Tomorrow, When the War Began

by

John Marsden

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Tomorrow, When the War Began: Chapter 6 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
When Ellie pulls the Land Rover up to her house, the dogs are all dead. Their chains are pulled tight, and there is blood around their necks. Their water bucket is overturned and empty. Ellie runs around back to Millie, the old dog who is separated from the younger ones. Millie looks rough, but she’s alive, and Ellie takes her chain off. Millie stands but immediately falls. Ellie yells to Corrie to take care of the dog and runs inside. Corrie passes the dog off to Kevin and follows Ellie.
The dead dogs are clear evidence that something is terribly wrong. The blood around their necks suggests they were left on their chains and were pulling violently to get away. Likely, Ellie’s parents would never leave the dogs chained without water or food, so readers can infer that Ellie’s parents aren’t able to care for the dogs—and haven’t been for some time.
Themes
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Quotes
Inside, the house is silent and empty. It should be loud and busy at this time of day, Ellie thinks. Her mother should be cooking and watching the news, but there is nothing and no one. Corrie picks up the phone meaning to call Homer’s house down the street, but there is no dial tone. The others come into the kitchen, followed by Kevin carrying Millie. Homer goes to the cold room to get something for Millie to eat, but he comes back empty handed. The power is out, Homer says, and everything in the cold room has gone bad.
The fact that the power and phone lines are out suggests that whatever is going on is not just limited to Ellie’s home or family. No phones and no power is indicative of a widespread problem, and one of towering significance.
Themes
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Fiona asks what is going on, and Corrie says that maybe Ellie’s grandmother got sick. Irritated, Ellie yells that her parents wouldn’t cut the power and phones and let the dogs die for a sick grandmother. Soon, there is a complete breakdown in communication, and the entire group is yelling at each other. Kevin says it was probably a UFO, and Ellie suggests they get into the Land Rover and go to Homer’s. Lee asks if Ellie has a radio, and she says she does. She had tried to turn on the radio in the Land Rover but got only static. Ellie assumed it was due to the high mountains of Tailor’s Stitch.
Likely, Ellie wasn’t able to get a radio station in the Land Rover because the radio stations have been cut as well, not because of the high mountains, which is another indication that something is very wrong. The spontaneous bickering that erupts is again proof of their young age and inexperience. They are confused and scared, and instead of thinking rationally, they begin to fight with each other under the stress.
Themes
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Coming of Age, Transformation, and the Loss of Innocence Theme Icon
Ellie grabs her radio and spins the tuning dial. Only static. She tries again. Nothing. They all get in the Land Rover and head to Homer’s. When they get there, it is silent and still. Ellie drives through the cattle grid and hits the horn, just as she always does, but Lee tells her to stop. She parks and Homer jumps out, yelling for his mom and dad. The rest of them get out of the car and follow. Homer is in the backyard, trying to milk the family cow, which is obviously uncomfortable. He asks Ellie to take over, but she doesn’t know how to milk. Ellie’s dad keeps bulls, not milking cows.
The fact that Homer goes directly to the cow underscores his sense of responsibility. Homer might be young, but he still knows what needs to be done. It is obvious that no one has been around for days, which means the cow hasn’t been milked. Cows that aren’t milked can become engorged and infected, and then eventually stop producing milk all together—a very bad thing for a farm that keeps milk cows.
Themes
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Coming of Age, Transformation, and the Loss of Innocence Theme Icon
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Inside, Kevin asks if he can take the Land Rover and go to the rest of their houses, but Ellie says no. Her dad said she was the only one who is supposed to drive the Land Rover. Robyn interrupts. They must be smart, she says. It is obvious their parents haven’t gone on a holiday, and they have to assume that something really terrible has happened. The group again breaks down and begins to shout and argue. Fiona stands quietly chewing her nails. Lee quiets the group and urges them to listen to Robyn, who says going around to seven different houses might not be a good idea. They have to formulate a plan.
Despite the stress of the situation and the arguments that keep breaking out, both Ellie and Robyn show maturity and responsibility. Ellie doesn’t even know where her dad is—or if he is coming back—but she still obeys his rules concerning the Land Rover. Robyn proves to be the only voice of sound reason and tries to approach the situation logically. Unlike the others, she doesn’t let her emotions carry her away.
Themes
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Coming of Age, Transformation, and the Loss of Innocence Theme Icon
Quotes
Robyn continues. There is no sign of anyone leaving quickly or unexpectedly. It appears as if they all went to the Commemoration Day Show and never returned. Ellie asks Homer if there is any way he can tell if his parents came back or not. Ellie’s father planned to show his prize bulls but would never sell them. She didn’t think to look, but if the bulls are gone, then her parents never came back from the Show. Homer says his mom enters a needlepoint into the Show’s competition each year, and then hangs it on the wall when she gets home. She makes a big deal out of hanging the needlepoint, Homer says, even if she doesn’t win. He runs into the next room and comes back. No needlepoint. His parents never came home from the Show.
Ellie and the others are quickly discovering that whatever has happened to their families likely occurred during the Commemoration Day Show, just like Fiona’s comment in Hell that Commemoration Day would be the perfect time to invade the country and start a war. Nearly everyone in town goes to the Commemoration Day Show, which means they were all in one place and more easily taken over by the invading power.
Themes
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Lee reminds them of the hundreds of planes flying over Hell, and Ellie suddenly remembers the planes didn’t have lights. She hadn’t noticed it at the time, but now it is so obvious to her. The planes had certainly been dark. Lee speaks up again and asks if they remember what he said about Commemoration Day being the perfect time for an invasion. “Let’s say we’ve been invaded,” Lee says, “I think there might be a war.”
This is the first time Ellie and the others actually admit to themselves that their country has likely been invaded and is at war. The planes obviously entered the country in stealth mode and didn’t want to be discovered, which means they didn’t enter with good intentions.
Themes
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Quotes