Theme Study

THEME STUDY
By Eva Chow

A recurring and important theme in the texts studied this year is overcoming adversity. The texts and film can be connected by the similarities they have through their portrayal of overcoming adversity. However, the adversities can also be contrasted. In Job by Dan Preston, adversity is shown when Job faces the challenge of escaping his abusive family; adversity for Job occurs regularly in his life. In The Blindside directed by John Lee Hancock, Michael’s adversity is escaping from Hurt Village, from which he is trapped. Michael can not escape from Hurt Village because he has no money and no one to help him. Looking for Alaska by John Green features adversity when Alaska blames herself for her mother’s death. It shows how Alaska is crushed by her adversity, and in turn self destructs. In the novel Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden, a group of teenagers are faced with the adversity that they are too young to deal with. The war becomes a major part of their life and they face many adversities. Adversity is shown throughout the texts because it is something everyone encounters. Challenges are encountered by people on a daily basis. The adversities are similar in the texts studied this year are similar because the characters change due to the challenges they face.

The texts Job and the film The Blindside can be compared and contrasted by their portrayal of the theme overcoming adversity. The characters Job and Michael share similar adversities – the metaphorical prisons that they struggle to escape from. Job’s prison is his home because it is difficult for him to escape because he is still a child. Michael’s prison is Hurt Village and it was difficult for him to escape from it because he had no money and no place to go. Job by Dan Preston shows how adversity is difficult to overcome when it is a place. Job is verbally and probably physically abused by his mother and her boyfriend, which is a challenge he deals with daily. Job finds it difficult to escape from his prison because he is young and at that age, relies on his mother to provide for him. “It is hard to see how Job could have lived down there, with his mum and her man being the way they were, and not turned out like them.” This quote shows that despite Job enduring the terrible behavior he is forced to deal with, he goes down a different path. Because of his adversity , Job grows independent more quickly than a regular child of his age and his maturity grows too. If Job were to leave his home, he would have to be independent and self-reliant because there would be no one else to provide for him. A similar adversity to the one in that Job deals with is featured in the film The Blindside. Michael, an impoverished boy with no one to take care of him except for himself is trapped in Hurt Village. Michael grows independent within his prison because no one else will substantially look after him; his mother is a drug addict. This situation was similar to the one in Job because Job too grows independent because his mother is not a good one and she is a drug dealer. Job and Michael were trapped in prisons that were created from poor living standards and dysfunctional families. The characters Job and Michael show that when overcoming an adversity, you can change as a person. Job is selfless and protects the defenseless; Job hits an older playground bully. “Everytime there was trouble at school, Job took the blame.” Job also takes the blame when the people around him get in trouble. He takes the blame himself rather than watch others get in trouble. Michael is gentle, caring and protective. “He scored a 98 percentile in one category.” This quote refers to the tests that Michael did, and he scored a 98 in protective instincts. His protectiveness shines through when in a car crash, blocks the full force of the air bag with his arm to protect SJ. Their similar adversities has made both characters develop selfless personalities. However, Job and The Blindside are different from each other too because of the way the characters Job and Michael escape from their adversities. Job willingly leaves his home after he purposefully sets off an explosion. He leaves incriminating information for the police to arrest his mother and her boyfriend. Michael leaves because Steve takes him. Michael is unaware of the place he is going. Job has a plan for when he leaves and is ready (the briefcase of money). However, when Michael leaves Hurt Village he is further bombarded by adversities. This shows that Michael is willing to go with wherever without a plan, as long as he can escape Hurt Village. However, Job is willing to leave with a plan. This shows how adversity has affected the lives of both individuals; one willing to leave without a substantial plan and the other willing to go after plenty of preparation. Adversity in this form is important to learn about because it shows how challenges can make someone extremely desperate to leave a place; they are willing to go without a proper plan. Job and Michael changed due to their adversities. It is important to learn about adversity in this way because people can change or be significantly affected by the challenges they encounter daily. Challenges are something everyone deals with and can change someone for the better.

The Blindside is similar to Looking for Alaska because the main characters, Michael and Alaska, had mother’s that greatly impacted the outcome of their lives. Their adversities were their mother’s. The way they deal with this adversity is very different, and also the outcome in The Blindside is different to that in Looking for Alaska. Michael’s mother was a drug addict and she was not capable of raising Michael in her condition. Due to this, Michael grew up without a motherly figure and had to fiend for himself. Michael becomes self-reliant without his mother because there is no one else that will look after him. Michael has to be self-reliant; he is forced to be because there is no one else. An adversity similar to Michael’s is when Alaska deals with the death of her mother. When she was younger, Alaska failed to call the ambulance when her mom was suffering from an aneurysm; as a result her mother dies. Alaska blames herself for her mother’s death as she did not call the emergency services. Alaska became independent without her mother, as Michael did without his. Adversity in this context shows the viewer and reader that the absence of a parent figure can make one develop independence much faster. Michael learnt to take care of himself without his parents and lived without a home too. Alaska got into university without her mother or any parents. However, this film and novel are different because of the way the individuals (Michael and Alaska) deal with their adversity. Alaska folded into hers and self destructed. ”Forgetting her mother, failing her mother and her friends and herself–those are awful things, but she did not need to fold into herself and self-destruct.” This quote shows that Alaska did not need to give into the adversity that she dealt with. Michael did not let his adversity overcome him, instead he held on and looked after himself until he escaped from Hurt Village. “With her drug arrest record my guess would be she can’t even remember.” This shows how Michael’s mother was. Michael grew up with a parent that was a drug addict. This would be have extremely challenging for him when he was younger. “He concluded that the labyrinth was a person’s suffering and that we must find our way out.” This quote from Looking for Alaska shows the viewer and audience the difference of character between Michael and Alaska. Alaska self destructed despite that fact she had friends and people that loved her. Michael did not give in and he had no one to look after him. This quote shows that the challenges of life that we face (the labyrinth), we must find our way out. Alaska and Michael both had different ways of finding a way out of their adversities. This is important because there are often many methods to overcoming adversities. Some methods will have lasting effects, such as Alaska’s death. The mothers of Alaska and Michael significantly impacted the outcome of the two character’s life; and they were adversities that the characters had to overcome. Adversity in this form is important to learn about because it shows how a parent can have a significant impact on the outcome of their child’s life. Parents are suppose to raise their children; but without a parent they do not have a role model. They have to form their own path without a parent to guide them. Sometimes the path they form can be a self-destructive one.

Looking for Alaska by John Green is similar to Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden. This is because the teenagers in both novels are hit with adult adversities during their teenage years. They are adult adversities for the characters because they are challenges they are not familiar with and have never dealt with before. The characters from both novels show that they were not ready to deal with anything like this. In Looking for Alaska, Pudge deals with the death of his love, Alaska. He blames himself for her death and he has never experienced or endured the loss of someone as close as Alaska was. For Pudge, this adversity is an adult one. He finds it difficult to deal with and at the early stages of his suffering; finds it unfair. The death hit Pudge very hard because he was in with Alaska. and because he blamed himself for her death, it hurt even more. “If only we could see the endless string of consequences that result from our smallest actions.” This quote shows that Pudge deeply regrets the death of Alaska and wishes he could take back everything that he did. Pudge was one of the last people to see Alaska. Pudge and The Colonel helped Alaska on her last night on Earth, and he blames himself for her death because he let her get into her car while drunk. In Tomorrow, When the War Began, the characters (Ellie, Corrie, Kevin, Homer, Lee, Chris, Robyn) were mere teenagers before the war hit them. Their worries were about who they liked or who was dating whom. This changed when the war started, and they had to adapt quickly to the adult adversity. They are forced to change from teenagers into adults very quickly, which is similar to Looking for Alaska. Pudge is forced to deal with Alaska’s death, just as the group in Tomorrow, When the War Began were forced to deal with the war. ”Those awful things are survivable, because we are as indestructible as we believe ourselves to be.” The reader learns that when forced with an adult adversity, teenagers are forced to grow up very quickly. The awful things that the quote refers to the loss of Alaska’s mother. They may cope or they may be crushed by challenge forced upon them. Looking for Alaska is different from Tomorrow, When the War Began because of the type of adversity. Pudge deals with the loss of one loved one, but in Tomorrow, When the War Began, the group deals with the uncertainty of their loved ones. They are uncertain of the states of their families and friends; whether they are dead or alive. Pudge is certain Alaska is dead, but his uncertainty is whether she committed suicide or not. This shows the reader that uncertainty can help someone keep going when they are dealing with an adversity, such as the group of teenagers did in Tomorrow, When the War Began. They do not know whether their loved ones are alive, but they choose to risk their lives for them anyway. In Looking for Alaska, it is certain that Alaska is dead. For a while, Pudge does not want to do anything because he is very sad about Alaska’s death. This difference of adversity shows the reader that when one is uncertain, they are more likely to keep going when faced with a challenge because the results they will receive are unknown. But it also shows that when someone is certain about something, they can give up completely as Pudge did when he found out that Alaska was dead. This shows change as a result of adversity because Pudge changed due to Alaska’s death. This shows the reader that some adversities change people more than other adversities – some challenges are harder than others. There are lasting impacts to some adversities and the reader learns this from the adversities shown in both texts.

Tomorrow, When the War Began is similar to Job because in both stories there is an explosion to help overcome their adversities. However, the outcomes of the explosions in the texts are different. In Tomorrow, When the War Began, the group set off an explosion to Wirrawee bridge to stop military convoy from going through. Their adversity is blowing up the bridge because they could potentially be caught and killed. They are also risking their own lives to blow it up. Blowing Wirrawee bridge will be a way to get back at the invading country. This is similar to the explosion in Job because Job sets an explosion to his house to overcome his adversity. Job’s adversity is being emotionally and physically abused in his home with his mother and her boyfriend. He carefully plans out what he is going to do prior to the explosion and what he will do after he escapes. Both explosions in Job and Tomorrow, When the War Began are methods of overcoming adversity. The outcomes of them overcoming their adversities are different. In Tomorrow, When the War Began, after the explosions they are still stuck in the war. Corrie is shot in the back and Kevin takes her to the hospital. The group suffers losses and their town is still not safe to return to. Though they overcame the adversity of blowing up the bridge, they face an even bigger adversity – the rest of the war. The explosions in both novels significantly impact the out come of the character’s lives because they are methods of overcoming adversity. However, in Job, after the explosion Job makes he is able to escape from his families home. Job overcoming his adversity shows change in character because he goes on to be happy with his life. He overcomes his adversity onto bigger and better things. Later on in the story the reader learns that Job made it to Australia and is supposedly living a very happy life. The major difference between the texts is that one has a happy ending and the other does not. Overcoming adversity in this context is important to learn about because it shows that sometimes people use harmful methods to help them overcome their adversity. This is show through the explosions in both texts. The explosions were potentially harmful and could have hurt people in the surrounding area; however, the characters were desperate to overcome their adversity.

The common theme in the texts and film studied this year is overcoming adversity. Michael deals with the challenges of escaping from Hurt Village and becoming self-reliant without his mother. This is adversity is similar to Alaska’s one of becoming independent without her mother. Another adversity in Looking for Alaska is when Pudge copes with the loss of Alaska. There are similarities between Pudge’s adversity to the one in Tomorrow, When the War Began because the group of teenagers are faced with war; which they are not ready to deal with. Job faces the adversity of escaping from his parents house. It becomes obvious that adversity is something that people deal with every day of their lives. Challenges are something that everyone deals with on a daily basis. One of the most important things that the reader learns from the examples of adversities studied in these texts/film is that it changes people. Adversity can have massive impacts on one’s life and as a result, they change as a person. Lives and personalities can be changed as a result of adversity.

Tomorrow When the War Began – Theme Study

Identify and describe an event which clearly shows the theme of ‘overcoming adversity’: Blowing up Wirrawee bridge. This shows overcoming adversity because its unlikely that a group of untrained teenagers would take on a group of soldiers.

List the characters that are involved in this event: Ellie, Homer, Lee, Kevin, Kevin, Corrie, Chris, Robyn

Explain why this situation developed: Because they want to blow up the bridge to stop military convoy from entering their town. They wanted to stop the soldiers from coming into their town.

Record a quote which clearly shows the theme of overcoming adversity: “The biggest risk is to take no risk, or to take crazy risks.”

Explain why this quote is important: It shows that they aren’t achieving anything if they keep hiding and don’t blow up the bridge. If they take the risk of blowing up the bridge, they have a chance of succeeding or failing. But they at least tried. It shows they are not willing to sit around and would rather risk their lives.

Explain what this situation teaches us about human behaviour/society: It shows that people are willing to do whatever it takes to protect their families and the people they love. the explosion could have taken the lives of the strangers (soldiers). This situation teaches us that people will put the people they love and their families’ lives before strangers.

Explain why the author/director included this event. What does he/she wants the reader/viewer to learn or realise? Young people are reckless but have potential to achieve their goals, even the most dangerous ones if they have conviction, in this case, their families and their friends.

List the ways that this text is similar to other texts you have studied: This is similar to the Blind Side because Leigh Anne is willing to do whatever it takes for the people she loves (Michael). She does a lot for Michael out of love. The teenagers in Tomorrow, When the War Began, do a lot for their families out of love, such as blowing up the bridge. It is similar to the short story Job, because there is an explosion too. The explosions are suppose to be the solution to their problems.

GOALS

Work on unfamiliar text: make techniques and quotes more clear.

TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN – ESSAY

Describe at least ONE idea that was worth learning about in the text(s). Explain why the idea was worth learning about in the text(s) as a whole.

One of the main themes in the novel Tomorrow, When the War Began by James Marsden is making decisions. This is one of the main themes because the characters in the story make plenty of decisions, a lot of them life changing or have major consequences. One decision in the story is when Ellie decides to blow up the lawnmower to stop the pursuing soldiers. This changes Ellie’s life forever as it has lasting consequences on her mentally. Another decision is when the group plan to blow up the Wirrawee to stop military convoy from getting through, as it is the only route to Cobblers Bay. A decision that shows change in character is when Kevin decides to stay with his girlfriend Corrie. This is decision is somewhat shocking to the reader because Kevin is not known to look out for anyone but himself.

A significant decision for Ellie was when she decided to blow up the lawnmower. She decided to do this to stop her pursuers, who were soldiers from the invading country. It was a decision made out of desperation and protectiveness for her friends and herself. When the lawn blower blew up, she killed someone and injured two. After the explosion, she was sure she had killed all three of them. This changed her psychologically because a few days ago she had been a regular school girl living a regular life. The decision to blow up the lawnmower changed her life and took another’s. This type of decision is worth learning about because it shows the author that people do things with the best intensions but the consequences are ever-lasting. Ellie blew up the lawnmower because she wanted to protect herself and her friends – she was looking out for others. “We’re dead, and it’s all my fault.” This quote shows the weight of the decision that Ellie was making. She was putting a lot of pressure on herself to get her friends out out of the mess they were in. This idea is worth learning about in the book as a whole because it affects Ellie mentally. Ellie is torn up by the decision she made, and she is not proud of it. At the time, she did not think about the actual consequences of blowing up the lawnmower. It affects Ellie because it changes her from an ordinary school girl to someone that is significantly effected and took part in the war. Making decisions is a theme worth learning about because people make decisions every day. But in context of Ellie’s situation, she was not thinking about the consequences of her decisions as she was looking out for her friends. This theme is worth learning about because it shows that people will make decisions without thinking about the consequences, even harmful ones, if their friends or someone they love are at risk.

Another significant decision that was made in the novel was when the group (Ellie, Homer, Lee, Fiona, Robyn, Corrie, Kevin and Chris) decided to blow up Wirrawee bridge. The bridge is the only entrance and exit to Cobbler’s Bay. Military convoy go over Wirrawee bridge to get supplies to the soldiers’ camp. The decision to blow the bridge up is made because they know that the bridge is the only way in and the only way out. Destroying the bridge will led to a huge disadvantage for the invading country as they can no longer get to Cobbler’s Bay. “So I tried to repeat what Ellie did, but on a bigger scale.” This quote shows that they have are learning from the decisions they have made. Homer, in particularly, learnt from the decision Ellie made. Homer’s idea was inspired by Ellie’s decision. The theme making decisions is prominent because it is a very big decision to make – to blow up a bridge. Most of all, it will be risking the lives of everyone in the group. This theme is worth learning about in regards to this decision because it shows how brave a group of teenagers can be. It shows that they can make grown-up decisions despite them being only teenagers. The group making grown-up decisions shows how the war changes people. They have a lot of pressure and weight resting on their shoulders and understand the risk of this decision. Blowing up the bridge could blow their cover and they could potentially be captured and killed by the invading soldiers. This theme is worth learning about because it shows the reader that teenagers can grow up in a matter of days.

One of the final decisions in the book is when Kevin decides to stay with his girlfriend Corrie after she is shot in the back. This decision is made because Kevin loves Corrie. He stayed out of love and loyalty. He knew the risks of taking her to the hospital and staying with her as their town had been overrun by enemy soldiers. Despite this knowledge, he stayed with her anyway. The theme of decision making is prominent here because Kevin decided to stay with Corrie despite all the dangers and potential consequences. “I don’t give a stuff what’s rational and what’s logical. Corrie’s my mate and I’m not going to dump her and run.” This shows the decisiveness Kevin had when he made the decision – he was not unsure of himself or doubtful. The only thing that mattered was that he got Corrie to the hospital. Making decisions is a theme worth learning about because a lot of decisions are made out of love – which is what Kevin did. Decisions are also made out of loyalty for someone. The decisions that people make for others are not necessarily in their best interest, and at times puts the decision maker in harms way; just as it was for Kevin. This theme is worth learning about in the text as a whole because it shows another theme, the theme of love, which is not prominent throughout the book. It shows the reader that someone can throw away rationality and logicality for someone they love and also risk their life.

Tomorrow, When the War Began is a novel that features the theme of making decisions. This theme is shown all throughout the book because the characters make plenty of life changing decisions. The choices they make affect not only the decision-maker but the others around them also. The choices that characters make lead to the loss of life, as it did when Ellie blew up the lawnmower. But also loss of life becomes a big part of the character’s lives because they blow up Wirrawee bridge, another significant decision that was made. The theme making decisions teaches the reader lessons that can be applied to real life. One being that someone will make reckless and irrational decisions for someone they love. They will put themselves in harms way for something or someone they love, regardless of the consequences.

Novel Study – Slide 7

How does the author create a sense of nostalgia about the characters as Ellie writes about them? Ellie creates nostalgia because she is writing about how people WERE, before they experienced the effects of the war. She is probably missing the innocence that they all had, before they had to do the things that they did. Ellie regrets the things she had to do, but knows it had to be done in order for them to survive. They survived because of the things they did, and she is not necessarily proud of those acts. She misses the person she was and her friend’s were.

Why does Ellie focus on particular characters more than others? Because some character’s changed more or meant more to her than others. Some characters she develops feelings for, or she notices change more.

What was the group missing to go camping and did they mind missing it?

Fi’s pack is full of unnecessary items. What does this say about Fi? She has lived a different lifestyle and has always been able to afford the luxuries in life. She has more than the necessities.

How does Marsden show that the group of friends were typical teenagers before they got caught up in the war? Use quotes to support your answer: They were typical teenagers because of the nostalgia that shows through Ellie’s writing. She is writing about how they were before the war – the innocence they had before they killed people.

Why does Ellie tell the others about the ‘Hermit from Hell’? To make Hell seem more interesting and there is a backstory to it. But also because later on they find the Hermit’s hut.

What does Robyn find? A bridge

The group of friends talk about how the Hermit survived in Hell. Why would the reader consider this conversation foreboding? Because there is nothing there and they wonder how he survived without food or anything. They come to the conclusion that he ate people.

Describe the clearing that the group camp’s in. Use quotes to support your answer: The clearing is very big. “We found ourselves in a clearing about the size of a hockey field, or a bit bigger.” There are trees there and you can hear the creak but not see it. “The creek was flatter and wider here.”

Identify 3 quotes in chapters 2 and 3 that show Ellie and her friends have changed since they went into Hell: “I can’t remember any hike or campout I’d been on where people sat around the fire telling stories or singing.” Hell brought the characters closer because they stayed up all night talking, something Ellie had never done before.

Novel Study – Slide 5

Who is the Author of the book? John Marsden
Where and when is the narrator (Ellie) as she writes the opening to the book? After the events, possibly safe.
Why were the group so excited at the idea of writing this book? Because they want to be remembered, the things that they did.
Why do you think the author chose to open the book this way? To show that they changed due to the events that they experienced. They want to set the scene.
Ellie, writes that this is written from her point of view, and that she might upset some of her friends by doing this. Why does she think this might upset them? Because it is from her point of view, only what she sees and thinks. Only what she experiences and what goes through her mind, not others.
Ellie is writing the story after the events have already happened. What effect do you think this might have had on how she tells it? The feelings that she felt during the events is not fresh, therefore she may not tell it as accurately. She might miss some things depending on how good her memory is.
Ellie writes: “And yes, I’ve written that ‘o’ in ‘know’ carefully – I wouldn’t want it to be confused with an ‘e‘”. Why would Ellie be so concerned about the spelling of ‘know’? Because people changed due to the events. Her friends changed and their personalities did. She knows them still, but carefully writes it because she does not want it to be knew, meaning they changed into horrible people.
How did the group of friends end up in ‘Hell’? The events that followed after were hard.
How does Ellie convince her parents to let her go on the camping trip? She brings a lot of friends.

Theme Study – Looking 4 Alaska

After you have studied each text, answer the following:
Identify and describe an event which clearly shows the theme of ‘overcoming adversity’: The event that shows the theme of overcoming adversity is when Miles ‘Pudge’ finally accepts the fact that Alaska is dead. He does not come to a conclusion of whether or not she intentionally committed suicide, but he does decide that he forgives her and she forgives him. He accepts that it was his fault but also his friend’s fault that she got in the car drunk that night. He understands and accepts that there are endless consequences that result from the smallest actions. He realises this after reading Takumi’s note, as Takumi saw that she was drunk too that night and did not stop her. Miles did not stop her and neither did The Colonel. Pudge comes to the conclusion that she should have had better friends, but he accepts the consequences of the things he did not do.

List the characters that are involved in this event: Takumi (indirectly), Pudge

Explain why this situation developed: This situation was developed to show Pudge overcoming the challenge of accepting and getting past Alaska’s death. He realises a lot of things in this event – that it was him and his friend’s fault that Alaska got into the car, but sometimes there are big consequences from small actions. He forgives Alaska for getting in the car and he feels as though she forgives him too. He comes to the conclusion that Alaska was self-destructive and he did not do enough to help her. Alaska was dealing with challenges too, but she folded into the challenges.

Record a quote which clearly shows the theme of overcoming adversity. ”Its very beautiful over there.”

Explain why this quote is important: This quote is important because Pudge remembers famous people’s last words. This is Thomas Edison’s last words, and Pudge thinks about this during this event. This quote is important because he decides that wherever Alaska is, she is in a better place and this helps him find closure.

Explain what this situation teaches us about human behaviour/society: When friends or family pass away, a lot of people are affected. They seek closure for a long time and sometimes blame them for dying because they feel lonely or angry that they passed away. Pudge does this, for some time he blamed Alaska for dying because he was angry. He couldn’t decide whether she intentionally got in the car because she was self-destructive. Pudge still blames himself for what happened, but has come to accept it. It takes us that we eventually learn to cope with the loss and accept the blame for the actions or the inactions.

Explain why the author/director included this event. What does he/she wants the reader/viewer to learn or realise? He wants the reader to realise that loss is a part of life. He wants the reader to learn that inactions can lead to big consequences, and sometimes we will end up blaming ourselves. But also the person that did not do enough is not purely responsible for what happened. The person that folded into themselves is responsible also, because we are indestructible as we believe ourselves to be. ”Teenagers think they are invincible.”

List the ways that this text is similar to other texts you have studied: This is similar to The Blindside because it also deals with loss. Michael deals with not having his parents around as Alaska did. Her mom was never a good mom, just as this was the case for Michael.

Theme Study – Job

Identify and describe an event which clearly shows the theme of ‘overcoming adversity’:
When Job possibly sets off the explosion in the drug lab. This shows the theme of overcoming adversity because it becomes Job’s opportunity to get away from his dysfunctional family. The explosion drew the police’s attention to the house, which resulted in Job’s mother and her boyfriend being arrested.

List the characters that are involved in this event:
Job, policemen, firefighters, Job’s mother and her boyfriend

Explain why this situation developed:
This situation developed because Job wanted to escape the dysfunctional family he was trapped in. Job planned how he would do it carefully, making sure the police would find evidence of them abusing him. Job wanted to escape in his family, and he made sure that his mother would not be able to get back at him. He left evidence that would imprison his mother and her boyfriend, then left with the money.

Record a quote which clearly shows the theme of overcoming adversity:
”I need to borrow it. Just for a day. Don’t tell anyone.”

Explain why this quote is important:
This quote is important because it means Job is taking steps to get rid of his mother and her boyfriend.

Explain what this situation teaches us about human behaviour/society:
It teaches us that there is a breaking point for humans, there is a point where they take too much of someone’s actions and they want to get back at them. Or get rid of them, despite what their relationship is to the person, friend or family. Even parents.

Explain why the author/director included this event. What does he/she wants the reader/viewer to learn or realise?
He wants the reader to realise that children are often underestimated, and are capable of a lot more than adults think.

List the ways that this text is similar to other texts you have studied:
Job is similar to The Blindside…
Both involve characters that are trapped somewhere
Both involve characters that live in bad neighborhoods
Both characters manage to escape from their ”prison.”
Both characters begin better lives once they escape.

Short Story (Job) – Essay

Describe at least ONE character or individual you enjoyed reading about in the text. Explain why the character or individual helped you understand an idea in the text.

Job by Dan Preston features a major theme, the theme of violence. This is seen through most of the story, verbally and physically. It also shows how violence can be degrading for one. Job is the subject of verbal abuse/violence by his mother and possibly his mother’s boyfriend. Job is insulted by his mother in the story. Job does not try to achieve in school. This links to the theme violence because violence can lead to apathy of everyday activities. Job is also a victim of physical violence, which helps us understand the theme of violence.

Job is the subject of verbal violence by his mother and possibly his mother’s boyfriend. Job’s mother and possibly her boyfriend are verbally abusive to Job because he is younger and this makes him an easy target. ”It was the beginning of all my problems, the day you fell out of my crack.” This quote shows the way Job is treated at home, and he is insulted constantly. Though we only read about one conversation that Job and his mother have, it is implied that she constantly verbally abuses him because there is nothing in the story that tells us his mother was ever good to him. Emotionally, this can be damaging for Job because he does not have the support of his family, and also does not have anyone to properly care for him. The way Job is treated helps us understand the theme of violence because verbal abuse is a form of violence. It helps the reader understand that violence can be more than just physical. It can be verbally putting someone down and insulting them. This helps us understand the theme violence because despite the verbal abuse that Job suffers through, he is still very caring and a selfless person.

Job does not try hard in school, and appears stupid to many of the teachers. Which he is doing it purposely or unintentionally, the reader is not truly certain. The author alludes to the fact that Job may be doing it purposely and he is very intelligent for being able to keep at the bottom of the class but not enough to be held back. ”Damn it, I’d I.Q. you if I didn’t think you’d throw the bloody test.” The principal, Mr Kendall, says this to Job. He is somewhat understanding that something is going on in Job’s life, but does not take any actions to help him except for speaking to him. Job is apathetic to school activities and to the reader, he only cares about people. Job in this way, hows us understand the theme of violence because the reader learns that violence can be degrading and does not do wonders for someone’s motivation. Job helps us understand the theme of violence because of the way violence affects every day activities. It can be demoralizing, but for Job still remains to be a good person despite all of the bad things in his life.

Job is a victim of physical violence at the hands of his mother and possibly her boyfriend. His mother and her boyfriend are disrespectful, rude and abusive; physically and verbally. Job suffers through physical violence at home, and no one does anything to help him. Job does not speak out about his problems because it does not want people to suffer because of him. Job deals with problems himself, and this is possibly because it is the way it has always been. Job would have grown up with only him and his mother, and him and his mother were never close. In the story, Job shows evidence of physical violence when he has his shirt pulled up to show a mass of bruises and cigarette burns. He does not speak out about this to even his best friend Luke. Luke suspects something but does not say anything because he is too scared to. ”Our sins are often those of inaction.” This quote shows that the narrator, Luke, possibly regrets that he did not help Job when he could have. This also shows that Job is not was not a person that let an unkind word or unkind deed go unpunished. An example being when he physically hurt Steve Anderson for picking on Phil. Job conveys the theme of violence because he uses violence against violence. He protects people with violence. Job helps the reader understand the theme of violence because he shows that violence can sometimes be the solution, though not always morally right. The reader understands that Job can solves problems in the only way that he has seen problems be solved – through violence. He grew up being abused physically by his mother, therefore uses violence to help other people.

One of the main characters that help convey the theme of violence and help the reader understand it is Job. He is verbally and physically abused at home, and this helps the reader understand violence more because of the way he retaliates or the way he does not. Job does not fight back because he is either scared or just chooses not to out of respect. He may not fight back because the story was set in a time where children respect adults, just as Luke was surprised to find himself fighting back to his father. The theme violence in this story, shows that violence can deflate someone’s spirit towards everyday activities. Job conveys the theme of violence through his actions and inactions.

Short Story (Job) – Slide 20

Describe a conflict from the story. What happens?
A conflict that happens in the story is when Job’s father makes Luke promise not to see Job again because he thinks Job is a bad influence and bad person. Luke promises because he does not ever nor like fighting with his father.

List the characters that are involved:
Luke, Luke’s father

Identify the theme that you would link to this event. Explain why:
Man vs. man
This theme is linked to the event because it’s Luke’s father vs Luke. Luke’s father wants to protect Luke from the influences of Job because he only sees the bad in Job because of where he lives. Luke’s father does not know Job at all and doesn’t know the good things that he has done for people.

List 3 outcomes from this conflict:
Luke can not see Job anymore,
Luke’s father gets a peaceful state of mind knowing Luke will stay away from Job,
Luke was able to get the video camera without getting caught

Judge what you think the author wants us to learn from this event:
Adults have a lot of power over their children and can intimidate their children easily.