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The Hermit / Bertram Christie
Ellie’s friend and a member of the original group who goes camping in Hell prior to the war. Robyn is described as the responsible one in their group of friends. She does well in school and is dedicated to church and always doing the right thing, but even Robyn grows confused over right and wrong as the war takes over their lives. Robyn’s conflicted feelings over what is morally right and morally wrong underscores Marsden’s primary argument that traditional notions of right and wrong don’t apply during war. For example, Robyn knows that war and killing are morally wrong, but she sympathizes with the enemy soldiers’ reasons for invading the country. The soldiers invade Australia because of inequality within the region—Australia is a wealthy country, but many surrounding countries are poor and suffering, and Australia has done nothing to help. In this way, Robyn views Australia as partially responsible for the invasion, and the invading soldiers as partially justified in their efforts. This conflict view of morality implies that right and wrong isn’t always clear cut, and as Robyn grows and matures during the war, she becomes increasingly aware of this. Robyn grows and matures in other ways as well, and she becomes one of the unofficial leaders of their group during the war. The others look to Robyn for guidance and sound decision making, and she proves herself able to rise above her own fears when she is takes care of Lee’s bullet wound despite her fear of blood and needles.
Robyn Quotes in Tomorrow, When the War Began
The Tomorrow, When the War Began quotes below are all either spoken by Robyn or refer to Robyn. 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 1 Quotes
Well, I’d better stop biting my tongue and start biting the bullet. There’s only one way to do this and that’s to tell it in order, chronological order. I know writing it down is important to us. That’s why we all got so excited when Robyn suggested it. It’s terribly, terribly important. Recording what we’ve done, in words, on paper, it’s got to be our way of telling ourselves that we mean something, that we matter. That the things we’ve done have made a difference. I don’t know how big a difference, but a difference. Writing it down means we might be remembered. And by God that matters to us. None of us wants to end up as a pile of dead white bones, unnoticed, unknown, and worst of all, with no one knowing or appreciating the risks we’ve run.
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This quote, which also occurs at the very beginning of the novel, foreshadows the upcoming war and the extreme situation Ellie and her friends will soon be forced into. Ellie’s language, that she must “stop biting [her] tongue and start biting the bullet,” hints at the violence of the war and the bullets Ellie and the others will be forced to outrun and avoid. The fact that Ellie and the others consider their story “terribly, terribly important” reflects just how serious their story is, and it suggests that what they have endured is a very big deal. Ellie and her Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Volupta
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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As Ellie and the others return from their camping trip and discover that something awful has happened, Robyn naturally takes over and assumes control of their group. She is the voice of reason, and she reminds them that it isn’t smart to “give in to feelings” and let their emotions get the better of them. Their group is young and inexperienced, and prone to letting their emotions take over, but Robyn has the maturity to recognize this and encourage more sound decision making. Like Ellie, Robyn knows that something bad has happened to Ellie parents, and that something bad has Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a.
“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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Here, Lee floats the idea that a war has likely broken out while the friends were away on their camping trip. Like Robyn, Lee appears as the voice of reason and wise beyond his young years. Lee’s mother likes to tell him farfetched stories, and it is these stories that help him to discern what is actually going on, which again points to the importance of storytelling within the novel. Even though Lee knows deep down that a war has broken out, he still has a hard time actually saying the words with full conviction. Lee is obviously terrified by Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae volupt
Chapter 13 Quotes
“What does it mean ‘reducing imbalances within the region’?” Kevin asked.
“I guess he’s talking about sharing things more equally,” Robyn said. “We’ve got all this land and all these resources, and yet there’s countries a crow’s spit away that have people packed in like battery hens. You can’t blame them for resenting it, and we haven’t done much to reduce any imbalances, just sat on our fat backsides, enjoyed our money and felt smug.”
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Here, Kevin and Robyn hear a news broadcast on the shortwave radio that claims the war is aimed at “reducing imbalances within the region,” a moment that finally reveals the reason for the war. This quote also underscores the complicated nature of good and bad within the novel, especially during war. The fact that the foreign power invades Australia because of social inequality and injustice makes Australia appear partly to blame for the invasion, and it also makes the invading power appear partly justified in their actions, which complicates traditional notions of good and bad. Marsden argues that traditional notions Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus
“It’s just not right,” said Kevin stubbornly.
“Maybe not. But neither’s your way of looking at it. There doesn’t have to be a right side and a wrong side. Both sides can be right, or both sides can be wrong. I think both countries are in the wrong this time.”
“So does that mean you’re not going to fight them?’ Kevin asked, still looking for a fight himself.
Robyn sighed. “I don’t know. I already have, haven’t I? I was right there with Ellie when we smashed our way through Wirrawee. I guess I’ll keep fighting them, for the sake of my family. But after the war, if there is such a time as after the war. I’ll work damn hard to change things. I don’t care if I spend the rest of my life doing it.”
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This quote, which occurs when Ellie and the others discover the cause behind the war, further underscores Marsden’s central argument that traditional notions of right and wrong don’t exist during war. Kevin claims that the war is “just not right,” even though they know that the war was caused by inequality and is aimed at righting this social wrong. The fact that the invading power was wronged in the first place, which led directly to the war, complicates Kevin’s understanding of right and wrong, but he still “stubbornly” refuses to see the war in this complex way. Robyn is confused Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta
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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This quote, which occurs at the very end of Tomorrow, When the War Began, underscores the importance of love and friendship within the novel. Tomorrow, When the War Began is the first book in a series of seven, so Ellie’s story and her hardships are just beginning. There is no end in sight to the war by the close of the book, and Ellie and the others aren’t any closer to finding their parents. Friendship is all Ellie and the others have, and without it, they are sure to end up alone and miserable, just like the Hermit. To Ellie, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque i
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Robyn Character Timeline in Tomorrow, When the War Began
The timeline below shows where the character Robyn appears in Tomorrow, When the War Began. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
It’s been 30 minutes since Robyn suggested they write everything down, and it’s been 29 minutes since they all decided Ellie...
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...bush camping for a few days. They camp out a lot, usually with Fiona and Robyn, but never with boys. Things are changing, though, and they are all growing up. Ellie...
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Ellie calls Robyn next, who is really excited about camping in Hell, but she worries her parents won’t...
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Robyn, Fiona, Lee, Homer, and Kevin are the “Famous Five,” and with Corrie and Ellie, they...
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Chapter 2
Ellie tells the group about the Hermit, a supposed “ex-murderer,” and Robyn asks how anyone can be an “ex-murderer.” Either you’re a murderer, she says, or you’re...
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Chapter 3
...growth of green and brown bushes. Fiona comments how nice it is for Hell, and Robyn wonders if they are the only ones to ever set eyes on it, except for...
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Chapter 4
...Ellie wade in the creek. Lee 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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Robyn and Kevin grab heavy sticks and begin to gently lift the bag. It is “perfect...
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...the celebration. Ellie decides Fiona is right and goes back to sleep. The next day, Robyn asks if anyone else heard the planes. There were hundreds, she says. Ellie tells them...
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Chapter 5
...there is work to do, or Corrie getting mad at Homer for some stupid prank. Robyn even told Ellie she was bossy, which hurt Ellie’s feelings just a bit.
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...color car was the least conspicuous. On their last night, they played True Confessions, and Robyn confessed that Hell was the best place ever. She made them all promise to come...
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...in any real hurry to get home, except for Ellie, but she thinks about how Robyn called her bossy and keeps her mouth shut. By midafternoon, everyone is ready to leave,...
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...he leaves his parents at the 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...
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Chapter 6
...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...
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Robyn continues. There is no sign of anyone leaving quickly or unexpectedly. It appears as if...
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Chapter 7
...kitchen. Bicycles will be a much quicker form of transportation and quieter than a car, Robyn suggests, and she asks if they know anyone who doesn’t go to the Show every...
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Robyn encourages them to stop and eat. They don’t know when they will next get the...
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...bike from the shed and head in the direction of town. As they move closer, Robyn and Lee ride ahead and check intersections before waving the rest of the group through....
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...of one of the rich houses on the hill, and now is the perfect chance. Robyn agrees it is best to split up and suggests they all put on dark clothes...
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Robyn and Lee decide to go check Lee’s house, and Ellie, Kevin, and Corrie head towards...
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...keep up. Time is running out, and they still have to make it back to Robyn’s. The Showgrounds are in plain sight, and they begin to move closer. For the first...
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...flying everywhere. Kevin yells for them to run, and they head in the direction of Robyn’s house.
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By the time 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...
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Chapter 8
...wrap her head around the fact that she probably just killed three people and that Robyn and Lee are missing, so she keeps singing. At some point, Ellie realizes she is...
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...staring. Homer wanders around, gathering food and silverware. The kitchen feels empty without Lee and Robyn, but they slowly begin talking, and they are soon all talking over one another. Homer...
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...else, and will be released when all of this over. On their way back to Robyn’s house to meet the others, they passed a house that had obviously been blown up....
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Chapter 9
...the pilot survives. Later, inside Corrie’s house, they eat a late lunch and talk about Robyn and Lee. Homer hasn’t spoken in a while, and the rest of them stare at...
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...to get tough. He suggests that two of them go into town and look for Robyn and Lee. If they don’t find them by midnight, they should go scope out Lee’s...
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...asks what 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...
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...Homer thinks that he and Ellie should go into town and look for Lee and Robyn. Homer tells Kevin, Corrie, and Fiona to leave a car hidden at Ellie’s and leave...
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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 alone with this new Homer, whoever...
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...in town. 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,...
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...weapons, she recalls, but the rifle sound now is clearly a single-shot. Ellie remembers that Robyn’s dad hunts with a single-shot rifle and decides to take a chance. “Robyn!” Ellie yells...
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Ellie and Homer splash water on Robyn’s face until she wakes up. They immediately ask about Lee. Robyn tells them that Lee...
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While Robyn and Lee were sneaking around town before Lee was shot, they found Mr. Clement, the...
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Robyn says there aren’t enough soldiers to search house to house, and they avoid trouble when...
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Robyn glosses over the story, but this is Ellie’s favorite part and exactly why it is...
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...Lee can’t really walk, and the stiches won’t come out for a week—Mr. Clement taught Robyn how to take out stitches, too. They decide they need some kind of vehicle 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 helmet, which...
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...one of their own vehicles. Ellie makes her way down the street, and Lee and Robyn come into view. Lee looks pale, and Robyn is nervously scanning the street. Ellie brings...
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Robyn can see flashes from rifles behind them, and Ellie yells for her to hold on....
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...they help Lee into the BMW, Homer says he figured they would escape in style. Robyn tells Ellie that she has blood all over her face and shoulders, but Ellie doesn’t...
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...wipes the 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...
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Chapter 12
...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 than yesterday....
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...and bullets and of killing everyone, and when she wakes, it is a beautiful day. Robyn makes her something to eat, and after breakfast, Ellie feels like she might be able...
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Chapter 13
...war is aimed at “reducing imbalances within the region,” and Kevin asks what that means. Robyn says it probably has to do with equality. Lots of countries near Australia are incredibly...
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Kevin still doesn’t agree. Invading another country is wrong, he says. Robyn agrees, but it is possible to be both right and wrong at the same time,...
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Fiona, Robyn, and Corrie think going to town to fight is an unnecessary risk, but Kevin is...
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They decide that Robyn and Chris will be one team, and Kevin and Corrie the other. They are to...
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Chapter 14
...has just returned from Ellie’s house, where they grabbed more supplies, and a Bible for Robyn. They even went to a neighbor’s house and took more food, and they found some...
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Chapter 16
...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...
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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...
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...necessities. Ellie decides to stop thinking about her morals for a while and looks to Robyn.
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Robyn explains that they didn’t see their parents, but they know their families are safe at...
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Ellie asks Robyn what she means by such a comment, and Robyn says she means nothing. Ellie pushes...
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Robyn says that there are a few groups out there running around, kind of like they...
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...who let him in on more information, and then they moved on to another house. Robyn was hiding under a bed when a woman entered the room, and Robyn stuck her...
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...of Defense, and Lee is Pensioner of the Year. Fiona is the Attorney General, and Robyn, who wants to be Minister for Health, is given Archbishop. Corrie offers to be the...
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Chapter 18
Robyn isn’t sure what to do. She doesn’t know what is right or wrong anymore, but...
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...handle all of that again. Still, she thinks they should do something, mostly because, like Robyn, she can’t stand the thought of doing nothing.
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Chapter 19
...They are on the edge of the highway and have made a very big mistake. Robyn and the others have already moved on, and Fiona and Homer are somewhere behind them....
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Chapter 22
...shed on Ellie’s property, they are surprised to see the others outside. Kevin, Chris, and Robyn are standing around Corrie, who doesn’t move to get up. Ellie turns off the bike,...
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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 and...
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