the War Began. They could add quotes or examples from the book as they progress through the story.

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Survival

Survival is a prominent theme in Tomorrow, When the War Began. Ellie and her friends collect supplies and make plans to survive in Hell following the invasion. After discussing warfare and the lifestyle of typical teenagers, ask students if they think the gang has what it takes to survive in Hell. The teens are proactive and demonstrate the best of human nature: they are competent, creative, and courageous in their quest to survive.

Work through the following activities:

• Split the class into small groups and give each group a survival scenario: plane crash, desert, sea, or wilderness. Allow time for students to work through the scenario(s). They can then share their results with the rest of the class.
• Ask students to come up with a list of supplies they think would be necessary to survive an invasion. Make sure that you specify the number of items in the survival kit, AND the nature of the invasion, to avoid discrepancies.
  • Prompt students to think about what they would need to survive, as opposed to things they would want or desire. Use this as a starting point to discuss Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
• Ask students to rate themselves on a scale, from ‘absolutely’ to ‘absolutely not’, in response to the following statement: ‘I have a range of skills and strategies to survive in the wilderness if I was stranded for a long period of time’.
• Bring in an assortment of everyday items. Ask students to come up with a list of uses for them – both conventional and unconventional – in a survival scenario. Items could include a bandanna, a water bottle, and a length of rope.
• If there are avid campers or Scout Leaders in your school community, consider inviting them to discuss practical survival tips with your students.

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Australian security

Tomorrow, When the War Began deals with the idea of an invasion by a foreign power. Australia has vast borders and is relatively isolated from more powerful allies. Since Federation, lawmakers and commentators have stoked fears of a foreign invasion in the form of a regional conflict, foreign ownership, or even immigration. All three of these anxieties converged in the White Australia policy.

Have students reflect on why modern society seems so paranoid about security. Why is it that many countries around the world are fearful of ‘the other’, i.e. people who are different to them? Why would countries like Australia want to close their borders to immigration? If appropriate, you could share some excerpts from Donald Trump’s 2016 immigration speech in which he calls for the expansion of the Mexico-United States barrier. How does Trump use language to incite paranoia and concern in his audience regarding their security and the alleged threats to their lifestyle?

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Lay of the land

Show students a range of images that depict the landscape described in Tomorrow, When the War Began. In his Author’s Note, Marsden names the area around Mt Howitt (VIC) as the inspiration for Hell and Tailor’s Stitch (p. 286). Photos of the real-life locations – the Devil’s Staircase/Terrible Hollow and Crosscut Saw respectively – provide a good visual reference.

Encourage students to think about the following:

• What does each image reveal about the landscape?
• How might the rugged landscape help or hinder an invader?
• Can you find another image of a landscape (similar or different) that you think would help or hinder an invader?

Display the images in your classroom and refer to them when reading the novel. This may help students visualise the isolation of the area and the challenging terrain described by Marsden.

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Xenophobia

In 2018 Marsden appeared on an episode of Q&A and, perhaps controversially, stated that he would not write Tomorrow, When the War Began in the current day. He explained that this was because of his horror at the treatment of people who arrived in Australia from other countries. His fellow panellist, author Michael Mohammed Ahmad, linked the language in the book to xenophobia and paranoia that persisted about people of colour at the time of publication. He also reflected on the irony of the invasion storyline in the context of European colonisation. Later in the episode, Marsden noted that white Australia had a history of demonising ethnic minorities, including First Nations peoples. Both Marsden and Ahmad’s comments can be found in this ABC News article.

Show students a clip from the Q&A episode and give them time to reflect on the panellists’ comments. Encourage students to consider the following questions in a structured response:

• What might it be like to have your work characterised as racist and linked to feelings of resentment and xenophobia?
• How do you think Marsden would have felt about this assertion?
• How would you feel if a novel was written that demonised you and your upbringing?
• What are the implications of these kinds of texts? If, as Marsden says, fiction is meant to bring us closer to the truth, would these texts be considered damaging?

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Personal response on reading the text

Rising to the occasion

As they read Tomorrow, When the War Began, have students record the skills that Ellie and her friends exhibit over the course of the invasion. Marsden hoped to prove that teenagers are capable of greatness under pressure; what examples of this can students find in the text?

Consider:

• The skills the gang have/use to resist the invasion
• Their ingenuity and the circumstances that forced them to adapt
• Their proactive response in the face of danger

Ellie and her friends

The gang from Wirrawee are a group of friends from the local township of Wirrawee. Students can make notes on each character as Ellie introduces them, using supporting evidence from the text. They can use the following table as a guide.

As they continue reading, students should observe the relationships between characters and how the dynamics shift as members of the group start to accept more responsibilities. What other famous figures, friends, or couples experienced a shift in their relationship when one (or both) of them changed their responsibilities? Compare and contrast one of these ‘couples’ with a pair of characters from the novel (PDF, 51KB).

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Self-discovery

Students will select ONE character from the novel and analyse their process of self-discovery. Encourage students to think about how their character realises the power of their actions, their thoughts, and the decisions they make. Have students collect a range of quotations, song lyrics, photographs, book titles, etc. to create a collage or mood board that represents their chosen character’s growth over the course of the novel.

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To be continued …

Tomorrow, When the War Began is the first title in a seven-part series. The novel ends with an epilogue from Ellie, catching up on her writing and commenting on the gangs’ potential future in Hell without Kevin and Corrie. Discuss what might eventuate in the next six novels. Have students write a short response about how the gang’s story might end, then share their ideas with a partner.

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The writer’s craft

Structure

In his Garret interview, Marsden discusses the role of first-person narration, letter writing, and diarising in his novels. He feels that the physical act of writing offers a sense of posterity and drives the development of his plot and characters. Diarising or journalling, in particular, is a popular pastime; a quick poll will establish the uptake of this activity among your students and guide your discussion of Ellie’s narration in Tomorrow, When the War Began.

Collect excerpts from the diaries of people who survived tumultuous times. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, The Last Expedition by R. F. Scott, and Conversations With Myself by Nelson Mandela  are all good starting points. Choose diaries from throughout history and writers of diverse gender, ethnicity and upbringing, as this will allow for richer analysis. Distribute the excerpts to small groups and give students time to read them, first for understanding, and then for analysis. Questions for discussion include:

• What can you learn about the author from each excerpt?
• What questions do you have about the author and/or their circumstances?
• What kinds of anecdotes has the author included?
• How does having just one voice/perspective in a text change the kind of information you can gain from reading?
• How does each author’s style of diarising differ from the others? Why do you think this is the case?

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Have a discussion about the information readers can gain from a diary. What does a diary reveal that other sources may not? How does a diary help readers form connections to the people being written about? What does a diary reveal about the author’s time, place, and circumstances? This New York Times article from 1981, which celebrates the art of diary writing, may be a helpful discussion tool.

Task students with writing in a diary every day for a week. It may be helpful to set some broad guidelines to ensure that the content is appropriate for sharing. Once students have completed their diaries, collect them and photocopy an assortment of pages to distribute to the class (be sure to remove all identifying markers). Have students respond to the above questions in relation to the new excerpts. In addition, students should discuss and share their thoughts on the following:

• How did it make you feel to know that your work was going to be read by someone else?
• Did this knowledge change the content of your entries? Why? How?
• How reliable is it to hear from just one voice?

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Ellie’s friends nominate her to record their story, but she doesn’t keep a traditional private diary. Instead, she uses the techniques of diary writing to document their shared experiences. She sequences events in chronological order and writes truthfully about the difficulties the gang faces. Ask students to identify other features of Ellie’s writing that blend first-person narration and diary writing. They can then complete a Venn diagram (PDF, 49KB) comparing Ellie’s writing with traditional journalling.

Students should choose a section from Tomorrow, When the War Began that resonated with them or captured their attention. Have them rewrite the episode in the form of a diary entry, in the strictest sense of the term. Remind students to consider what details would or would not be included, based on previous discussions and activities, and to edit Ellie’s writing accordingly to fit the new format.

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Today there are many outlets for documenting one’s trials, tribulations, and successes. With the advent of social media, many people feel compelled to share their lives through platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram, and Snapchat. There is a lot of evidence to suggest that people receive gratification from posting about their lives online.

A class discussion could shed light on the mentality of younger people who may or may not broadcast about their lives. Students may be quite forthcoming in acknowledging this behaviour in themselves. Ask them to consider how Ellie might document the gang’s story if they were thrust into their situation in the present day. They can then choose ONE social media platform and brainstorm how Ellie would use it to tell the gang’s story. For example, how might she share her experiences on TikTok? Students should consider how the platform is used; its restrictions and limitations; what material Ellie would be allowed to upload; and her purpose in telling the gang’s story (i.e. to be remembered) in deciding the most appropriate platform.

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Characterisation

Archetypes

The use of literary archetypes is widely documented. Introduce your students to the concept of character archetypes, who represent universal patterns in human thought and behaviour. Students may be interested in the psychological background of archetypes developed by Carl Jung. Jung developed 12 archetypes that represent basic human motivation, each with its own set of values, strengths, and weaknesses.

Break the class into groups and assign each group a character archetype. See if students can identify this archetype from texts that they have consumed in the past. Draw a table on the whiteboard and ask students to suggest some characters who fit the different archetypes (start with the assigned group, then invite the rest of the class to contribute). Examples include:

Do any characters fit multiple archetypes? Discuss the role that each archetype plays in developing the plot for a text.

Now challenge students to allocate archetypes to the characters in Tomorrow, When the War Began. Students should support their claims with evidence from the text. They may even be able to explain how a character transforms from one archetype to another over the course of the novel.

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Character development

Once students have finished reading Tomorrow, When the War Began, have them complete a character chart (PDF, 54KB) to analyse the characters’ transformation over the course of the novel.

Now assist students to create a graph that plots the rising and falling tension in ONE character’s story. This template (PDF, 84KB) may be useful. The X axis represents time passed and the Y axis represents tension, where zero is equivalent to a calm day with no danger, five to a fight or passionate kiss, and ten to the world being in danger. Students can then match the peaks and troughs in tension to the character’s development. For example, as Ellie is forced to reckon with the fact that she may have murdered several people, the reader begins to see a harder and more strategic side of her personality.

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Point of view

Tomorrow, When the War Began is narrated from Ellie’s first-person perspective. Students will have already discussed the role of diarising in earlier activities. They should now consider the other members of the gang and whether or not their experiences are fully captured in Ellie’s retelling. Display the term ‘reliable narrator’ for students. Ask them what they think it means (StudySmarter has some useful information under the heading ‘Reliable vs Unreliable Narrator’) and how it might relate to Tomorrow, When the War Began. Can we call Ellie a reliable narrator?

Have students compare Ellie’s narration with the qualities of reliable and unreliable narrators using this table (PDF, 51KB). Some cells have been pre-filled to help students get started.

Consider the other members of the gang. The responsibility of documenting events is thrust rather arbitrarily onto Ellie at the beginning of the novel. How would the story be different if it were told from another character’s point of view?

Distribute the dual timeline (PDF, 50KB) to students. On one side they will record Ellie’s perspective (words, feelings, etc.) on four key events from the novel. On the other side they will reframe those events from the perspective of one of Ellie’s friends. How might this character have felt? What might they have said? Invite students to share their ideas with the rest of the class. What do they think of Ellie’s portrayal of events? Are the other characters’ imagined interpretations more insightful and/or accurate?

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Setting

When the gang first heads out towards Tailor’s Stitch and Hell, Marsden describes the landscape as being quite rugged. This would have been evident from the images students looked at earlier (Initial Response > Introductory Activities > Australian Security > Lay of the Land). Numerous Australian poets have mused on the bush, its role in our national identity and upbringing, and the myths that permeate popular Australian culture.

Ask students to create a mind map about their understanding of the Australian bush. Consider:

• What it looks like
• Any myths or legends they have heard
• Popular references
• The lifestyle of people who live in or near the bush

Discuss the responses as a class. Do any of your students live in or near the bush? Most Australians live in cities – how do those people learn about life in the bush? What impressions might they have, and how might these differ from reality?

Provide a range of poems and short stories that depict the landscape and lifestyle of the bush. Suitable texts include ‘The Drover’s Wife’ and ‘Andy’s Gone with Cattle’ by Henry Lawson, ‘Along the Road to Gundagai’ by Jack O’Hagan, and ‘The Man From Snowy River’ by Banjo Paterson. Make sure to include First Nations perspectives; excerpts from Guwayu — For All Times (ed. Jeanine Leane) and Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia (ed. Anita Heiss) are good options. You can also refer to landscape paintings by artists like Tom Roberts, Arthur Boyd, Russell Drysdale, and the important Arrernte painter Albert Namatjira. See the 1968 AGNSW exhibition One hundred years of Australian landscape painting for more examples.

Give students time to view and interpret these texts, then work together to analyse some of the imagery. How is the landscape represented? Collect words and phrases from the poems and/or stories that help the audience form an understanding of the bush and its inhabitants. Students should record these (and other notes from the discussion) for future reference.

Revisit passages from Tomorrow, When the War Began in which Marsden describes the landscape. Students should try to determine whether these descriptions align with existing myths and narratives about the Australian bush. Once they have had time to collect textual evidence, they should write a one-page response to the following question:

Does Marsden’s depiction of Wirrawee, Hell, and Tailor’s Stitch confirm OR reject ideas about the bush/landscape as depicted by other Australian writers?

Encourage students to make direct reference to the quotes they have collected from the novel. This scaffold (PDF, 50KB) may be useful.

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Genre

Tomorrow, When the War Began could fit into multiple genres. Is it an adventure? A thriller? Dystopian fiction? Another type of science or speculative fiction? Explore the characteristics of these genres with students. You could read excerpts from relevant texts and analyse their generic features. Once you have agreed on the characteristics and built a shared understanding of each genre, consider the following questions:

• How is Tomorrow, When the War Began similar to other adventure stories in which the main characters go on a quest (to find something, solve a problem, etc.)?
• What similarities are there between Tomorrow, When the War Began and other popular Australian thrillers such as Truth by Peter Temple; The Dry or The Lost Man by Jane Harper; The Dark Lake by Sarah Bailey; or any novel by Matthew Reilly? Students could also look at international titles such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, or the classics of Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle.
• How do the invading forces in Tomorrow, When the War Began mirror the dystopian Capitol in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, or the totalitarian capitalist government in Max Barry’s Jennifer Government?
• Does Tomorrow, When the War Began exhibit any characteristics of science fiction (e.g. an advanced technological future, a warning of political combustion)?
• Is Tomorrow, When the War Began an example of speculative fiction, i.e. fiction that asks ‘what if’? Could Marsden be offering commentary on a possible future scenario?

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Text and meaning

NOTE: Although Tomorrow, When the War Began deals with a hypothetical invasion, this scenario is a reality for many people living in Australia today. Not only do First Nations communities continue to grapple with the ongoing effects of colonisation, but many newer arrivals have trauma related to war or persecution. Furthermore, there may be students in your class who have witnessed or experienced racism directed at themselves or their families. It is essential that you understand your class context so you can approach the following discussions sensitively and modify where appropriate. Advice on teaching sensitive texts and creating a safe learning environment can be found in Reading Australia’s teaching resource for Ghost Bird.

Invasion

As discussed in the Initial Response section (Introductory Activities > Australian Security), post-Federation Australia has long feared a foreign ‘invasion’. Over time this anxiety has expanded to include immigrants, refugees, and people from specific cultural and/or religious backgrounds (e.g. Asian and Islamic Australians). The perceived threat to our way of life has been a prevalent and persistent theme in social and political discourse for decades.

Many people have interpreted Tomorrow, When the War Began as articulating these fears. When Marsden appeared on Q&A in 2018, he was asked if he thought the novel had raised a generation of Australians who lived in fear of invasion. Fellow panellist Michael Mohammed Ahmad weighed in with his thoughts on this question; you can revisit his comments, and the Q&A episode, in the Initial Response section (Introductory Activities > Australian Security > Xenophobia).

Ask students to think about the invaders in the novel. Did they ever wonder about the enemy’s origins, or was it easier to accept a nameless and faceless threat? In the film adaptation, the invaders are revealed to be a coalition of Asian nations. Why might the filmmakers have made this decision? Prompt students to reflect on Australian history and representations of Asia in the media and popular culture. Why might people want to stoke fears of an ‘Asian invasion’? Alternatively, how might Marsden’s novel work to persuade readers against this idea?

If appropriate, show students the short, satirical ‘Asian Invasion’ segment from SBS’ The Feed (be aware that there is an expletive around 01:55). How does the presenter, Michael Hing, frame the alleged ‘Asian invasion’? Spend some time reviewing his points and tease out the satirical nature of this segment.

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Moral choices during war

It may be difficult for students to comprehend the gravity and scale of war, let alone the decisions people are forced to make during a conflict. Ellie and the gang learn this the hard way as they are forced to adapt to their new circumstances (see, for example, arguments about sentimental objects on pp. 112–113, or the fate of the animals on pp. 117–118).

Ask students to imagine the kinds of dilemmas a soldier might face in a warzone. Show them the trailer for American Sniper (2014) to illustrate some of the split-second decisions combatants are forced to make. Some of these can have disastrous and long-lasting consequences; do not downplay this. Gather students’ opinions on the following hypotheticals, reminding them that people can act in unusual and surprising ways under duress.

• Would you send your friends into battle if you knew they were likely to be injured or killed?
• Would you risk your life to save a civilian who wasn’t involved in combat?
• Would you reveal information about your friends’ position/tactics if you were taken prisoner?
• Would you abandon combat if you had an opportunity to save yourself and run?
• Would you target enemies in battle if it meant that innocent people would be harmed?
• What is the value of one person’s life over the lives of a group of people?

Right vs wrong

Discuss with students the concept of right and wrong. Are there any decisions or actions that would always be considered morally right or morally wrong? Make a list of students’ ideas and suggestions. Remind them that, in Tomorrow, When the War Began, several characters make heat-of-the-moment decisions that we would not usually consider ‘right’ (e.g. when Ellie, Kevin and Corrie ambush some soldiers in Mrs Alexander’s backyard, pp. 87–92). Discuss whether it is ever okay to do ‘wrong’ things in exceptional circumstances. Can students think of examples that are relevant to the gang’s circumstances in the novel?

Is there such thing as a ‘just’ war?

Ask students if there is ever a time when a war might be justified. Show them the just war theory explainer by American political theorist Michael Walzer. Have students note the justifications for going to war, as well as the principles of ‘just’ conduct in war. Then, thinking about Ellie and her friends as combatants, discuss the following questions:

• Does the gang have a plausible reason for going to war?
• How might their actions be reported in the media?
• How does the gang assert their right to resist aggression? What actions do they take?
• Does the gang assert their right to assist victims of aggression? Whose aid might they come to?
• Does the gang follow the principles of a just war as outlined by Walzer?

The Wikipedia entry for just war theory is a rich starting point for discussion. There are five main criteria for a just war:

1. It must be aimed at stopping human rights abuses.
2. It must be authorised by a legitimate governing body.
3. There should be a reasonable certainty of success.
4. Violence must only be used as a last resort.
5. Damages must be kept to a minimum, and civilians cannot be targeted.

Based on these criteria, have students compose an argument about whether Ellie and her friends are entitled to retaliate against the invaders. They should brainstorm reasons for/against the gang’s actions, then compose a one-page (A4 or A3) propaganda-style poster that celebrates OR condemns those actions. If they need inspiration, they could look at the ‘district heroes’ posters from the marketing campaign for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014).

As an aside/extension to these discussions, students could apply their thinking to some of the many wars that have been fought over the last century. For example, World War II is often described as a just war, yet even in this global conflict civilians were directly targeted, most egregiously in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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Defining heroism

Pose the following question for class discussion:

What makes a hero?

Add students’ ideas to one half of the whiteboard so you can refer to them throughout the lesson.

Share the article ‘What Makes a Person Heroic?’ with students. Read through the information as a class, highlighting the basic definition, personality traits, and major characteristics of people who are considered heroes. Compile these notes into a document and have students share their takeaways with the class. Write these on the other half of the whiteboard.

Ask students to consider the characters in Tomorrow, When the War Began. Based on the article and their own understanding, are any of these characters heroic? A related article, ‘The Psychology of Heroism’, provides another definition and explores other relevant ideas, including:

• big and small acts of heroism
• altruism (concern for the wellbeing of others over oneself)
• the bystander effect (when the presence of others discourages a person from intervening)

How do the characters in Tomorrow, When the War Began demonstrate these ideas (or not)?

Split the class into four groups to undertake two debates. Assign each group to argue either the affirmative or negative position on an allocated topic. Suggestions include:

• The gang from Wirrawee are not heroes; they are villains.
• The actions taken by the gang from Wirrawee are not heroic, but rather acts of self-preservation.
• Ellie is the true heroine of Tomorrow, When the War Began.

Give students time to prepare their arguments, then conduct the debates in class. Discuss some of the key points as a whole class afterwards.

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Synthesising task

This task will enable students to respond to the novel analytically AND creatively. They will demonstrate their understanding in an individual and unique way, using colours, images, and symbols in the style of sketchnotes. Instructions for this task can be found in the one-page response handout (PDF, 96KB).

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Ways of reading the text

Alternate points of view

Tomorrow, When the War Began is told from Ellie’s perspective as the nominated scribe of the group. Ask students if they think there may be a difference in how people of different genders tell a story. If so, why? What might those differences be? Consider Ellie’s important role, not only as the protagonist but as the person responsible for documenting the invasion. Would the story have changed if it had been written by one of the boys? What kinds of things might they have picked up on or left out?

Have students rewrite ONE scene from Tomorrow, When the War Began from the perspective of Homer, Lee, Kevin, or Chris. They should start by rereading their chosen passage and making note of all the details that Ellie has deliberately included. Would they keep or do away with these details? What else needs to be added or removed? Once students have finished writing, invite them to share their work in small groups. Allow time for them to discuss whether they found the retellings more or less powerful, and why.

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A gendered reading

Ellie is an important driving character in Tomorrow, When the War Began and is accompanied by three other young women: Corrie, Fi, and Robyn. Introduce the concept of literary theory and offer some background to gendered or feminist readings of texts. After eliciting responses from students around gender roles and stereotypical/accepted gendered behaviour, have them analyse Tomorrow, When the War Began from a gendered perspective.

Now break the class into small groups and allocate each group one of the following topics to discuss:

1. How are the male and female characters depicted in the novel? How are they described?
2. Which characters are active and passive? What kinds of behaviours do they undertake?
3. Are there any behaviours exhibited by either the girls or the boys that are portrayed as a weakness OR an asset? What are they, and by whom are they exhibited?
4. What kinds of assumptions about gender does Tomorrow, When the War Began support, challenge, and/or reinforce? NOTE: Although many people now acknowledge a spectrum of gender identities, the binary view was the norm at the time the book was published.
5. What actions/behaviours are surprising in the novel? How do your own expectations of gendered behaviour lead you to react in a certain way?

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Attitudes to refugees

Revisit Marsden’s comments on whether he would still write Tomorrow, When the War Began in light of Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers (Initial Response > Introductory Activities > Australian Security > Xenophobia). Now that students have read the whole text, replay the clip from Marsden’s Q&A appearance and have them reflect on how this information might influence their original interpretation of the story.

In 1992 – the year before Tomorrow, When the War Began was published – the Keating government legislated the indefinite mandatory detention of all ‘unlawful non-citizens’ (i.e. people arriving in Australia without a visa). This was a response to the arrival of 438 so-called ‘boat people’ from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Paul Keating’s predecessors, Malcolm Fraser and Bob Hawke, both acted with humanity towards refugees and asylum seekers. Fraser permitted the resettlement of more than 200,000 Indochinese refugees between 1975 and 1982, while Hawke allowed 42,000 Chinese students to remain in Australia after the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989. These decisions drew mixed reactions from the general public, who expressed racism, alarm, and uncertainty about cultural differences on the one hand, and concern for the refugees’ welfare on the other hand. It was an interesting time in Australia’s multicultural history, given long-held national fears of a ‘yellow peril’, and the fact that the White Australia policy had only recently been dismantled by the Whitlam government in the 1970s.

Share this information with students, then discuss whether or not they think Marsden demonises the invaders in Tomorrow, When the War Began. What do they say and do? How are they spoken about? It might be useful to revisit the gang’s conversation about the invaders on pp. 168–174.

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Comparison with other texts

Other stories about refugees

Show students At Work Inside Our Detention Centres: A Guard’s Story. This illustrated interview sheds light on how Australia’s outsourced detention centres are run. After reading the piece together, ask students to select a panel to analyse in greater detail. Have them consider the symbols, text, colour, texture, composition, etc. and how these elements contribute to the overall power of the scene. Make sure they annotate the illustration and pull apart the important features.

Contrast the style and message of A Guard’s Story with excerpts from the anti-people smuggling graphic novel published by the Australian Government in 2014. This text, written in the two most commonly spoken languages in Afghanistan (Dari and Pashto), was distributed overseas to deter people from coming to Australia by boat. It seems to celebrate the cruel treatment of asylum seekers and the process of detention they will inevitably face upon arrival. Ask students to repeat the process of analysis with a panel from this text.

Between Tomorrow, When the War Began, A Guard’s Story, and the graphic novel, which text appears to demonise foreign peoples the most? Alternatively, which text is most compassionate? What evidence supports each view? Students will respond in an essay, using their previous analyses and annotations to inform their work.

NOTE: Many Australian authors have written about their experiences as refugees, immigrants, or the children of such. They include (but are not limited to) Nam Le (The Boat), Vivian Pham (The Coconut Children), Alice Pung (Unpolished Gem), Maxine Beneba Clarke (The Hate Race), Anh Do (The Happiest Refugee), and Behrouz Boochani (No Friend But the Mountains). Other useful texts include Mahtab’s Story by Libby Gleeson, The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon, and various titles in Black Inc.’s Growing Up series.

Political cartoons

Students have explored historical and ongoing anxieties about the so-called invasion of Australia throughout this unit. Show them a selection of political and propaganda cartoons that reflect these anxieties over time. Many of the older pieces will contain outdated and offensive imagery; use your judgment and vary your selections as appropriate for your class context. Some alternatives have been suggested should you wish to stick to more general examples, though you will still need to vet the links to ensure that you make age-appropriate selections.

Now ask students to research the bombing of Darwin (1942) and the New Guinea campaign. Using cartoons, propaganda, and newspaper articles from the time, they will summarise the sentiments of the Australian people and the government in responding to the imminent threat of invasion. How does the media depict the situation? Are there any differences in how a hostile invasion is portrayed, as opposed to ‘invasion’ through immigration? What terms are used to refer to the people involved?

Finish by asking students to create their own political cartoon about the invasion of Wirrawee. Consider:

• How might the invasion appear from the invaders’ side?
• How do people react to the invasion?
• What actions do characters taken to resist the invasion?
• What symbols and images best represent the invasion of Wirrawee?

They should also keep in mind the location, landscape, and broader themes of the novel.

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Screen adaptations

In 2016, the ABC produced a TV miniseries based on Tomorrow, When the War Began. This was preceded by a film in 2010. Discuss adaptations with students. What might be the purpose of adapting a novel for the screen? Have students list as many similarities and differences as they can think of between the two modes. Ask them to consider:

• The tools an author and filmmaker use to tell a story and to draw in their audience
• How each text handles different aspects of storytelling (e.g. point of view, narrative structure, timeframe)
• How a work of literature is created by just one person, while a film is created by a team

Discuss and brainstorm possible responses on the whiteboard. Have students reflect on famous film adaptations of books they have read. Ask:

• What was interesting about the adaptation?
• Was it a faithful adaptation, or did the filmmakers take some creative licence?
• Did you like the adaptation? Did you prefer the original? Did you enjoy each version equally?

If time permits, as well as showing students the trailers for the film and miniseries, you could watch one or both of the adaptations (selecting one episode from the miniseries). Have students keep a detailed list of plot and character changes for discussion. If your school has a ClickView subscription, you can use this to access both the film and the miniseries.

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Red Dawn

The 1984 film Red Dawn deals with similar themes to those explored in Tomorrow, When the War Began. It imagines a time when the United States has been invaded by the Soviet Union and its allies. The story follows a group of high school students who call themselves ‘Wolverines’ and resist occupation by engaging in guerrilla tactics. Red Dawn was remade in 2012, but in this version the Soviet forces are replaced by North Korean soldiers.

Consider the context of both films. The 1980s saw renewed Cold War tensions between the United States and Soviet Union, characterised by the Able Archer 83 military exercise that simulated the start of a nuclear war (and, ironically, almost brought about a real war). In 2006 and 2009 (and several times since), North Korea conducted nuclear weapons tests, despite economic and commercial sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council. As a class, discuss the fact that a text’s historical context can greatly impact its content and reception. How were the Red Dawn films received at the time they were released? Have students research other films that deal with themes of war and/or invasion (or the other ideas from Tomorrow, When the War Began) and find out about their context.

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Synthesising task

By now students have been exposed to several alternate readings of Tomorrow, When the War Began – some (or all) of which may be quite different from what Marsden hoped people would take away from his book. To consolidate their learning, students will complete the following tasks.

Part 1

Ask students to produce a one-page response to this statement:

Tomorrow, When the War Began is a parable about the invasion of Australia.

Students can approach this question from any of the perspectives explored in class. They should address the following:

• What type of invasion they believe the story conveys
• The characteristics of parables (e.g. a simple narrative, characters with moral dilemmas, a straightforward message/meaning, subtext about certain behaviours) and examples of these from the text
• How these characteristics relate to the overall message of the text (i.e. how does Marsden convey a message about invasion in Tomorrow, When the War Began?)

Part 2

Parables are typically associated with the Bible; you can find many examples and interpretations online as a point of reference. Having deciphered the meaning of Tomorrow, When the War Began, students should create an original parable with the same message. For example, if they interpreted the novel as being about tolerance and acceptance, then they should write a parable that conveys the same idea. Rather than write about an invasion, they should transpose the key message into a different situation or circumstance.

Students can present their work in the format of their choice: a video, animation, Prezi, picture book, comic strip, performance, etc.

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Throughout their study of Tomorrow, When the War Began, students have encountered a range of issues that develop through the text, and different readings that can be imposed onto the text. Despite its age, the novel continues to offer universal commentary on the moral fibre of individuals – especially teenagers – who find themselves in difficult and challenging circumstances.

Hopefully this unit of work has given students time to reflect on their own attitudes to perceived threats to Australia’s security, as well as how the ideas of the novel translate in contemporary society. Students will also have considered the role of storytelling, the importance of standing up for themselves, and how each character comes to terms with both their situation and the consequences of their actions.

Rich assessment task 1

Receptive and productive modes

This task is designed to help students reconcile their thoughts about war and violence (as Ellie is forced to do in Tomorrow, When the War Began) to create a new text that parallels the experiences of combatants. It takes inspiration from Davide Calì and Serge Bloch’s The Enemy: A Book About Peace, in which two soldiers reckon with their feelings about the futility of war, and come to suspect that the enemy is not the barbarian they thought them to be. For this rich assessment task (PDF, 96KB) students will take the themes, issues, and discussion points from Tomorrow, When the War Began and translate them into a picture book that conveys what both sides are fighting for.

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Rich assessment task 2

Receptive and productive modes

This rich assessment task (PDF, 75KB) expands on students’ work considering how Tomorrow, When the War Began may differ if told from another perspective. For this task they will retell scenes from the novel from an invading soldier’s point of view. Having worked through Rich Assessment Task 1, and having explored some of the issues faced by refugees and asylum seekers (Significance), students should have developed a sense of empathy towards people who have sought to come to Australia. This should inform their understanding and completion of this task.

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Rich assessment task 3

Receptive and productive modes

Students will prepare an oral presentation in response to the following prompt:

Through his characterisation of the gang from Wirrawee, Marsden shows that – when put under pressure – young Australians are capable of greatness.

This speech acts as the final culminating task for the unit. The purpose is to convince the class that Marsden’s depiction of young adults proves that young Australians have the courage and ingenuity to survive trying times.

Students should aim to:

• Demonstrate their understanding of Marsden’s desire to portray teenagers in a particular light
• Demonstrate their understanding of ‘greatness’ and what this might mean in the context of the issues explored in the unit (e.g. bravery, survival, heroism)
• Identify the techniques/features that Marsden employs (e.g. narrative structure, point of view, dialogue, literary devices) to enhance characterisation
• Make explicit links to at least TWO characters in Tomorrow, When the War Began who demonstrate greatness, with direct references to their words or actions in the text
• Reflect on other things the characters could have done to demonstrate their greatness over the course of the story

The presentation should be three to four minutes in length. Students may use slides to support their work, but these should not detract from the oral delivery.

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