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Chapter 28
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
Speech night is very emotional. Josie receives three awards, and Ivy is made valedictorian. Josie and Ivy run into each other in the restroom and suddenly, Josie realizes that Ivy isn’t Poison Ivy anymore. They smile at each other and Ivy says she only got valedictorian because she didn’t want Josie to get it. She admits she’s terrified; her father wants her to be a doctor. Josie realizes she has lots of things to say to Ivy, but Ivy speaks first and says that she feels lost without John. Josie admits that she’s terrified to study law without John there. Suddenly, she remembers how John said that she and Ivy are similar. Josie says that they should get coffee sometime. They hug and cry for John.
When Josie realizes that Ivy isn’t Poison Ivy anymore, it shows how much she’s come of age over the course of the novel. Now, Josie realizes that Ivy might have money and influence, but she’s just a 17-year-old girl like Josie. And the girls are even more alike than they may have thought, since they’re both still grieving John’s death and are struggling to figure out how to move forward without him. The coffee invitation, though, suggests that they’ll be able to follow through on John’s dying wish and get to know each other as adults.
Themes
Michael takes Josie for pizza afterwards. He tells Josie how proud he is and notes that Mama was ready to stand up and cheer for Josie. Josie says that doesn’t count since Michael and Mama are her parents. Michael admits that when Josie gave her speech, she was “poetic”—just like Mama once was. He tells Josie that Mama wanted to study English literature at a university and be a poet. Josie insists it’s not true, but Michael suggests that Mama never said anything because she didn’t want Josie to feel bad. Mama didn’t go to college because she had Josie, after all.
Josie’s response to learning that Mama didn’t attend college on her account mirrors how Josie told Nonna earlier that Nonna should’ve left Nonno for Marcus Sandford. But while Josie, as a single young person, might be able to easily make that choice, both Mama and Nonna had their babies to think about—and as Nonna reminded Josie before, becoming a parent changes how a person makes choices.
Themes
Exasperated, Josie asks why nobody does what they want to do. She vows to never let anyone stop her from doing something. Michael notes that Josie’s young and people change; he wanted to be a pilot until he moved to Adelaide and became depressed.
Michael makes it clear here that while Josie has grown up and changed a lot over the course of the novel, she still has a long way to go. Her coming-of-age journey is ongoing—she’ll continue changing well into adulthood.
Themes
Michael puts down his pizza and seems nervous. He says that he and Mama have discussed something, and Josie interjects happily that they’re going to get married. Michael rolls his eyes and says that he’d like Josie to be an Andretti—he’d like to adopt Josie and have her take his last name. Josie slyly suggests he marry Mama so she can change her last name too, but Michael shakes his head. Then, in a serious tone, Josie says she needs time to think—and she calls Michael “Dad.” She tries to decide if she cares about the Alibrandi name, aside from its connections to Mama and Nonna.
By asking Josie to take his last name and allow him to adopt her, Michael demonstrates how he defines family. He and Josie won’t truly be family, he suggests, unless they share a last name as dictated by tradition, and unless Michael is listed on Josie’s birth certificate. Giving Josie the choice, though, is a way for Michael to acknowledge that Josie is becoming an adult and needs to be able to make her own decisions about her identity and who she accepts into her family.
Themes
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Then, Michael reveals that he’s also bought a house nearby in Balmain. Josie is ecstatic and asks if Mama knows. Then, she asks about Michael’s accountant girlfriend. Michael admits that they broke up, and Josie sarcastically says she’s devastated. She asks if this has anything to do with Michael’s “passion” for Mama. They eat the rest of their dinner and then, Michael drives Josie past his new house. It’s small, but it has a second room for Josie. When Michael drops Josie off, Josie tells him she loves him.
Once again, Josie might be maturing—but she nevertheless still knows how to get on Michael’s nerves and annoy him, like a child might. But the fact that Michael bought a house in Sydney also makes it clear that he’s here to stay, both in town and in Josie’s life. And he’s willing to make space for her and make her feel welcome, which is why his new house has a room for her.
Themes
When Josie walks in, Mama is watching TV. Josie sits quietly and wonders how to bring up the adoption and possible name change. Mama doesn’t know about Marcus Sandford, she doesn’t have any idea how meaningless the Alibrandi last name is. Finally, Mama asks if Josie’s made a decision. Josie admits that she feels like she’d be rejecting Mama and Nonna if she became an Andretti. Mama assures Josie that it wouldn’t be a rejection, but she’d still cry. Josie says that she thinks she’d like to change her name to make Michael feel better; he seems very guilty now about abandoning Mama. But, Josie says she doesn’t want to be adopted—she doesn’t need that to have Michael in her life. She and Mama agree that they’re lucky to have Michael.
Though Josie might think the Alibrandi name isn’t particularly meaningful because it doesn’t accurately describe her family lineage, it’s nevertheless meaningful in other ways. It connects her to the most important women in her life—and while Josie appreciates Michael’s presence in her life now, Mama and Nonna have been there for Josie for much longer. Compromising with the name change but not the adoption suggests that Josie is learning that relationships don’t need to be formalized (as through marriage or adoption) to be supportive.
Themes
