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In Looking for Alibrandi, Several Events Occur During Josephine's Final Year at School. What Are They and How Do These Events Bring About Change in Josephine?

Decent Essays

The novel looking for alibrandi by Melena Marchetta is about Josephine Alibrandi, a catholic girl, in her final year of high school. As the year progresses Josie alters her perspective on many issues including family, the importance of social standing and wealth, own identity and culture. All these changes in perspective from different events in her final year has brought change to Josie.

Josie's perspective of her grandmother changes from viewing her as nagging old women to having a loving, caring, respectful relationship with her. The narrative, which is written in first person, enables the reader to see the stages in which her perspective changes as she gains knowledge about her grandmother and also how it is her own actions that …show more content…

Marchetta has demonstrated that change can be triggered by singular events.

Marchetta also uses Josie to show not emotion change but external change. John Barton's death was a change in Josie's life that she had no control of. The journal style narrative allows the reader to see Josie's changing perspective of John as the novel progresses. Before John's death Josie believes john has it all as he is "school captain… greatest debater… good looking. Popular" and according to Josie he is "the love of my life." After his death the first person narrative allows the reader to see Josie's emotions. At first she is devastated and cannot under stand why someone who "never had any problems" would commit suicide. But after recovering from the shock of John's death, Josie is able to see beyond her anger and understand John's feeling of isolation. The journal style reflection also allows the reader to see Josie's changed perspective of John, as she realises " that wealth and social status don't equal happiness".

A major theme in looking for Alibrandi is identity. Josephine has change in perspective on her own identity. Initially, Josephine believes that her appearance and ethnic background is the determining factor in her social acceptance. She also believes that because she is at a wealthy school on a scholarship and has no father she is looked down upon. When Josephine is told by a teacher at

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