Looking for Alibrandi: Multicultralism Vs Peer Pressure Essay Example

are. ‘You can’t hate what you’re part of.

What you are. I resent it most of the time, curse it always, but it’ll be a part of me till the day I die… there is this spot inside me that will always be Italian. ’ (p152) She begins to understand that all Australians will not realize that it is a multicultural society, but she knows her own place and that is what matters. My understanding of this quote is that Josie is proud of who she is and her background and culture but she will always have to deal with racial slurs and even though she might not show it all the time, she loves being an Italian.

At St. Martha’s a catholic all girls school, were most girls were of an Anglo Saxon decent, Josie felt like she did not fit in. She is teased and ridiculed by these girls who did not appreciate people of other nationalities. Josie’s fights with Carly begin when Carly refers to her as a ‘wog’ a racial comment. ‘She called me a wog, amongst other things’ (p88). From this quote the author shows how outsiders view immigrants with such ignorance, referring to them in such racial terms and not accepting them as individuals.

‘Jacob: “Welcome to the nineties, Josephine. Women don’t have to be virgins any more. ” Josie: “Women don’t have to be pushed into things anymore it’s (virginity) not a prize and I’m not a prize. But it’s mine. It belongs to me and I can only give it away once and I want to be sure when it happens Jacob or one

day someone else is doing it. I don’t want to do it, Jacob, because everyone else is doing it. ” (p236) Melina is using a conflict to highlight the pressure that children of immigrants have in being accepted by their peers.

As a Catholic Josie’s views on sex are that you shouldn’t have it before marriage. He puts her under pressure when he just tells Josie that it is not a big deal. Josie knows morally as being a Catholic that it is wrong. In conclusion I believe Melina Marchetta has created a believable world, which is presents to her readers, the conflict that people from different cultures and religions feel between holding up their traditions and beliefs and being accepted by their friends.

Even the title of this novel ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ represents Josephine’s struggle to find her self. By using believable issues such as sex and suicide, which are topics relevant to all teenagers, she is able to spread her message more effectively. The theme of peer pressure and religious/cultural tradition in conflict is very important, especially in Australia where multiculturalism is so strong.