Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

Analytical Essay

“Looking for Alibrandi” by Melina Marchetta portrays the journey of a number of teenage characters in their final year of High School. These teens encounter many challenges along their path of development and the way in which they deal with these challenges, shapes their sense of personal identity. The characters of Josephine Alibrandi and Jacob Coote faced many challenges throughout the novel, which depicts their own individual journey contributing to their relationships with family/friends and also their attitudes, values and beliefs, in all which help shape their sense of personal identity.

Josephine Alibrandi’s identity in the beginning of the novel is described as angry and confused, in searching to find where she belongs in two different cultures. “I’ll run away one day. Run from life. To be free and think for myself not as an Australian not as an Italian and not as an in betweener…” (p. 40) She is continuously confronted by issues that question who she is as her true sense of identity is clouded. In the early stages, Josie’s attitude to the world is negative as she feels burdened by her Italian ancestry, her social status and the fact that she is illegitimate. She sees these factors as great obstacles in life that make her an outcast who struggles to fit in, “…primary school was the only time I was with people I could compare notes with and find a comfortable place alongside.”(p. 7) Josie’s perception and attitude undergoes dramatic change as she continues to learn the true and deeper meanings of life through her experiences and by learning from others.

Her grandmother Nona Katia plays a great role in Josephine’s life as she imposes all the traditional values and expectations on her. Their opposing personalities and their different views on the world lead to their complicated and bitter relationship, “...my main objective in life at the moment is to get on my grandmother’s nerves.”(p. 33) Nona at first seemed to be one of the main causes for her confusion and unhappiness, but as Josie receives an insight to her life Nona turns out to be one of the people who act like the key to the door of realisation. Meeting her father, Michael Andretti, is an important event in Josie’s life as he gives her a sense of belonging, hope and "somehow we're developed a great relationship."(p. 156) These challenges that were faced by Josie firstly impacted negatively but as she absorbs the definition of life by allowing her to see beyond her restricted world became optimistic, and developed a more sense of self despite her family expectations. This became more apparent through her relationship with Jacob Coote.

Jacob Coote is an Australian boy from Red Fern and is school captain of Cook High School. His mother died when he was younger and it affected him deeply. Never the less he is a cheerful and likeable character with a sense of humour "...loves his family and has respect for people"(p. 150) in the words of Josie. In the early stages of the novel he is intolerant of the opinions of others and set in his ways. The world, according to Jacob, is devided along class lines. He knows where he stands, and he has a negative view of anyone not standing in the same place as himself. Jacob lives with his dad, who drinks and has little involvement in his life. Jacob "lives without religion and culture"(p. 206) and the only expectation of him is to "...abide by