Josephine Alibrandi Research Paper

Melina Marchetta explores the discoveries and changes encountered by an teenager, through the eyes of Josephine Alibrandi. Josephine is a 17 year old girl, with Italian heritage, throughout her life she has faced racial discrimination, further more she has encountered many offensive comments directed tat the scandal of her illegitimacy. Throughput her final year in high school, she comes to understand who she is and comes to understand what is important to her. For the whole of the novel Melina Marchetta demonstrates the concept of discovery. Josephine Alibrandi is faced with many discoveries by the end of the novel. Of the countless discoveries made by Josephine, perhaps the most significant is the discovery of herself and her identity, other important discoveries made are the finding of her father, the uncovering of her grandmother Katia’s secret and the realization of her
A fundamental event in the novel is the meeting of Josephine and her father Michael Andretti; this is the start of the discovery Josephine makes about who her father is. All through her life Josephine has been faced with many hardships due to her being illegitimate, because her mother was pregnant out of wedlock. Josephine resents the fact that she is illegitimate, and also resents her father who she believes had abandoned her mother who suffered immensely, and was thrown out of her own home. Josie first meets Michael in her grandmother Katia’s house, when she comes to understand the he is her father, she realizes that he is nothing like imagined also later stating that the meeting was also nothing like she had expected. An essential event that leads to the bonding of father and daughter is when Josephine calls Michael to help her on the case of breaking Carly Bishop’s nose. Josephine calls to Michael out of