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How Does Saving Francesca Represent Identity

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The broad definition of identity is a unique set of characteristics that define someone, although identity can change throughout a lifetime. Award-winning author Melina Marchetta writes about identity through the eyes of an adolescent, Francesca. Saving Francesca, a best-selling novel from 2003, set in Sydney, follows Francesca as she discovers her identity throughout her senior years in high school at St. Sebastions. Francesca is introduced as a depressed teenager with no unique identity, relying solely on her mother and friends for her personality traits, modelling her behavior on what she observed in others. Aimed towards young adult readers, this award-winning novel is perfect to understand the importance of identity, alongside Francesca …show more content…

Upon her mother's recovery, she realizes that she wants to embody her mum's personality traits. The constant changes of emotions that Francesca goes through is represented in the quote “When I grow up, I’m going to be my mother.” (Marchetta, 2003, Pg. 231). The aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid aforesaid afor In quoting this, Marchetta has shown that Francesca realizes that her mother is also feeling a range of emotions and decides she needs to be there for her as much as her mum is for Francesca and that she starts to idolize her mum and wants her mother's strength and resilience. This is a big turning point, as during the book she constantly changes her plans depending on her feelings, such as becoming a policeman or the school councilor Brother Lewie, but she finally finds that she wants to be strong, caring, and loving like her mother. There is a recurring symbol throughout the novel of her future uncertainty, where Francesca changes her mind about being a teacher or policeman based on that person’s value in her life at any given moment. Marchetta has portrayed this uncertainty, reflecting how children inherit multiple personality traits from their parents. During this time in the novel Francesca finds that she likes those traits she inherited from her mother, leading her to discover and appreciate that part of her ever-changing identity. Therefore, the audience is ideally positioned to see Francesca's growth as a person throughout the

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