How Is Change Evident in the Text ‘looking for Alibrandi' and one Related Text?

Change is the result of time. It is unpredictable and inevitable. Change is thoroughly explored throughout the novel ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ by Malina Marchetta. The first person narration gives a reader full insight on Josephine and her change in perspective, within the book, on relationships and life. Change is also evident in the song ‘cats in a cradle’ by Harry Chapin.

Both these texts experience change differently, which can prove the point that most people experience change differently, being either good or bad and deal with change in different ways.

Throughout the novel “looking for Alibrandi” two major areas of Josephine’s life undergo dramatic changes. These aspects of her life are her perspective on her place in her world, and her relationships with people including her family and “friends”. In the beginning of the novel she is naive and as with most teenagers believes her problems are more extreme than anyone else. Her culture, her illegitimacy and, family conflicts including the normal pressures on a teenager to fit in all seem overwhelming to her. Josephine states “It makes me feel I will never be a part of their society and I hate it” (ch.1) which uses emotive language to create a understanding that Josie feels like an outcast amongst her peers. This is reinforced with the statement that “caught up in the middle of two societies,” (ch.1) due to her illegitimacy.

Her changing relationships throughout the novel all culminate in a new maturity and wisdom which also changes her entire outlook. At first Josie resents her father, wanting nothing to do with him. ‘I don’t care about him’ (ch.1) because she feels that he abandoned her and her mother. When she meets him for the second time, they both agree to his statement; “you keep out of my life, I’ll keep out of yours” (ch.6). She comes to realise that he is someone she can ask for help when she needs his help in the incident where she broke Carly’s nose. “For a few moments I knew how it felt walking alongside one’s father. It was great feeling.” The relationship is further developed when he makes the decision to get to know her and finds her walking on the street after a failed date with Jacob. He states, “If I pretend you don’t exist you still won’t go away. So I thought I’d get to know you better....” He then proceeds to suggest pizza, but there relationship is still rather delicate demonstrated when he mutters “God help me”. However although she wasn’t cooperative in the first place Josephine finds herself actually enjoying talking to him. Finally she accepts his offer of accepting his name, cementing a permanent relationship and she admits that loves “Michael Andretti more and more every day”. (ch. 32)

Josephine’s relationship with her Grandmother goes through a number of changes in the novel. Initially Josephine cannot stand her and states “Having to see