Introduction

Beginning: Here is my introduction

You can’t be angry with what you’re made of. What you’re. Identity is a very important concept in today’s society. Identity goes beyond external characteristics, but is more about internal elements. Individuals tend to define others by their skin colour, ethnicity and their environment. Teenagers’ self-identity plays a vital role in shaping their identity as they grow into adulthood. Identity also affects the actions of a person, their behavior and their decisions. Those who are raised with a strong cultural and religious tradition may struggle to find their identity. In ‘Looking for Alibrandi’and Beneath Clouds,’ the theme that adolescents struggle with their own identity is represented via the stories Josephine Alibrandi Lena Vaughn. It also includes the authors ideology, theme use, emotion, movie techniques, body-language and aesthetic devices. Melina Marette’s 1992 book “Looking for Alibrandi”, along with Ivan Sen 2002 film “Beneath Clouds”, both are popular texts that address the ever-present issue of Identity. Melina’s novel was set in the 80’s. It is about teenage girls and their struggles. The concept of identity also appears in Ivan Sen’s film “Beneath Clouds”. It is seen as a major issue for the two protagonists, Lena and Vaughn. Identity is crucial for teenagers as they try on many different identities and discover their true selves. The author has created a theme that is based on their ideology, which allows viewers and reader to have empathy for Josie Lena Vaughn. Melinda Marchetta has written “Looking fo Alibrandi”, an Australian novel. She is also a teacher and a writer. It is about a girl named Josephine Alibrandi who has an Italian grandparent, Italian mother and Italian father. They each have different views on their cultural background. Josie’s actions, behaviors and feelings show that she has had a difficult time growing up as a Second-Generation Italian in Australia, despite being of Italian descent. Her father is from another culture. Josie’s aspirations and ambitions go beyond her Italian roots, and this is why she perceives it differently than her Nona or Mother. The novel shows that Josie is very frustrated by her culture, which has created major issues in her social relationships. Josie’s identity perception has led to her being isolated from her family, her school friends and even her own culture. Josie is a teenager who values her identity. She finally learns to embrace the Italian culture, but she first struggles with her job, father figure and friends. Melinda Marchetta’s novel has Josie as its protagonist, but she doesn’t have a father. Josie must learn to put everything together and find out who she truly is. Josie is an illegitimate child, and throughout the book, her thoughts, feelings, and actions express that she hates her father. Josie, Christiana and their families have been critiquing them for years because Christiana was the one who had Josie so young. This was seen as a big mistake in Italian culture. Melinda portrays Christina Alibrandi as a woman who has strong convictions and is a determined individual. Christina does not get along with her mom, Katia. Marchetta portrays Katia Alibrandi as the main Italian influence on the Alibrandi clan. Katia Alibrandi, a first generation immigrant in Australia, had to face racism, exclusion and segregation as she struggled to survive. Katia Alibrandi embodies strong morals in her portrayal of Josie. She was forced to marry a man at an early age, moved to another country and was deeply in love. Ivan Sen’s film “Looking for Alibrandi” is similar to Melina’s book. It explores the identity of adolescents. Josie’s and Lena’s characters share some similarities. Josie, who is an Australian of Italian descent, finally accepts her multicultural background. Ivan Sen uses techniques in film such as film codes, camera angles and bodylanguage to portray the rejection Lena feels. Lena in the film is shown to be a woman who has a difficult relationship not only with her mother and stepfather, but also with those living in her outback region. Ivan Sen’s film focuses on the loneliness and melancholy themes. Lena, Ty and the road trains that pass by are shown walking down a dusty road. Lena’s expressions make the viewer feel sympathetic for the situation she is in. Ty tells Lena she might be pregnant. Lena responds, “You’ll never get out of this shithole.” Lena is living a hard life in her home town, as Ivan shows. Her brother was taken away by the police when she arrived home. Lena’s anger at her brother, herself, and her stepfather and mother, as well as her own body language, displays. She leaves with a little money, her backpack and a photo album that is all she remembers of her dad. Lena appears to be a white teenager with greenish eyes. Her only indigenous traits are her way of speaking and how she reacts in certain situations. Lena’s choice is to be white or to hate her native background. In the film she refuses a lift offered by an elderly lady, because Vaughn wasn’t acknowledged. She then accepts a bartender’s offer of a cocktail, and again Vaughn’s identity as an aboriginal is not acknowledged. Lena is identified as Irish by Lena throughout the journey. Again, she resents her aboriginal cultural heritage. Lena appears as an intelligent, determined, teenager with high aspirations. She believes that by leaving her indigenous heritage behind she will be able to achieve more. Lena is evasive when an elderly woman asks Lena about her background in the car. Ivan Sen portrays Lena through different camera angles. Her body language and voice are very expressive and aggressive. Vaughn, unlike Lena’s character, builds his identity entirely on his native heritage. Vaughn appears in films as an aboriginal man who is driven by anger and criminality. While in prison, his attitude towards whites who discriminate against the culture of Vaughn was aggressive. Sen’s movie will make viewers empathize with Vaughn because he feels that no one is interested in him. Ivan Sen’s film uses a special technique to illustrate the similarities of Vaughn being transported on a truck and then to an abattoir. Sens cuts between a closeup of Vaughns eye and another closeup of a mare’s. The melancholic background music reinforces the fact that he is aware of his fate. ConclusionBeneath cloud and Looking for Alibrandi are two films that explore a variety of issues relating to indigenous Australians as well non-indigenous Australians. Both Lena and Vaugh have dysfunctional family situations, alcoholism or violence, and cultural identity issues. Lena Vaughn and both of them are in situations where both are looking for a new identity. Lena, who wants to connect with her dying mother and avoid her native background is searching to find the Irish father.