Looking for Alibrandi

by

Melina Marchetta

Marcus Sandford Character Analysis

Marcus Sandford was Nonna’s lover when she was a young woman; he never appears in the novel except for in old photographs. Marcus was an Australian police officer who met Nonna when she lost her composure in the post office. He was, in Nonna’s retelling, one of the only Australians willing to befriend Italian immigrants, and he became extremely close with Nonna and with Zia Patrizia. When the Australian government imprisoned Italian men during World War II, Marcus did everything in his power to get Nonno and Zio Ricardo released; when he failed, he turned his attentions to helping Nonna and Patrizia keep their households running. Nonno disliked Marcus and forbade Nonna from seeing him. However, while it’s common knowledge that Marcus was an important presence in Nonna’s life, Josie is the only family member to ever learn the truth of just how important Marcus was to Nonna. While Nonno was away for several months working in the cane fields, Nonna and Marcus began a sexual relationship. Marcus wanted Nonna to leave Nonno, since he saw how poorly Nonno treated her. But Nonna refused to leave her husband—and though Mama grows up believing Nonno is her father, in truth, Marcus is. Nonna explains to Josie that Mama inherited her kindness and gentleness from Marcus.

Marcus Sandford Quotes in Looking for Alibrandi

The Looking for Alibrandi quotes below are all either spoken by Marcus Sandford or refer to Marcus Sandford. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

“Our circumstances are different, Josephine. I’ve never got on with her. When I was young she used to keep me at such a distance that I used to wonder what I could possibly have done wrong. My father was much worse and it was only after he died that she took a step toward me. By then I kept my distance. With you, it’s different. She’s always wanted to be close to you.”

Related Characters: Mama (speaker), Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi, Nonna Katia, Nonno Francesco, Marcus Sandford
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 25 Quotes

I wonder about life if Nonna had married Marcus Sandford. If Mama had been Christina Sandford, daughter of Marcus Sandford, and not Christina Alibrandi, daughter of an Italian immigrant. Would life have been different for her? Would she have depended on Michael so much and would she have slept with him like she did, which was more out of loneliness caused by her parents than pressured sex?

Related Characters: Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi (speaker), Mama, Nonna Katia, Nonno Francesco, Marcus Sandford, Michael Andretti
Page Number: 261
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26 Quotes

But I think I cried more out of relief than self-pity. Relief because I was beginning to feel free.

From whom?

Myself, I think.

Related Characters: Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi (speaker), Mama, Nonna Katia, Marcus Sandford
Page Number: 264
Explanation and Analysis:

“Oh, Jozzie, you still do not understand,” she sighed. “Could you imagine how life would be for me if I married Marcus? Could you imagine what life would be for my sister? People are cruel. They would make our lives hell. But mostly, Jozzie, tink of Christina. Back then, tink of the way my darling Christina would be treated. It is not like these times, Jozzie. She would have no one. No Australians, no Italians. People would spit at her and say she was nuting.”

Related Characters: Nonna Katia (speaker), Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi, Mama, Nonno Francesco, Marcus Sandford
Page Number: 264
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 32 Quotes

I’ve figured out that it doesn’t matter whether I’m Josephine Andretti who was never an Alibrandi, who should have been a Sandford and who may never be a Coote. It matters who I feel like I am—and I feel like Michael and Christina’s daughter and Katia’s granddaughter; Sera, Anna, and Lee’s friend, and Robert’s cousin.

Related Characters: Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi (speaker), Mama, Nonna Katia, Marcus Sandford, Michael Andretti, Anna, Sera, Lee, Robert
Page Number: 312-313
Explanation and Analysis:
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Marcus Sandford Quotes in Looking for Alibrandi

The Looking for Alibrandi quotes below are all either spoken by Marcus Sandford or refer to Marcus Sandford. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Family Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

“Our circumstances are different, Josephine. I’ve never got on with her. When I was young she used to keep me at such a distance that I used to wonder what I could possibly have done wrong. My father was much worse and it was only after he died that she took a step toward me. By then I kept my distance. With you, it’s different. She’s always wanted to be close to you.”

Related Characters: Mama (speaker), Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi, Nonna Katia, Nonno Francesco, Marcus Sandford
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 25 Quotes

I wonder about life if Nonna had married Marcus Sandford. If Mama had been Christina Sandford, daughter of Marcus Sandford, and not Christina Alibrandi, daughter of an Italian immigrant. Would life have been different for her? Would she have depended on Michael so much and would she have slept with him like she did, which was more out of loneliness caused by her parents than pressured sex?

Related Characters: Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi (speaker), Mama, Nonna Katia, Nonno Francesco, Marcus Sandford, Michael Andretti
Page Number: 261
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26 Quotes

But I think I cried more out of relief than self-pity. Relief because I was beginning to feel free.

From whom?

Myself, I think.

Related Characters: Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi (speaker), Mama, Nonna Katia, Marcus Sandford
Page Number: 264
Explanation and Analysis:

“Oh, Jozzie, you still do not understand,” she sighed. “Could you imagine how life would be for me if I married Marcus? Could you imagine what life would be for my sister? People are cruel. They would make our lives hell. But mostly, Jozzie, tink of Christina. Back then, tink of the way my darling Christina would be treated. It is not like these times, Jozzie. She would have no one. No Australians, no Italians. People would spit at her and say she was nuting.”

Related Characters: Nonna Katia (speaker), Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi, Mama, Nonno Francesco, Marcus Sandford
Page Number: 264
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 32 Quotes

I’ve figured out that it doesn’t matter whether I’m Josephine Andretti who was never an Alibrandi, who should have been a Sandford and who may never be a Coote. It matters who I feel like I am—and I feel like Michael and Christina’s daughter and Katia’s granddaughter; Sera, Anna, and Lee’s friend, and Robert’s cousin.

Related Characters: Josephine “Josie” Alibrandi (speaker), Mama, Nonna Katia, Marcus Sandford, Michael Andretti, Anna, Sera, Lee, Robert
Page Number: 312-313
Explanation and Analysis: