The Story of Tom Brennan (tsotb) by J.C Burke and the Short Film He Will Walk (hww) by Nic Molloy

The very nature of transitions facilitates engagement with the challenges that arise. Regardless of these challenges one must overcome these hardships to successfully transition into a new phase of life. Both the fiction novel ‘the story of tom brennan’ (TSOTB) by J.C Burke and the short film ‘he will walk’ (HWW) by Nic Molloy in the focus on ability festival exemplify the notion of individuals overcoming barriers, with the help of others, to successfully transition into a new phase of life.

New pathways in life can help us develop greater understanding of ourselves and others. Tom Brennan’s life was about rugby, mates and family until a car accident involving his older brother being sent to prison. Tom and his family are forced into a new life in a new town without his older brother. The past restricts Tom and his attitude prevents him from embracing this new pathway, Burke conveys the adverse psychological consequences of encountering new experiences through Tom’s personified metaphor, “I Curled myself into a little ball… let the darkness suck me deeper into its belly”. Tom’s introspection expresses the drastic shifts in mentality due to change which alludes to his struggle for a pathway into understanding the world around him. He intentionally reminisces a detached memory of the unexpected accident, allowing the recriminations of the past to ‘suck’ him deeper into his restricted world. This contrasts to HWW where the family looked for the ‘light’ when faced with their adversity were not sucked deeper into the ‘darkness’ as Tom was. Throughout the Novel Tom is aided with the help of others in his transition this portrayed through the motif of his running. In Tom’s new phase of his life in Coghill, running is used as a motif throughout the text to symbolise his recovery and healing as he struggles to move past the accident. Running is initiated by his uncle, Brendan, when he states “Start running with me tomorrow. Get fit. I’ve never seen you so stationary. You’re looking bloody awful”. Truncation alludes to the unanticipated and rapid difficulties that arise in life and negative diction convey the abrupt and negative impact of the accident. When they first start running, the hill is insurmountable for Tom. This is portrayed using exclamation in “The ascent isn’t a bloody hill Brendan, it’s a mountain!”. The metaphor of the hill being a ‘mountain’ conveys the struggles and challenges of it, symbolising the (physical, mental) pain and hardships Tom experiences at this point in his life. The emotional pain Tom endures at this stage be his dark and miserable mood is reflected through the metaphor of his room which he perceives to be ‘a cave’. However, as Tom begins to embrace life in Coghill, the climb becomes more manageable. His dedication towards running represents his determination towards overcoming his struggles; reflecting an essence of growth and change in his mindset and outlook on life, similarly with HWW the family’s tone towards the end of the video with a combination of happier nondiegetic sounds reflect the positive outlook on life they have taken. Thus, through developing greater understanding of others and with the help of others, to successfully transition into a new phase of life.

New transitions bring changes that create new life and experiences. The short film HWW is a documentary on a young family as they embrace the change of their youngest son Nash with his genetic disability ‘angelmans’ syndrome. Nash and his family have been shifted into a new context of life however the family’s attitude is to embrace change with the aid of others. The video begins with context before the diagnosis whilst panning over the shoulders of Nash and his dad as they look forward into the ‘future’ representing both the close bond of the family and yet the unknown of the ‘future’ this is aided with the mum’s voice over tone as its beings to transition from cheerful to a sombre tone. This is a differentiation with TSOTB as Tom does not look forward to the future pre-transition and rather refers to going