Francesca
An Italian sounding name has a documented meaning of ‘free spirited’. She is also known by ‘Fran’ ’Frankie’ and several others which implies that she has a complicated array of names so she could be complicated person, or at least more complicated then everyone else thinks. The title implies that the main character Francesca is searching for freedom.
Francesca uses more informal terms especially when speaking about and to the other gender.She does occasionally swear but only from annoyance.Francesca speaks in a dramatic manner which she obtains from her mother Mia, and helps reinforce that she wants to become an actress. ”Will anyone notice if I’m gone” quote from Francesca
As Francesca enters into year 10 her home life and school life collide, like 2 cars in a crash, especially because she is at an all boys school that has just began to accept girls, with many more girls than boys you would think that a girl would be in heaven, but Francesca thinks differently although throughout the novel she begins to change hats {so to speak} but eventually she realizes that she doesn’t have to be anyone else except herself. as the book refuses to describe the way she looks and dresses, it leaves the imagination open to change but gives the idea of being neatly dressed because of the way she has been brought up.
Francesca has a neutral attitude to nearly everyone except William Trombal and Thomas McKee to which she has a crush on though flatly denies, her constant argumentswith her mother show her fight for independence and freedom to spread her wings. this helps the story because it helps emphasise the themes like relationships, friends, family, independence and identity.
Francesca changes rolls from shy girl which all the boys seee straight through to being more assertive which brings out her true nature, she relates to others with difficultly at first but as it progresses through the novel her assertive side is forced into the light. In my opinion I feel that Francesca holds back because of a fear of failure and embarrassment that her mother may have instilled in her as a child.
Mia The symbolism of the name Mia is that it’s Latin in origin and means ‘mine’, she is a strong minded person who refuses to give in to anything which makes you suspect that there is something deeper going on inside which is revealed during the novel.
Being a university teacher Mia uses correct grammar and correct expressions and forces her opinion on people during argument and other conversations of the same nature, she is the type of person who even if they no that they are wrong they will not give in to anyone and always believe that they are the one that is right. She can also be a very influential person who can get their point across to anyone who is unsuspecting enough to allow her.
Although the novel doesn’t fully describe Mia’s physical features in detail, it’s the way the author describes her actions and her way of life that give the reader an idea of what she may look like {a clever strategy on the authors part}, the description leads the reader to believe that she is a well presented woman who takes pride in her appearance but, as the depression sets in, Mia lets herself go in certain aspects.
Even though Francesca and Mia continuously argue and say things to each other that they never really mean, they share a very special mother-daughter bond and no matter how much that they say that they hate each other or how badly they say they get treated they always make up and wipe the slate clean ready for another go. Mia and her husband also share a bond that is very special, when they recited their vows they were one couple that took every word to heart which is the main reason that their marrige survived the hardest time of their lives to date.
Mia is not like the stereotypical mother in most aspects but when it comes to the motherly instincts every mother is the same, the way she acts in her own house is different to the way she acts in public which is also a lot like most people today, most people can have a different temperament at home than they do in public which is well emphasised which makes the novel even more realistic.
