Looking for Alibrandi Chapter 30 Summary & Analysis

Jacob and Josie are broken up now; they have been for 10 hours and 30 minutes. It’s official this time because Jacob actually came to tell Josie they were through. Josie goes back to tell readers how it happened: Jacob comes to see Josie, hugs her, and says it’s not her fault—but they should take a break. Josie knows this means they’ll never get back together. Shouting, she asks what she did, but he insists again that it’s not her fault. Jacob says they’re too different, since Josie is an “intellectual” and he’s an “idiot.” Josie got three awards at Speech Night, while he’s not even sure he passed his HSC.

Josie may have demonstrated her maturity in the last several chapters, but her intense reaction to Jacob breaking up with her shows that she’s not finished growing up yet. When confronted with emotionally challenging situations, Josie’s first instinct is to lash out angrily. It’s interesting that Jacob breaks up with Josie because of what he sees as a huge difference in their abilities and ambitions. Josie has recently decided this sort of thing doesn’t matter as much, which begs the question of why Jacob is suddenly so concerned.

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Then, Jacob admits that he’s gone through life not caring about his grades—but Josie makes him feel like a failure for not doing well. He says again he doesn’t want Josie to blame herself. Enraged, Josie insists that he’s not proud of her; Jacob reminds Josie he still hasn’t met Nonna, so she’s clearly not proud of him. He suggests she’s waiting for “a reincarnation of John Barton.” Josie is shocked and reminds him that she’s in mourning, but Jacob quips that he’s not Italian and doesn’t have to follow the cultural rules.

Though Jacob struggles to actually make Josie believe him, he seems to be saying that Josie has shown him that grades are important and can be an indicator of a person’s worth—and he wants to be worthy of Josie. Perhaps unwittingly, Josie helped Jacob come to a new way of evaluating himself and measuring value.

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Josie bellows that she’s “too foreign” for him, but Jacob resents the implication that he’s racist. He insists that he likes her culture and likes that she’s different. He realizes now that he doesn’t want to become a mechanic and marry someone just like him. Josie has shown him that there’s more to life, and he doesn’t want people to see him as a stereotype anymore. He wants to experience new things, but he needs to do it alone. Sobbing, Josie asks if things would be different if they’d had sex. Jacob says he does love Josie, but she was right to refuse sex—she’d probably then expect them to get married. Josie has to be sure of herself before she has sex.

Jacob might not have been able to express himself very well in the previous passage, but here, he articulates far more clearly that Josie has showed him the value of looking at his life through someone else’s eyes. As an Italian immigrant, Josie was able to help Jacob look at his life differently—and now, Jacob wants to continue doing that. He, like Josie, is looking for his “emancipation” so that he can continue to make his own choices and define his identity for himself.

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Josie cries. She’s embarrassed and notices that Jacob is crying too. He tries to hug her, but she tells him to go away. After he leaves, Josie spends the day crying. She cries with Mama and later, with Michael when he comes over. Mama and Michael assure her that it’s okay to be emotional—and that someday, she’ll get over it. Josie knows she’s never getting over it. She’ll never be in love again.

Just as when John died, Josie is able to get through this emotional period thanks to her parents’ support. They might not be able to get through to her that her pain will pass, but they can sit with her, comfort her, and show her that they care through their presence.

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Looking for Alibrandi

Melina Marchetta

Looking for Alibrandi: Chapter 30 Summary & Analysis