Character Clues

Character Analysis

Names

When you hear the name Homer, what comes to mind? D'oh? How about the dude responsible for the Iliad and the Odyssey? When it comes to Homer in Tomorrow, When the War Began, we're thinking it's this guy we're supposed to think of instead of the bald, yellow, donut-eating cartoon character.

See, though Homer used to be a total cut-up, after the invasion he really takes the lead, keeping the teens focused and helping them create game plans. In this way, he oversees the action, driving the narrative of the book by crafting and then implementing plans. Ellie might be the character that supposedly writes the story down, but Homer's the one who authors the story insofar as he's the one who keeps things moving along. His name, then, is a shout-out to the ancient poet, a dude who also kept the plot moving by, well, writing it.

Homer's is by far the most significant name—no writer names a character Homer by accident—but we think there are other smaller significances to names, too. For instance, Robyn reminds us of robins, a bird that sticks around to tough it out through winter. Like her feathered counterpart, Robyn is tough. It also strikes us as not totally surprising that Ellie and Lee wind up together. After all, they practically have the same name.

Social Status

Time and again, the usual order of things gets inverted in this book. Hell is the safest and most beautiful place around; teens are desperately trying to find and rescue their parents; and being a wealthy popular kid is suddenly a disservice.

Say what? That's right; though coming from a wealthy family and having all the right clothes and such would usually make Fi the cream of the social crop, once the invasion happens, she's the least well equipped to deal with the teens' new survivalist lifestyle. On the flipside, kids like Homer who come from more rural backgrounds are hard working, outdoorsy, and ready to hack it in the woods. They're more self-reliant and knowledgeable about camping and finding food, plus they can build things and drive heavy machinery. Fi might look good, but in the woods, she's kind of lost.