Looking for Alibrandi Year 10 English

Looking for Alibrandi: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves” Victor Frankl “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” By Victor Frankl Victor Frankl is saying when we come to the point where we can’t change a situation that we are forced to change ourselves instead. This process of changing ourselves is a challenge but in a funny way is easier than pushing and trying to change a situation that you have no control over. In the novel Looking for Alibrandi; By Melina Marchetta, we can see how Josephine, the protagonist is compelled to change the way she thinks about various aspects of her life. The struggle that Victor Frankl alludes to in his quote applies to Josephine in Looking for Alibrandi. She finds many of the situations difficult and tries to change the situations until finally she changes her own thinking and the way she looks at the same people and situations. The change she makes in herself brings positive changes not just for her but also for those around her. This change brings a brighter view of her world. This idea of change is also evident in Ian Mundies poem “My Father Began as a God” and the song “The Cats in the Cradle” by Harry Chapins. Josephine’s attitude changes towards her Nonna from originally hating her at the beginning to admiring Nonna Katia’s life experiences and the strength shown through her life. Josephine goes to her Nonna’s every afternoon after school and constantly complains to her mother about her Nonna, Pg 16 “she drives me crazy. She’s starting to tell me all those boring Sicily stories. If she tells me one more time she was beautiful I’ll puke”. We see how Josephine’s Nonna really gets onto her nerves and wits end by this quote. Later on in the book we see this attitude change as her irritation turns to admiration towards her Nonna. Pg 226 “In the past I’ve had to be bribed to stay with Nonna Katia but I wanted to