Tomorrow, When The War Began | Chapter 4 Questions

   1.   Do you think the way they handled the snake incident was appropriate? What could they have done differently?

I think the way they handled the snake, without preparation, thought or discussion was appropriate and fairly calm. They hadn't prepared for such a peculiar incident so the way they handled getting the snake out of the sleeping bag was smart. One thing that could been done differently was asking someone other than Kevin, who is terrified of small harmful creatures, to take care of it instead. He seemed to freeze up that would have likely ended up with him bitten in a different setting. As well as Fi standing in the river, while it seemed like a good idea to her, maybe the others warning her that snakes can swim would have been a wiser idea.

   2.   Ellie claims that ‘Hell’ is only a label and that people label things all the time, often ignoring or overlooking certain labelled places or things. She then comes to the conclusion that ‘Hell was people’. Is she right? What’s your opinion, on labelling and Hell?

I believe that she is right. Labels are the very foundation of belief within our world. Labelling the wild place 'Hell' drove people away, as they compared to a place known to be of darkness. Within our minds, we label people as something, the smart kid, the theatre nerd, the class clown, all of that creates an image of them in our minds, even if we have never met them. Because of this, hearing the single word Hell creates a dark image in our minds. Whether it creates a cold cell of ice and isolation or a hot firey world filled with noise and screaming, we create a description based on its label. This has translated to many places and people, religion, gender and so many of the other labels we hear for people. When we hear a label it instantly creates an image of someone else we've known with the same label or a similar one.  

What do you think when you hear the label, Christian? The label Muslim? The label Woman? The label Man? The label Gay? Your mind creates a description or an image for you, doesn't it?

3. What was especially peculiar about the planes that flew over Hell? ‘Their ------, their ------, their----- frightened me.’ Do these characteristics have any significance?

I don't quite understand what this question is meant to be asking me, so I'm just going past it.

4. Corrie and Kevin are the only couple in the group, but the trip was bound to bring friends closer. So why does Homer’s interest in Fi seem so odd to Ellie?

Homer is known to be without emotions or interest in others, only in the seemingly perfect women in the magazines. 'I've got a radium heart, takes five thousand to meltdown.' As he has said. Even though Ellie and Homer have been close like siblings for years, she has never seen him take an interest such as this one.

5. Fi brushes off the planes coming back from Commemoration Day. Why do you think the planes were flying over Wirrawee?

I don't think I agree with Fi, I believe it will be something more than just Commemoration day. I believe something happened at the event, and that people are attempting to get away from whatever has happened during the celebration.

6. Robyn claims there were dozens and dozens of planes flying over them. What is Lee’s response? Is his suggestion reasonable?

Lee jokingly suggests that there's a nuclear war going on.

''If you were going to invade that'd be a good day to do it,' Lee said. 'Everyone's out celebrating. The Army and Navy and Air Force are all parading around the cities, showing off. Who's running the country?'

Lee only suggests this to add a lighter tone to the topic of conversation, it's merely a joke.