Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Looking for Alibrandi, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Family
Identity, Freedom, and Coming of Age
The Immigrant Experience
Gossip and Appearances
Social Status and Wealth
Love and Relationships
Summary
Analysis
Josie gets to know Michael over the June vacation, when Michael takes her to Adelaide. He insists on driving instead of flying, which annoys Josie. The scenery is brown and Michael’s car doesn’t have a tape deck. Josie eats candy to keep herself from getting carsick and complains until Michael asks about Jacob. Jacob is now on Mama’s good side, since he came for dinner and washed dishes last week. Michael says that he and Jacob have chatted about cars when Jacob has tried to call Josie at work.
It’s important that Michael notes that he and Jacob have been talking about cars. This suggests that Jacob has now abandoned his earlier assertion that it’s silly to have to meet a partner’s parents—he’s now voluntarily talking to Josie’s dad. Relationships, this shows, can teach people things they didn’t even know they needed to learn.
Themes
Michael tells Josie she looks like Mama did at her age, though Mama wasn’t as rude. He tells Josie how they met: Michael lived next door and they both hated each other, but things changed when Michael got tall and handsome and Mama decided to “become a lady.” Michael says that when they were 16, he heard Mama crying and asked her to come over and talk. They soon became best friends, and Mama told him all about how Nonno wouldn’t talk to her for some reason. He says that over the next few months, they got closer and had sex. Michael says that he can’t regret Josie, but he doesn’t think kids should have sex. It’s not just the possibility of having a baby; teenage boys don’t know how to make girls feel good emotionally and physically. Mama was very ashamed.
The way Michael describes his and Mama’s trajectory mirrors how Josie and Jacob’s relationship has evolved. Jacob once taunted Josie and their dislike was mutual; now, they’re in love. From the way that Michael describes young Mama, he makes it seem like Mama was very upset and lonely because of how Nonno neglected her. In turn, this suggests that Mama and Michael’s relationship was borne out of Mama’s desire to connect with a man in some way, since she couldn’t connect with her own father.
Themes
Josie quips that boys hit their sexual peak at age 17, so Michael is over the hill. She stares out the window in boredom for a while and then asks if Michael has a girlfriend. Michael says he does, but Josie won’t get to meet her. To pester him, Josie says that Mama is going out with an Italian doctor and lies she likes Paul. But she says she likes Michael better. Then, Josie says again that it’s ugly here; she’d never want to live here. Michael says that someday, if Josie meets a guy from out here, they’d compromise and maybe live out here. Josie is disgusted. He opens the sunroof and Josie stands up in it, reciting poetry.
Josie is still a selfish teen and doesn’t see the point in being in a relationship with someone if she has to compromise. But by insisting she’ll never compromise, Josie ignores the fact that she’s already compromising in her relationship with Jacob. Jacob isn’t John Barton, Josie’s ideal—and nor is he Italian, so he won’t please Nonna. Josie isn’t yet in a place where she can see that her set ideas about this sort of thing aren’t as true or useful as they could be.
Themes
The drive takes three days, and Josie immediately loves Adelaide. It’s odd meeting her paternal grandparents, but she loves getting to know Michael. She loves that he snores—at night, Josie knows that Michael’s alive. She meets Michael’s sister and during one visit with Josie’s grandparents, Josie’s grandmother points out a picture of Mama in a photo album. After the three weeks, Josie returns home and is thrilled to be back with Mama. Mama now lets Josie go out with Jacob, but she has an early curfew. Josie adores Jacob.
As Josie gets to know Michael and his parents and sisters, her family expands. Now, Josie has even more people to call on when and if she needs help. Meeting them also gives Josie the opportunity to learn more about who she is, and who she wants to be. Seeing the picture of Mama in the photo album impresses upon Josie that Mama and Michael’s families have been intertwined for years—and they’ll always be connected now because of Josie.
Themes
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