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Ellie
Ellie’s close friend, Fiona’s crush, and a member of the original group who goes camping in Hell before the war. Homer lives just down the street from Ellie, and since Ellie doesn’t have a brother, and Homer doesn’t have a sister, they fill this void in each other’s lives. Homer and Ellie’s close relationship highlights Marsden’s argument that friends can be like family, but this closeness also complicates their relationship. Ellie is jealous when it becomes clear that Homer has a crush on Fiona, and when Fiona reciprocates these feelings, Ellie feels like she is losing her friend and her brother. Ellie confuses this jealousy with romantic love, and while she eventually recognizes her mistake, it still causes her considerable stress in the meantime. Homer is described as a troublemaker, and he has little direction or responsibility in life before the war. Homer’s friends know him as kind of a screw up, and they don’t expect much from him. However, as soon as the war breaks out, Homer emerges as the unofficial leader of their group. Ellie describes Homer’s transformation into a responsible adult as one of the greatest surprises of her life, which speaks to just how much Homer changes during the war. Homer’s ability to step up and lead the group underscores Marsden’s claim that young people are capable of profound change and maturity, especially in times of great stress. Homer is often the voice of reason in their group, and they each look to him for guidance. It is Homer’s suggestion to hide out in Hell after the war breaks out, and it is his plan to steal the petrol tanker and blow up the bridge. Homer’s plan to blow up the bridge effectively eliminates one of the main highways used by the invading soldiers, thereby slowing their progress in taking over the country. Overall, Homer proves that one person can make a big difference in war, and, like many of the other characters, he also proves that there is often more to someone than meets the eye.
Homer Quotes in Tomorrow, When the War Began
The Tomorrow, When the War Began quotes below are all either spoken by Homer or refer to Homer. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 4 Quotes
I went for a walk back up the track, to the last of Satan’s Steps. The sun had already warmed the great granite wall and I leaned against it with my eyes half shut, thinking about our hike, and the path and the man who’d built it, and this place called Hell. “Why did people call it Hell?” I wondered. All those cliffs and rocks, and that vegetation, it did look wild. But wild wasn’t Hell. Wild was fascinating, difficult, wonderful. No place was Hell, no place could be Hell. It’s the people calling it Hell, that’s the only thing that made it so. People just sticking names on places, so that no one could see those places properly any more. Every time they looked at them or thought about them the first thing they saw was a huge big sign saying “Housing Commission” or “private school” or “church” or “mosque” or “synagogue.” They stopped looking once they saw those signs.
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Chapter 6 Quotes
Robyn took over. “We’ve got to think, guys. I know we all want to rush off, but this is one time we can’t afford to give in to feelings. There could be a lot at stake here. Lives even. We’ve got to assume that something really bad is happening, something quite evil. If we’re wrong, then we can laugh about it later, but we’ve got to assume that they’re not down the pub or gone on a holiday.”
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“Maybe all my mother’s stories made me think of it before you guys. And like Robyn said before, if we’re wrong,” he was struggling to get the words out, his face twisting like someone having a stroke, “if we’re wrong you can laugh as long and loud as you want. But for now, for now, let’s say it’s true. Let’s say we’ve been invaded. I think there might be a war.”
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Chapter 8 Quotes
Homer was becoming more surprising with every passing hour. It was getting hard to remember that this fast-thinking guy, who’d just spent fifteen minutes getting us laughing and talking and feeling good again, wasn’t even trusted to hand out the books at school.
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Epilogue Quotes
We’ve got to stick together, that’s all I know. We all drive each other crazy at times, but I don’t want to end up here alone, like the Hermit. Then this really would be Hell. Humans do such terrible things to each other that sometimes my brain tells me they must be evil. But my heart still isn’t convinced. I just hope we can survive.
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Homer Character Timeline in Tomorrow, When the War Began
The timeline below shows where the character Homer appears in Tomorrow, When the War Began. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...if they can take her family’s Land Rover, and Corrie suggests they invite Kevin and Homer. Ellie likes the idea but worries that her parents won’t agree. They both decide it’s...
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...overseas, and he has to stay home and watch the house. Next, Ellie goes to Homer’s house to invite him. Homer doesn’t so much ask his parents if he can go;...
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Homer lives near Ellie, and they have grown up together. Homer is a prankster, and a...
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Robyn, Fiona, Lee, Homer, and Kevin are the “Famous Five,” and with Corrie and Ellie, they make the “Secret...
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Chapter 4
...sits reading All Quiet on the Western Front, and Robyn listens quietly to her Walkman. Homer is off somewhere, panning for gold or climbing trees.
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That evening, Homer drops to his sleeping bag, exhausted. He comments about how great Hell is and then...
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...and Fiona jumps in the creek. Corrie has taken refuge, smartly, by the fire, and Homer is nowhere to be found.
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Corrie points in the direction the snake went. She says Homer went in the opposite direction, and they all agree that was smart. Ellie asks Fiona...
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...Christmas, in the early afternoon when everyone has gone back to sleep. Later, Ellie finds Homer alone by the creek, panning for gold. He asks her what she thinks of Fiona....
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...decides it isn’t. It is merely Hell because people call it Hell. Kind of like Homer, Ellie thinks. People say he’s no good, so everyone thinks he’s no good. Animals don’t...
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Chapter 5
...make do with the remaining snacks, even though they are out of all the staples. Homer keeps staring at Fiona, but she refuses to talk to Ellie about him. Instead, Fiona...
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...the fire, bid Hell farewell, and begin the long and difficult walk up Tailor’s Stitch. Homer walks close to Fiona, and Ellie wonders if maybe Fiona actually likes him—stranger things have...
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...restaurant. The others finally get out of the river. Robyn and Fiona are last, and Homer watches Fiona as she goes back to the Land Rover. They are about 30 minutes...
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Chapter 6
...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...
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...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...
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...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...
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...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....
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Chapter 7
Kevin’s house is much like Ellie and Homer’s—dead dogs, dead birds in cages, and dead lambs. Kevin’s corgi is locked in the laundry...
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Homer says that they should split up. They need to be out of town before the...
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...Kevin, Ellie, and Corrie make it back to the hill by Robyn’s house, Fiona and Homer are already there, but there is no sign of Robyn and Lee. They wait until...
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Chapter 8
...pulls up to Corrie’s porch and sits staring. For how long, she doesn’t know, but Homer gently guides her into the house. Inside, Corrie makes coffee, and Fiona sits staring. Homer...
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Ellie takes a deep breath and tells Homer and Fiona what she saw at the Showground with Corrie and Kevin. As she gets...
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As Ellie tells the lawnmower story, she nervously shreds a cereal box. Homer puts his hand on Ellie’s, calming her, and Corrie stands behind her, placing her arms...
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Ellie asks Homer what happened on the way to Fiona’s, and Homer says it wasn’t as exciting as...
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Once Homer and Fiona arrived at Fiona’s, Fiona saw a few people in the park nearby. Homer...
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Homer says that he and Fiona heard the gunshots from the Showground, and they saw the...
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Chapter 9
Corrie asks Ellie if she thinks the soldiers will come, but Ellie agrees with Homer. There is no way they can search the whole district right away, and they probably...
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Corrie, Ellie, and Homer sit in the treehouse talking and suddenly hear the sound of planes in the distance....
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Homer says it might not be such a good idea to stick together. They like being...
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...the remaining three do while the other two are looking for Lee and Robyn, and Homer says they should load anything they can find into Corrie’s Toyota and then move on...
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...When someone suggests family photos, and Corrie says she wants to take her mom’s diaries, Homer stops them. This is war, he reminds them, and they can’t afford to take stuff...
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...another plane can be heard in the distance. It is a helicopter, Corrie says, and Homer yells for them to stay away from the windows. They should have someone on watch,...
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...Ellie holds herself flat against the wall, sliding out of the room and back to Homer. She can’t see any soldiers, Ellie says, but the dog is outside. The dog will...
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The helicopter hovers outside, making no attempt to land, but Homer suggests they make a plan just in case. If the helicopter lands, they can run...
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Homer begins talking and tells them to interrupt only if they disagree with something. They don’t...
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Homer suggests they ride the bikes to Kevin’s and get Kevin’s dad’s Ford, and then move...
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Ellie and the others go out to the garden shed, and Homer follows, just as a fighter jet rips through the sky. It is flying deliberately, like...
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Chapter 10
As Ellie and Homer head out to look for Robyn and Lee, Ellie is looking forward to spending time...
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...The Showground is still lit up, and the hospital looks operational, too. Outside Robyn’s house, Homer swears he sees movement inside. Ellie worries they are about to be ambushed, but they...
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Ellie and Homer crawl behind a chair, just as they hear the sound of a rifle being cocked...
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Ellie and Homer splash water on Robyn’s face until she wakes up. They immediately ask about Lee. Robyn...
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...a bulldozer, and Robyn reminds them of the big shovel trucks at the city depot. Homer takes charge immediately. Ellie can drive, he says, and they will wait with Lee and...
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Chapter 11
Ellie looks at her watch. It is 3:08. She synchronized her watch with Homer and Robyn’s, just like in the movies. She pulls the strap tight on her safety...
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Ellie turns on the truck’s lights, even though she thinks it is a bad idea. Homer said it will confuse the soldiers and make them think it is one of their...
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...eases the truck to a stop, blocking the road like they planned. Ellie doesn’t see Homer and feels sick to her stomach, then he finally pulls up in a BMW.
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As they help Lee into the BMW, Homer says he figured they would escape in style. Robyn tells Ellie that she has blood...
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...blood from her face and briefly thinks about what she has just done. Robyn and Homer cheer as the BMW sinks, and Chris emerges from the bushes. He’s been hiding in...
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Chapter 12
...“Gone where the bad people go. See you there!” Ellie laughs and erases the message. Homer and Robyn are looking at Lee’s wound, and he assures them it is much better...
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...from the course of the afternoon, and when it is time to leave for Hell, Homer refuses to let her drive. Ellie protests, reminding them what her dad said, but she...
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Chapter 13
...held in “humanitarian conditions,” and the Red Cross will be allowed to inspect the camps. Homer tells them each to grab pens and paper and record what they hear. After a...
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...the same time, and it seems like all the countries are in the wrong now. Homer says it is time they decide what they are going to do—they can either stay...
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...Kevin is ready to go, and Lee says he would go, too, if he could. Homer is ready to fight, too, just like his grandfather did in the civil war. Homer...
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...and they are to only gather information. Ellie stays in Hell with Fiona, Lee, and Homer and is excited thinking of the upcoming days. She has feelings for both Lee and...
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Chapter 14
...bit more and decides to head back to camp. By the time Ellie gets back, Homer is worried and asks where she has been. Ellie tells Homer that she found the...
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Chapter 15
...list of their food. Everyone one has been short tempered with each other, except for Homer and Fiona, and it has been a long day. Fiona asks Ellie what she should...
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Chapter 16
...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.
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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...
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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...
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Chapter 17
Ellie is relieved when Corrie, Kevin, Robyn, and Chris return from town. They didn’t tell Homer and Fiona much on the way into Hell, since they don’t want to tell the...
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...In that case, Chris says, he wants to be Police Commissioner. They decide to make Homer the Minister of Defense, and Lee is Pensioner of the Year. Fiona is the Attorney...
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Chapter 18
As everyone tries to relax after the trip to town, Homer speaks up. The way he sees it, they all have three choices. One, they can...
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Chapter 19
...a very big mistake. Robyn and the others have already moved on, and Fiona and Homer are somewhere behind them. Ellie and Lee watch nervously as 10 soldiers come their way....
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...hour, but only one convoy passes. Happy with their reconnaissance, they decide to wait for Homer and Fiona. When they arrive, Homer says he wants to go to the Heron, the...
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...makes it back to their hideout, where they sleep until midafternoon. “Let’s blow it up,” Homer says, smiling, once they are all awake. Ellie is game and asks how he plans...
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Homer has also been thinking about the cattle farm near the bridge. If they can get...
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Homer says that he will handle the cattle with Lee, but it is up to Fiona...
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Chapter 20
It is quiet at the distributor, so Ellie and Fiona stop to rest and call Homer and Lee on the walkie-talkie. Fiona tells Homer that they have made it, and there...
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...sure there is enough distance between them and the patrol unit, and then they call Homer and Lee. They have been held up, the girls say, but they are back on...
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...asks what happened, and Ellie answers that she just “failed [her] driving test.” They call Homer and Lee on the walkie-talkie again and make the last of their plans. Then, Fiona...
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Chapter 21
...Fiona wait and talk to pass to the time. Fiona is completely in love with Homer, and she can’t stop talking about him. They still seem such an odd couple to...
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Fiona says that she wants to learn all about farming so she can help Homer when they get married one day. Ellie admits that she loves Lee, too, and she...
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Chapter 22
Ellie and Fiona meet Homer and Lee in a nearby gully. As usual, they all start talking at once, and...
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It is dark by the time Fiona, Ellie, Homer, and Lee get on the road again. They decide to take to motorbikes to Ellie’s,...
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Ellie can’t believe what she is hearing. If Homer is like Ellie’s brother, Corrie is definitely her sister. There is a small amount of...
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Epilogue
Ellie looks around at Homer, Robyn, Chris, Fiona, and Lee, and she knows they must all stay together. They fight...
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