Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Tomorrow, When the War Began, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
War, Law, and Morality
Family, Friendship, and Love
Coming of Age, Transformation, and the Loss of Innocence
Writing and Storytelling
Summary
Analysis
There are two more pieces of paper inside the metal box, and one is a letter from the Hermit’s mother-in-law. She writes that she has always defended Bertram and believes his account of the night her daughter and grandson died. She is thankful that the jury found Bertram innocent, regardless of what the judge said. It is a shame that Bertram feels that he must leave the district, she writes, but he will always be welcome in her home. The second piece of paper is a poem: “In this life of froth and bubble, / Two things sank like stone, / Kindness in another’s trouble, / Courage in your own.”
The support of the Hermit’s mother-in-law, in addition to the jury’s acquittal, suggests that the Hermit is not guilty of murder in a traditional sense, and that he likely only killed his family to spare them suffering, as the coroner’s report suggests. This passage also implies that the judge—the personification of the law—made no distinction between the reasons why the Hermit may have killed them. According to the judge, the Hermit is a murderer, period. The poem, in addition to again reflecting the importance of writing in the novel, reflects the Hermit’s miserable existence alone in the bush. He was rejected by society and saw little kindness, and he was punished (by himself and informally by society) for his courage in sparing his family further pain.
Themes
Lee puts the papers back in the box and drops it into the rotting windowsill. They begin walking back, and when Ellie turns around and sees Lee in the water behind her, she stops and kisses him. After a moment, Lee begins to kiss back, and they stand there passionately holding each other. Ellie says that she doesn’t want to end up like the Hermit, and they head back to the campsite. When they arrive, Homer and Fiona sit closely, and it is clear that something has happened between them romantically.
Ellie is afraid she will end up like the Hermit because like him, Ellie is in a self-imposed Hell. Ellie worries about the moral implications of what she has done in killing to survive, and she thinks she is evil because of it. Ellie also fears being alone like the Hermit, which only serves to fuel her attraction and feelings for Lee.
Themes
Later, Fiona talks in private with Ellie. Fiona says that Homer is self-conscious about Fiona’s parents being lawyers and having money and a big house, and Ellie is surprised that Fi is just now figuring this out. Their lifestyles are very different, Ellie reminds her. As darkness falls, Ellie, Fiona, and Homer get ready to go up Satan’s Steps. Ellie feels an unexpected happiness. She is with her friends, and they are doing alright, all things considered. The Hermit’s hut has made her appreciate what she still has, and she decides to enjoy it for a bit.
Fiona is late in figuring out Homer’s self-doubt, which further reflects Fiona’s naivety and her growth into a more aware and informed adult. Prior to the war, Fiona assumed everyone lived like her, and she rarely thought of others, but she is learning otherwise and growing because of it. Ellie’s unexpected happiness underscores the importance of love and friendship, especially during dark times like war.
Themes
Up at the entrance to Hell, Ellie, Fiona, and Homer set out to better conceal the Land Rover in case anyone should come up the mountain. They find a good spot, some distance from where they were parked. The new spot adds a considerable amount of time to their hike into Hell, but they decide it is worth it. Plus, it is already far, so a bit more makes little difference. Fiona and Homer plan to stay at the Land Rover; Chris, Robyn, Corrie, and Kevin are expected back at around 4:00. Ellie doesn’t want to leave Lee alone at the campsite, so she decides to go back into Hell alone.
Their efforts to better conceal the Land Rover and their willingness to add time to their already long walk again reflects the group’s sound and reasonable decisions, which again reflects their growth. Presumably, Fiona and Homer want to stay at the Land Rover and wait for the others so they can steal some time alone together, and this same desire undoubtedly plays into Ellie’s decision to go back to the campsite to Lee.
Themes
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The moon is bright when Ellie begins her hike into Hell, and “dead wood gleams like bones” ahead of her. She thinks that she should be scared, but she isn’t. Australia is her country, and she won’t be afraid. Ellie wants to get back to Lee and stay in Hell forever. She remembers how she thought about Hell and the people who named it. Only people, like the Hermit, can know about Hell. She doesn’t know if the Hermit committed an act of love or an evil act—as a human he could have done either or both—but either way, he was certainly sent to Hell, by himself and the district. The Hermit “carried Hell with him,” as all people do, Ellie thinks.
Marsden’s language here reflects Ellie’s obvious fear that she will ultimately be killed in the war, and her fear that her family is already dead. Ellie’s deep thoughts about Hell and the Hermit mirrors her own moral dilemma. She suggests that people—even good people—are capable of both good and bad acts, a lesson she is quickly learning as she grows in the war. Ellie knows that Hell can’t be just a place, because she carries her guilt and self-imposed Hell with her wherever she goes, like the Hermit presumably did as well.
Themes
Ellie has killed, just like the Hermit, but she doesn’t know if she killed out of love for her friends or value for her own life. Like the Hermit, she has “condemned [herself] to Hell” either way. All laws, Ellie thinks, seem “artificial and basic,” whether they’re human, moral, or religious laws. She decides to follow the “sense within [her],” her “instinct, conscience, imagination,” or whatever it is called. She decides the difference between herself and truly evil people is that evil people believe wholeheartedly that they are right. Ellie lacks confidence and is riddled with guilt and doubt, which she considers a good sign for her morality.
Ellie is technically a murderer, just like the Hermit, and like the judge in the Hermit’s case, Ellie doesn’t make a distinction between the reasons why she killed. However, Ellie refuses to believe she is evil because of this, which reflects her growth and ability to navigate complex ideas. Marsden argues that normal notions of morality don’t exist during war, and Ellie is realizing this now. She trusts her “instincts” to guide her morals and actions, not predetermined laws, which, the reasons for the war prove, may in themselves be lacking and unjust.
Themes
