Josephine’s Ability to Deal with Frustration

I prayed that the blessed “one day” would come so I could welcome it with open arms. And I cried because I was loved by two of the strongest women I would ever meet in my lifetime 2006: 271. Pikunas states differential responsiveness as one of the criteria of maturity. He states that a variety of experience allow the adolescent to expand and improve his or her understanding of the many realities of life, their dimensions, and their relationships 1976: 300. Josephine’s ability to accept the adults in her life as flawed people is shown Josephine’s differential responsiveness and it is also an indicator that shown her maturity. It can be concluded that from the conflicts she encounters with her grandmother and how she struggles to overcome the conflicts shown the significance role of conflict in shaping Josephine’s maturity. In the beginning of the story, Josephine seems to be confused over her identity whether she is an Australian who has Italian decent or an Italian who born in Australia. Josephine also faces challenge in balancing the demands of her Italian heritage with her ambitions in the broader community. At one time, she wants to escape from her Italian heritage and her effort sometimes in contends with her grandmother who is very strick about Italian values. After she reconciles her relationship with her grandmother, she eventually establishes a personal identity. I remembered feeling socially out of it at St. Martha’s, yet when the fiasco of the walkathon, I realized I wasn’t. I thought my birth circumstances were a cross I’d bear for the rest of my life, but what had happened between Nonna and Marcus Stanford made me realize that it had never been my cross. I had only made it mine 2006: 309. But the important thing is that I know where my place in life is. It’s not where the Seras or the Carlys of the world have slotted me 2006: 310. If someone comes up and asks me what nationality I am, I’ll look at them and say that I’m an Australian with Italian blood flowing rapidly through my veins. I’ll say that with pride, because it’s pride that I feel 2006: 310. Throughout the year, Josephine went through many changes and developments that lead to her maturity, caused by conflicts that occur in her life. She finally realizes exactly who she is, and understands where she fits into the lives around her. It can be seen through her speech below. I’ve figured out that it doesn’t matter whether I’m Josephine Andretti who was never an Alibrandi, who should have been a Sandford and who may never be a Coote. It matters who I feel like I am – and I feel like Michael and Christina’s daughter and Katia’s granddaughter; Sera, Anna, and Lee’s friend; and Robert’s cousin 2006: 312. Josephine learns throughout the year that ultimately the most important thing is that she must be true to herself which is by realizing who she is. Josephine changes throughout the text as her ideas and beliefs are challenged by the conflicts that she experienced. In processing her feelings about these conflicting experiences, Josephine must unveil and accept her true self. Her acceptance toward herself and the reality of people indicate her maturity. Pikunas states that “a mature person is one who has acquired a personal identity and has made progress in integrating his or her total personality into a smoothly functioning system” 1976: 295. Based on Pikunas’ statement, it can be seen that personal identity is important for a person in leading to maturity. She also has made progress in integrating her total personality. This progress can be seen through her self-evaluation’s speech. I just sat there thinking back on the year and I realized that I was emancipated long ago. It wasn’t at one particular point either, it was at several. The hang- ups I once had were superseded, but not with other hang-ups as much as with a few sorrow 2006: 309. Meanwhile, at the beginning of the story, Josephine seems not realize herself as being such a selfish person but later she eventually realizes it after facing conflict about her grandmother’s affair. At the beginning, she is angry with her grandmother but later she wants to compromise by listening to her grandmother’s explanation about the affair. Through this, she realizes that her grandfather treated her grandmother very badly. Josephine also starts to listen to her mother’s story about the way Francesco also treated her mother badly after he knew Christina was pregnant. It can be seen through the following conversation between Josephine and her mother. “He couldn’t take me in when I was pregnant with you.” She looked pensive. “My father practically spat at me. Called me every name under the sun. A tramp, a slut. He hit me across the face and even hit my mother. Worse still, he never saw you, Josie.” “You went through so much for me, Mama, and I never seem to appreciate it, but I promise that I’m changing 2006: 271. In this point, she realizes that her mother, Christina, also had suffered and had gone through many unpleasant things because of Francesco’s rejection. Thus, it makes Josephine’s way of responding her problem of not having a father changes. In this point, she starts to accept her life which is raised only by her mother. She also realizes that all this time she has acted selfishly. It can be seen through her own speech. “Mama, you sound as if one of us is dying, for God’s sake. I grumble about my life because I’m selfish, not because you couldn’t provide. For a one- parent family we are pretty perfect” 2006: 271.