Josephine's Perspective Of Her Grandmother Changes example essay topic

Through a variety of texts we can see the concept of change and changing perspective clearly established. Texts including Looking for Alibrandi, Sky High and song lyrics Father and Son each composer of these texts uses a variety of techniques to explore the concept of change. Through these texts, the composers shape our understanding of change by demonstrating how it can be gradual, occurring naturally and how our perspectives can change. They also show why change occurs and the different sorts of change, most of which deals with changing perspectives.

In the prescribed text, 'Looking for Alibrandi,' the author, Melinda March etta demonstrates the concept of change not only through the protagonist, Josephine, but also through minor characters, such as Michael Andretti, Christina and Nona. The novel is written in first person narrator and is about Josephine Alibrandi, a catholic girl, in her final year of high school. Throughout the year Josie changes her perspective on many issues including family background and culture, identity, relationships and importance of social standing and wealth. An important event in the novel that changes Josephine's perspective and helps shape our understanding of the concept is the meeting of her father, Michael Andretti. Josie believes he has betrayed her mother while she was pregnant and he didn't want the responsibility of a father's role. When she first meets him she encounters the resemblance of likeness between them both, though she does not make it known to him.

Josephine and her father then agree to keep out of each other's lives. Josephine is then confused; this is shown when she says", I honestly wanted to see him again". If she did not choose to make contact with him during the Carly Bishop incident with the science book the relationship would have not grown. After that, she likes the feeling of having a father figure and becomes "proud to be an Andretti", and at this moment her perspective of her father changes.

Another major theme in 'Looking for Alibrandi', is identity, Josephine has a change in perspective on her own identity. In the beginning of the novel, Josephine believes that her appearance and ethnic background is the deciding factor of her social acceptance. She also believes that because she is at a wealthy school on a scholarship and has no father she is looked down upon. Also on the theme of identity, comes culture. Josephine's culture is more of a gradual change than her perspective on herself. John Barton's death was a change in Josie's life that she had no control of.

John Barton's death makes Josephine realise that her culture and family are not that bad. She realises that others have it much worse than her. Eventually Josephine decides, "You can't hate what you are apart of". Initially Josephine is ashamed of her family's yearly ritual of 'tomato day' and would hate it if anybody found out about it, but in the end she claims that she will always take part in it because it is part of her culture and her culture makes up her identity. Also Josephine's perspective of her grandmother changes from viewing her as a nagging old women to having a loving, caring and respectful relationship with her.

Initially Josie dreads having to spend time with her grandmother as she emphasises "My main objective in life at the moment is to get on my grandmothers nerves". By the end of the novel Josie is able to recognise her Nona's full worth and she cries as she realises "I am loved by the two strongest women I'd ever meet in my lifetime". The text, Sky High, shows the change of perspective by, the author, Hannah Robert. We see two of her perspectives, one of which is as a child and the other as a grown woman. While reminiscing, Hannah outlines her childhood perspective of her backyard and the world. As a child the author was innocent and free.

She describes herself climbing onto the old clothesline as if it is a mission. As an adult she reaches up to the same clothesline and sees her hands "beginning to accumulate the line-etched story of life in scars and wrinkles". Since being a child the author has faced many experiences forcing her to grow up. She is no longer the innocent child she once was and now has a much more of a cynical perspective of her life. Although she has an urge to swing off the clothesline, from an older perspective she realises that this would be irresponsible and that the clothesline would no longer support her weight. Cat Stevens explores different emotions and views on change in his song 'father and son'.

The character of the father presents his perspective on life as you shouldn't force change instead, let it occur around you. Which is evident in the lyrics, "just relax... take it easy". The perspective of the son has a completely different viewpoint on life. He anticipates be experiencing life, enjoying the action and making changes. Through the lyrics it is seen that the son can no longer ignore his strong desire to experience life, this can be seen in the lyrics, "it's hard but it's harder to ignore it".

All of these texts are ones that suggest change and changing perspectives. The composers demonstrate the many different ways change can be brought about and the ways in which our perspectives influence our perceptions.