The Description of Josephine Alibrandi
accepted because of her social background. She also adds the things that make someone accepted at her school are wealth and social status instead of brain. It
implies that how smart you are does not really matter, but it is your family’s assets instead. It can be seen from the following quotation of Josephine’s thought.
We grew up in the midst of the snobs of St.Martha’s and discovered that somehow brains didn’t count that much. Money, prestige, and what your
father did for living counted. If your hair wasn’t a bob or if your mother didn’t drive a Volvo, you were a nobody 2006: 24.
Josephine Alibrandi lives with her mother, Christina Alibrandi. Her mother disgraced the family by getting pregnant to the boy next door, Michael Andretti, out
of wedlock. Christina and Michael are also not married since then. Josephine knows little about the identity of her father because Michael had left Christina even before
she gave birth to their daughter, Josephine. Her mother also very rarely talks about Michael in front of Josephine.
We do know that he’s alive and is a barrister in Adelaide, but that’s about it 2006: 9.
My mother had told me about him once and once only. I’d never heard his name mentioned since. Just “your father” or “he” 2006: 18.
Josephine dislikes the way people talk about her status as an illegitimate child since she was born out of wedlock and her parents are not married since then.
Josephine is tired of facing the way Italian mothers react to her mother who has a child out of the wedlock and stills unmarried and it can be seen from her thought.
The reaction of the Italian mothers to my mother being unmarried drove me crazy at times…She slept with the boy next door when they were sixteen
2006: 9.
We were both huddled behind the laundry door when my grandmother’s cousin and her daughter walked into the room. They spat out my mother’s
name in disgust repeatedly and all I remember hearing was “They don’t even know who he is” in Italian, over and over again 2006: 41.
Besides, the students at Josephine’s school also mention the status of Josephine as illegitimate child.
I used to hear my illegitimacy mentioned during the first years at St. Martha, but nobody has spoken about it for ages 2006: 9.
Even though the girls at St.Martha don’t mention it, I bet you they’re talking about me behind my back. I can feel it in my bones. It makes me feel I will
never be part of their society 2006: 9.
From the above quotation, it can be seen that she feels annoyed by the Italians and the other students at her school who keep talking about her status. Furthermore, it leads
her to a conclusion that she will never be accepted in the society. Josephine’s attitude toward her status as illegitimate child also can be seen through her reaction toward
Carly, one of her classmates, who implicitly insults Josephine as illegitimate child. From the following quotation, it can be seen that Josephine is angry toward Carly’s
implicit insult about her illegitimacy. “And you’re more than a wog, if you know what I mean,” Carly said.
I had a very strong feeling that she meant my illegitimacy. God knows what possessed me, but having that science book in my hand propelled me to
immediate action. So I hit her with it 2006: 99.
But how could I tell these people that I’d hit someone in the nose because she’d called me a wog and made a slur about my illegitimacy? 2006: 100.
Besides living with her mother, Josephine also has a grandmother, Katia Alibrandi. At the beginning of the year, Josephine does not have a good relationship
with her grandmother because they have some disparate views. Josephine hates the
way Katia badly treats Christina since Christina disgraced the family by falling pregnant out of wedlock. Christina had been out casted from the family and
Christina’s father, Francesco Alibrandi, who is said to be a dangerous man due to his temper, kicked Christina out of the house because of her pregnancy. It can be seen
from Josephine’s description. My mother had been estranged from her family for years after my birth. It was
only after my grandfather died that we were welcomed back into the fold 2006: 41.
Josephine hates Katia because Katia has appeared to reject Christina for having Josephine illegitimately. Moreover, Katia just keeps bringing Christina’s mistake of
having a baby out of the wedlock and she seems not wanting to accept the truth. This is the reason why Josephine dislikes her grandmother so much.
Illegitimacy isn’t a big deal anymore. But it was back then and I remember the lies my grandmother would tell me. That I did have a father who had died. My
mother would never lied to me that way. Maybe that’s why I dislike about Nonna. That she couldn’t accept things the way they were 2006: 42.
Josephine believes that it becomes the reason why Katia might hate Josephine and Christina and it can be seen from Josephine’s thought.
Sometimes I feel sorry for her. I think that my birth must have cut her like a knife and I feel as if she’s never forgiven Mama 2006: 42.
I hated her because she never had anything nice to say about Mama. I hated her because she she’d never let my mother forget the past. I hated her because
she tried to act like my mother 2006: 47.
Katia also blames Christina for Josephine’s bad attitude that shows no respect toward Katia. It can be seen from the conversation between Josephine and Katia on the
following quotation.
“No manners, Jozzie,” I heard her say. “That is Christina’s fault because if she was a good mother, you would be a good daughter and respect me. But there
is no respect left wit the youth of today.” “It’s not the youth of today, Nonna,” I said angrily. “It’s you and people like
you. Always worrying about what other people think. Always talking about other people. Well, we get spoken about as well, Nonna” 2006 : 44.
From the conversation and through Josephine’s speech, it can be seen that Josephine sees Katia as someone who always worries about other people’s opinion. This
condition bothers Josephine so much because it makes Katia do not able to accept Christina and Josephine as they are.
Then as the year goes on, Josephine learns of Katias secret. She finds out that her mothers biological father is not Francesco Alibrandi, Katia’s husband. In fact, it
is Marcus Sandford, an Australian man that Katia was friend with during her early arrival in Australia. After Josephine reveals her family secret, she shows uncertainty
and frustration in not being Italian and not being Australian. On page 252, Josephine expresses her desire to be either one or the other nationality. She admits, Now all I
want to be is an insignificant Italian in a normal Italian family.” Josephine Alibrandi is also described as a person who is still confused about
her identity. It can be seen through Murphy’s characterization method which is character as seen by another. From the speech of Jacob Coote, Josephine’s boyfriend,
it can be seen that Josephine is still confused over her identity . You’re just so confused about who you are that you feel that everyone is
labeling you 2006: 300.
From the above quotation, it can be seen that Jacob considers Josephine as a person who is still confused over her own identity. According to Jacob, Josephine gets
offended easily especially when someone talks about her ethnicity. The other event that considers Josephine easily feels offended when someone talks about her ethnicity
can be seen from her reaction toward her encounter with Ivy Lyold, the school captain of St. Martha’s who is an Anglo-Saxons Australian and who belongs to the
wealthy upper class. The encounter between them starts when both of them are reading the same paper about the funeral of an Italian businessman who was
murdered then Ivy calls Josephine as a new Australian in the conversation. “You new Australians wear black a lot, don’t you?” she asked, looking at the
picture. “New Australian?” I ask incredulously. “Me? A new Australian?”
“Yes.” “How dare you call me a new Australian.”
“You’re Italian, aren’t you?” “I’m of Italian descent, thank you,” I snapped. “And I’m also two months
older than you, if my records are right, so if anyone is a new Australian, you are, because you’re two months newer than me.”
“You know what I mean. You’re an ethnic.” “I’m not an ethnic,” I spat out furiously. “I’m an Australian and my
grandparents were Italian. They’re called Europeans, not ethnics. ‘Ethnic’ is a word that you people use to put us all in a category 2006: 199.
From the above conversation, it can be seen that Josephine feels offended by how Ivy calls her ‘new Australian’ and ‘an ethnic’. Ivy said so since Josephine comes from
Italian ancestry. Away back, many Mediterranean or Southern Europe immigrants arrived in Australia following World War II. Due to the reason, Ivy believes that all
of the Mediterranean immigrants who arrived in Australia after a hundred years of the arrival of English descent in Australia are considered as ‘new Australian’ and it
includes Josephine who is of Italian descent. Meanwhile, Josephine thinks she is an Australian, not a new Australian because she is of Italian descent not an Italian.
Josephine thinks Ivy is labeling her as Ivy tries to pick out racial differences between them. Furthermore, Josephine’s frustration toward how people perceive her identity
can be seen through her thought. I think if it comes down to the bottom line, no matter how smart I am or how
much I achieve, I am always going to be a little ethnic from Glebes as far as these people are concerned. Do you know how frustrating it is? Why can’t
these people understand that this is my country as well? 2006: 199.
From the above quotation, it can be seen that how frustrating it is for Josephine wanting to be accepted in the society. Josephine believes her appearance and ethnic
background is the determining factor in her social acceptance. Her confusion can also be seen when kids in the primary school used to ask
her what her nationality was. If she said she was an Italian, they would tell her she was an Australian because of where she was born and if she said she was an
Australian they would tell her she was a wog because of what she looked like. Her school friends who are of Anglo-Saxon Australians are also used to call her ‘wog’
and Josephine considers it as an insult. The following quotation is a conversation between Josephine and her father, Michael Andretti. From Josephine’s speech, it can
be seen the way Josephine views the use of the word ‘wog’ after Carly, one of her classmates who is an Australian calls her ‘wog’.
“She called me a wog, among other things,” I said, finally. “I haven’t been called one for so long. It offended me. It made me feel pathetic.”
“You are a wog, Josie. Does it offend you to be one?” “I’m an Italian. I’m of European descent. When an Italian or another person of
European descent calls me a wog it’s done in good warm humor. When the word ‘wog’ comes out of the mouth of an Australian it’s not done in good
humor unless they’re good friend. It makes me feel pathetic and it makes me
remember that I live in a small-minded world and that makes me furious” 2006: 106.
Wog is a slang word, sometimes considered derogatory and in some instances offensive when it is used in relation to ethnicity. In Australia, the term is a pejorative
for migrants from the Mediterranean or Southern Europe such as Greek, Southern Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Serbian, Bosnian, Croatian and Macedonian. It is fine
for a wog to use wog as a term of friendship towards other wogs but when used as an insult from a person whom is not deemed a wog, it can cause an issue
http:www.multiculturalaustralia.edu.au. Josephine lives in Australia, but is of Italian ancestry. For seventeen years of
her life, Josephine Alibrandi has been caught in the middle of two societies. “I felt disadvantaged from the beginning…caught up in the middle of two
societies” 2006 : 8.
She is confused whether she belongs to the Australian or Italian and her confusion becomes greater because she thinks she does not even belong to one of the societies.
I think I had it worst. My mother was born here, so as far as the Italians were concerned, we weren’t completely one of them. Yet because my grandparents
were born in Italy we weren’t completely Australian 2006 : 8.
She stands between these two cultures, neither really accepted by the Italians nor by the Australians. The Italians reproach her of being an illegitimate child. The
Australians call her a ‘new Australian’, an ‘ethnic’ or a “wog”. Therefore, she feels that she does not belong to either of them. She has always been trapped between two
distinctly different cultural worlds and these cultural dissimilarities became more of a
problem when she reaches high school. From the beginning, it is evident that Josephine wants to fit in at her school and struggles to be part of the world that John
Barton and Ivy Lloyd represent: wealth, prestige and social acceptance. It can be seen from Josephine’s thought.
No matter how much I hate Poison Ivy, I want to belong to her world. The world of sleek haircuts and upper-class privileges 2006 : 38.
Besides, Josephine’s hope to be accepted in the elite community also can be seen through the method of character as seen by another which is from Jacob’s speech.
“I think that you like being with people like him so if they accept you, you can be one of the beautiful people. The elite of the community. Why can’t you
be just you?” “I am me. But I’m human. I can be influenced by different things. Is that a
crime?... Be thankful that you’ve found your place, but be patient with me for still looking for mine.” 2006: 230
However, Josephine feels she will not ever belong to Ivy and John’s world because she comes from Italian decent. Josephine resents the fact that she is Italian and feels
that her culture is her one drawback, restraining her from social acceptance and approval.
Based on the above descriptions, it can be seen that Josephine dislikes the things that seem not work properly as she wants them to be. She feels that her life is
full of problems since she comes from Italian descent and belongs to middle class family. It starts to change when she learns of John’s depression about his life whereas
Josephine used to believe that John would never have any problem in his life since he
is rich, wealthy and comes from Anglo-Saxon descent. At first, she is attracted to John but as she meets Jacob and along with John’s ongoing complaints about life,
“This life is shit”2006 : 159, “I hate this shit life” 2006 : 160, Josephine becomes less attracted to John by stating “I don’t know if it was Jacob, but I wasn’t attracted to
him as I used to be”. Apparently, John is very depressed until he decides to take his own life. John’s suicide affects Josephine emotionally. At the beginning, Josephine
thinks that his complaint about his life was just a phase in his life until John takes his own life. At first, Josephine blames herself for John’s death, “I should have realized,”
but after many tears and reassurance from Michael and Christina, Josephine discovers that it was his decision to take his own life. Josephine knows that her problems are
not that worst and not that big, and by realizing it, she takes a more positive attitude to live her life.
“I remembered when we spoke about our emancipation. The horror is that he had to die to achieve this. The beauty is that I’m living to achieve mine”
2006 : 288.
Josephine is also described as a mischievous girl. It can be observed through her manner and conversation of other characters. She is described as being intended
to cause trouble on people around her including the school teacher, Sister Gregory, and the principal of the school, Sister Louise. It can be seen from the description
when Josephine reads magazine in the middle of the class and Sister Gregory knows it. Josephine tries to give many excuses in order to escape from punishment that is
given by Sister Gregory but unfortunately, Sister Gregory realizes Josephine’s intention. It can be seen from Sister Gregory’s speech toward Josephine.
I personally think that you don’t know what we’ve been talking about, Josephine. I think you’re trying to fool me 2006: 3
Josephine’s mischief makes people considered her as a troublemaker. The other trouble that she commits is when she escapes from St Martha’s annual
walkathon with her friends. Actually, at first, she does not want to leave the walkathon but all of her friends seduce and insist her to leave the walkathon.
A bus came toward us and before I knew what was happening, four of us jumped on it 2006: 212
Due to the reason, it can be said that she does not think of her attitude twice. She just acts spontaneously and does not consider the consequences. It can be seen from Sister
Louise’s speech. I know what came over you. You decided to become a sheep for the day,
Josephine. You weren’t a leader. You were a follower. You’ll never amount to anything if you can be so easily influenced 2006: 216.
Josephine is also described as being selfish and it can be seen through Murphy’s method which is character as seen by another. Christina Alibrandi,
Josephine’s mother, gives the direct description toward Josephine. It can be seen through Christina’s speech.
“You’re such a selfish, unreasonable child, Josephine. One day you’ll understand.”
“Why should I understand you when you’re never understood what I’ve gone through? I’ve suffered in my life, you know, and you’ve never understood.
2006 : 119