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
When Josie sees Jacob, dressed in activewear and waiting for her to get off the bus, she wonders if they’ll ever fit together (she’s still in her conservative school uniform). Jacob kisses her and asks after Michael. Josie says that Michael is convinced Jacob is thinking about sex, and Jacob says it’s true. They discuss Michael’s girlfriend and Josie admits that she’s worried. She’s sad he’s going back to Adelaide, and she also thinks her parents should get back together. But that’d be weird, too; Josie has never had to share Mama before. Jacob notes that Josie should expect Mama to get married, since Mama is so beautiful.
Josie may be less concerned with keeping up appearances, but she hasn’t totally given up on caring about them. This is why she wonders if she and Jacob will ever fit together. But because Josie has this thought while noticing the difference between her clothes and Jacob’s, it suggests that she’s still making assumptions based on superficial information. The fact that Jacob is wearing activewear doesn’t necessarily preclude him from dressing up at other times, for instance.
Themes
When they get to Josie’s house, Josie curses—Nonna is visiting. Jacob is glad to finally get to meet her, but Josie refuses to introduce him. She explains that she hasn’t told Nonna about him—Nonna will be angry, and Josie doesn’t want to jeopardize her relationship with Nonna now that it’s finally improving. Jacob is offended that Josie hasn’t told Nonna about him and points out that Josie is 17—and he insists that this wouldn’t be a problem if he were John. But Josie explains that no matter how old she is, Nonna will still care about who’s she dating. And she doesn’t want Nonna to stop talking to her.
While Josie might still be caught up in keeping up appearances, Jacob shows here that he’s changed a lot from the beginning of the novel. While he once resented having to meet Mama, he’s now eager to meet Nonna. But this presents a major dilemma for Josie, since she knows that Jacob isn’t the kind of boy Nonna wants her to date. So now, Josie has to choose between pleasing Jacob and pleasing Nonna.
Themes
Jacob is incensed. He shouts that Josie is just complicating his life. Josie shouts back that it’ll never work between them—Jacob can do what he wants because he lives “without religion and culture.” Jacob says that he wants to meet Nonna because then, he’ll know Josie isn’t ashamed of him. But Josie shakes her head. Jacob walks away. Josie doesn’t fully understand why she’s hesitating, though she does realize that Nonna won’t be impressed by Jacob. But she doesn’t want to lose Nonna—or Jacob.
To Josie, the fact that Jacob won’t respect her hesitation is a sign that he doesn’t respect or understand her Italian culture. And while this may have some truth to it—Jacob clearly doesn’t understand the reasons why Josie feels unable to introduce him—Jacob’s arguments are also valid: he doesn’t want to date someone who isn’t proud to be dating him.
Themes
So the next afternoon, Josie goes to Jacob’s house. She’s never been in his neighborhood before and is nervous, but she feels better when four girls in school uniforms smile at her. When Josie knocks, Jacob answers the door looking angry. He mocks her by saying he’s not ready to introduce Josie to his dad, who would be offended that he’s dating a non-Australian. They argue in the doorway until Jacob’s dad comes to the door and asks what’s going on. When Jacob introduces Josie, Mr. Coote drags Josie inside and says he’s ready to meet the girl Jacob keeps talking about. Josie realizes she’s not ashamed of Jacob. She realizes Jacob is a lot like Marcus Sandford, and she believes Nonna will see the resemblance.
Working up the courage to go to Jacob’s house shows that Josie now understands the necessity of swallowing her pride and apologizing. And her nervousness about being in a new neighborhood suggests that she still feels wildly out of place and as though the people who live here are fundamentally different from her. But the smiling girls show her this isn’t the case. Mr. Coote’s no-nonsense demeanor gives Josie insight into the kind of parenting Jacob gets. Seeing him on his own turf shows her again that he’s not so different from her.
Themes
Get the entire Looking for Alibrandi LitChart as a printable PDF.
Mr. Coote makes Josie a cup of tea and asks Josie what she’s going to do after school. Josie says she doesn’t know, but Jacob snaps that she’s going into law. Mr. Coote laughs that Josie’s awfully smart to be with Jacob. Jacob storms away to his room, so Josie has tea with Mr. Coote. Mr. Coote treats Josie “like a queen” and says that Jacob’s just upset because he’s so aware of his place in the world.
When Mr. Coote says that Jacob is very aware of his place in the world, he seems to mean that Jacob is hyper aware of his economic status and his social class, just like Josie is.
Themes
Josie excuses herself from the kitchen and finds Jacob in his room. She compliments a picture of Jacob’s mother and then sits down and tells him he’s good enough. After a while, Josie climbs onto the bed and kisses him. He’s thrilled that she made the first move. They continue to kiss as Jacob puts his hands under Josie’s shirt. They kiss and touch each other until Josie realizes she’s going to lose her virginity with Mr. Coote in the next room. She asks Jacob to stop, even though he says he has a condom. Jacob says they’ll eventually sleep together and it might as well be now, but Josie refuses. She insists she could get pregnant or “catch AIDS,” and says she might stay a virgin until she’s 20.
But rather than go through with having sex and acquiesce to Jacob’s pressure, Josie stands up for herself and what she wants. In this way, Josie seems to finally embody what Sister Louise wanted her to at the walkathon. Now, Josie is a person who’s able to stand up for what she wants and believes is right, no matter how much her loved ones pressure her otherwise.
Themes
Jacob shakes his head and says that modern women don’t have to be virgins, but Josie says that modern women also don’t have to allow themselves to be bullied into sex. She refuses to have sex for the first time now, in her school uniform, just because Jacob says that everyone else is having sex. Josie also insists that she’s not sure she and Jacob love each other. After a minute of silence, Jacob awkwardly says that he loves Josie a bit. Josie says she loves him a bit, too. Josie says they can still kiss. A while later, Jacob drives Josie home, and Mama seems to know what they’ve been up to.
Changing times, Josie suggests, means that she has a choice as to when or if she has sex. And as she becomes more and more “emancipated,” Josie suggests that she’ll also become more comfortable advocating for herself. Finally, it’s telling when Mama seems aware that Josie and Jacob almost had sex—but doesn’t say anything. This implies that Mama trusts Josie to make good choices, and doesn’t feel the need to make Josie feel bad for experimenting with her sexuality.
Themes
