Looking For Alibrandi Essay, Research Paper

The novel “Looking for Alibrandi” is centered around the growth and development of the relations among the three generations of Alibrandi women.

Josephine Alibrandi, a Catholic school girl is the protagonist in her final high school year. She attends St. Martha’s, a wealthy catholic school in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, on an academic scholarship. Her Italian origin and illegitimacy have been the reason for a lot of persecution in her life.

Josephine is a stubborn, melodramatic, confused, young girl who wants to be accepted by someone other than the underdog.’ (Page 32) She doesn’t see that her problems amount to nothing when compared to other struggling children in the world, but she feels trapped. Trapped in her Italian roots, even though she was born in Australia Josie has no privacy. Telecom would go broke if it weren’t for the Italians.’ (Page 11)

I think that Josie is like any other typical teenage girl, trying to come to grips with her own identity and having to grow up. She copes with her ethnicity, sexuality, illegitimacy, and her family problems remarkably well, until she is faced with meeting her father for the first time. I was puzzled when Josie revealed absolutely no emotion when she knew she was standing face to face with her father for the first time in her life.

I feel as though I can easily relate to Josephine Alibrandi. This makes me feel comfortable reading this book, knowing I have similar concerns as she does.

Nonna Katia is Josie’s grandmother. She is like any other typical old Italian woman. She is tied to her Italian traditions and has no compassion for Australians. Katie resents Josie’s mother a great deal for having Josie illegitimately. Nonna Katia is the main antagonist of the novel. She is constantly testing Josie and Christina’s tempers. Josie and Katia fight a lot, and Katia always places the blame on Christina for being a bad mother, making Josie incredibly furious. When Josie and Christina find out that Katia is welcoming Michael Andretti, Josie’s father into her house, the two become apprehensive about visiting her. However, I think that Josie comes to learn that Katia is too old to adopt new habits and appreciates her grandmother for who she is.

Christina Alibrandi is Josie’s mother. She is a relatively young mother who had Josie at a young age and brought her p all on her own. Christina teaches Josie a lot about herself and her heritage. The relationship between Christina and Josie leads toward Josie’s freedom and away from the problems which she brings upon herself. Christina has such strength, more than she is given credit for. However, Christina resents her mother for shunning her away when she gave birth to Josie, but at the same time is grateful to have her mother back in her life. Josie comes to realize that the perception of her mother as a victim is not shared by Christina. Christina does not see any wrong in the way she has lead her life.

“Looking for Alibrandi” centralizes around the lives of these three women, Josephine Alibrandi, Katia Alibrandi and Christina Alibrandi.