Francesca Spinnelli

Symbolism of name- Free, freedom

Does the name symbolise anything about the character or novel?  Francesca is an Italian name which means free, to be free, freedom. I believe the reason the author has chosen this name is because not only is the author also Italian and has previously written about Italian teenagers in Australia but because the novel is about Francesca’s search for freedom, independence, belonging and finding herself.

Speech- Francesca is a smart girl but very restrained in her opinions. People mistake her as quiet and shy but really she is acting because she is afraid of being noticed and standing out.

Colloquial expressions, formal vs. informal language, use of swearing (blasphemy), other. Francesca uses more informal language than formal. Francesca doesn’t swear often although when angry, frustrated or emotional in general swear for her is not odd especially towards her father.

Appearance-Clothing, mannerisms, disfigurations, age, sex. Francesca is a 16 year old girl (female) of Italian descent. The author doesn’t mention the clothes she wears but I would presume that Francesca would dress like most other because otherwise she would stand out. Francesca mopes around a lot and always seems to be depressed this behaviour draws attention to her which is the exact opposite of what she wants.

Actions-Francesca found it hard to be accepted at St Sebastian’s because of her gender. This is perhaps because she reacts differently with different people for example with boys at school she is negative and honest. The boys at St Sebastian’s also didn’t like how she acted shy and always muttered her opinions under her breath.