Subjects:
Looking for Alibrandi chronicles a year in the life of Josephine Alibrandi, a third generation Italian-Australian on the verge of adulthood. We share her experiences at a wealthy Catholic school, her relationships with friends and family, the discovery of her grandmothers secret and the return of her unknown father. More importantly, we see her struggle with identity, acceptance and the cultural differences within her society. By the end of the novel however, we see her emancipation from the inhibitions of society and tradition. Perhaps Josie's emancipation would not have occurred without the issues she encountered within the last year. The changes come about through the interaction of characters in the novel with their varied social standings, and act as a catalyst towards Josie's growth and freedom.
Through Josie's journey of discovery she learns the secret of her Grandmother's past; that she too gave birth to an illegitimate child, Christina. This reaction of Josie leads her to question the ethical teachings of her grandmother, considering the sinful past. She views this as hypocrisy on the part of her grandmother but later in the novel Josie comes to
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John Barton is a popular, good looking boy who is also the son of a Member of Parliament. His change in attitude to reaffirm his position in her life. She makes the significant choice not to have sex with him. She comes to see the differences and similarities between her life and that of the two boys. Throughout the novel there is great pressure from her girlfriends to have a sexual relationship.
The traditions of the Italian community are still present on Josies family and she often questions some of the particular ongoing ways. John felt the only way he could achieve his emancipation was to end his life. In meeting these two individuals, Josie comes to discover the class barriers that exist between these different groups. "It's different for you, you haven't got any pressures in life. Jacob also teachers her that success is not measured from what social class one belongs to. At first Josie thinks that John comes from a wealthy family who doesn't have a worry in the world compared to her own problems in life because she is given a hard time about her ethnic background and social class.
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