Looking for Alibrandi Literary Elements

Bildungsroman

1990s Sydney

The novel is told in the first person narrative point of view from Josie's perspective. It allows us to clearly see her changes in perspective on life, as she learns throughout various events in the novel.

The tone in the novel varies depending on the event and Josie's reaction towards it. She has felt happiness, sadness, disappointment, confusion and anger. The end of the story has a happy and hopeful tone as Josie is excited to move forward with her life. The mood of the novel is mostly light-hearted and comedic, cut with moments of seriousness and gravity.

The protagonist is Josephine Alibrandi. The antagonist is also Josie, in a way, as she is trying to overcome her own doubts and insecurities throughout most of the novel despite other characters creating temporary conflict.

The novel's major conflict is Josie's struggle for self-actualization. Her path to self-discovery is impacted by several major events, including her birth father's unexpected arrival in her life and the suicide of a close friend, but her personal struggle is the principal conflict in the book.

The climax of the novel is John Barton's suicide. At this moment everything Josie thought she knew about life and success is shattered, and she must readjust some of her perspectives on life.

John tells Josie at the rugby grand final that he has made a decision about the rest of his life. Though Josie was unaware of what he meant at the time, this conversation foreshadowed his suicide.

“'I do a bit, you know,' he said gruffly.

'You do what a bit?'

'You know. Like you . . . whatever . . . love you a bit'" (Marchetta 304).

Jacob telling Josie he likes and loves her a little bit is an understatement. His feelings for Josie run far deeper, as time and time again he changes his behaviors and way of thinking because of Josie.

In the novel there are allusions to major events of the 1990s, including the AIDS scare and epidemic.

See "Imagery" section of this guide.

Though Josie hates the wealthy students at her school for being born into privilege, paradoxically she also envies them and secretly wishes she could have led a life like that of Ivy and the other affluent girls from St. Mary's.

A parallel is drawn between Josie and Ivy, despite their differences. After John's death, they are able to put aside their differences and console each other because of how much John meant to both of them. Another parallel is made between Nonna Katia and Marcus Sandford, and Josie and Jacob Coote. Both couples grapple with their cultural differences and the pressures that ultimately keep them apart.

“But we’re alive and one day I want to own my own garage and you want to be a hotshot barrister..." (Marchetta 339).

Metonymy is when a thing refers to something else that it's closely associated with. In this quote Jacob uses garage to reference the mechanic business he wants to open one day. This is an example of metonymy, because while garages are closely associated with mechanics, one doesn't equal the other, and vice versa.

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