A key moment for Ellie, in Tomorrow when the War began, is when she blows up the lawnmower. It is an important moment for her as a character because it was the first time she has ever killed someone which results in trauma. In chapter seven, Ellie and two of her friends are hiding from the invaders. At this moment she is scared that her and her friends are going to get caught. Ellie thinks quickly to develop a plan to protect her friends and escape from the soldiers by using the lawnmower as a bomb by putting a rag in the gas-tank and lighting it. This moment shows the reader that Ellie is brave, smart, and capable of leadership. A quote that shows Ellie’s courage is on page 90 “for the first time I saw their faces and struck the match”. This quote shows that Ellie’s action saved their lives in a life and death situation. This is a moment that stays with Ellie for a long time.
