Jade’s English Blog

Symbolism of name Francesca   

The name Francesca comes from France and means freedom. It originates from the Latin version of old French. In the novel Saving Francesca, whose major theme is: Identity, Freedom and Relationships. Francesca’s life is complicated. She doesn’t express who she is and as the protagonist her life journey whilst at St Sebastian’s, her high school becomes the whole reason why the novel is written.As the central character she has several names like ‘Frankie, Fran and Francesca ’. People call her different names because they have experienced her in different ways. This leads to her own sense of confusion. “ I miss the Stella girls telling me who I am. That I’m sweet and placid and accommodating and loyal and non-threatening and good to have around. And Mia I want her to say “Frankie, you’re silly, you’re lazy, you’re talented, you’re passionate, you’re restrained, you’re blossoming, you’re contrary.” I want to be an adjective again. But I’m a noun. A nothing. A nobody. A no one.”

Speech 

Francesca doesn’t like to swear she finds many words offensive an example of this is when she first starts to hang out with Jimmy Hailer. She says, “He is the foulest mouthed boy I’ve ever come across and constantly uses the C word. I tell him it offends me and he calls me a prude. So be it. I’m a prude.”  She is very formal with the teachers and male students at her school. It’s like she doesn’t know how to re-act to them because she doesn’t know who she is.  

Actions  

Francesca re-acts differently to different people. When she is around the boys of St Sebastians Francesca is very ‘straight forward’-forthright and is very honest. “Bitch” no “just honest”. (Quote) Her peers at school don’t know how to re-act to Francesca. They either think she is strangely weird in how she relates to them. (Check how to insert quote) “The camp does hit a few low points. But I get to know people I have never spoken to. Some tell me they thought I was weird until now.” 

 Saving Fracncesca is a novel written by Melina Marchetta, is based around a true story. It’s a story about one girls struggle to fit in and be noticed.  She has to start at a new school that has just start accepting girls, all of her friends have gone to a all girls school that Francesca desperatly wanted to go to. By going to a new school she had to make new alliances and even find her self at St Stella’s her old friends were her identity she was told who she was and what she could do. When ever she was doubting herself she would just ask her friends who am I? Like she didn’t know herself.

Francesca’s mum Mia is head strong and won’t let Francesca go to another all girl’s school because of the “limitations” that the girls leave with. She has strong beliefs in expressing yourself she doesn’t like to think that their are limits in life. 

The very first sentence in chapter one is intriguing, you don’t know anything about the character but you can feel her despair and have empathy for her. It inspires you to read on and to see why her mother doesn’t get out of bed. The sentence is so plain and simple that you just have to know more details. It is a clever use of the English language. 

The girls are not comfortable with the way that the boys at St Sebastian’s are treating them. There are in total thirty girls that are going to St Sebastians and the girls have decided they need to do something about the way they are being treated. 

The search for happiness and its denial is the main plot for the movie, Dead Poets Society. The film, a drama, is centred around an exclusive USA Private boys school. The films setting stunning scenery is highly imaginative and symbolic.

People are always searching for happiness. To be happy you need to be free. Neil Perry a character out of the film has no control he felt trapped. When people don’t have the freedom to be happy they do all sorts of crazy things from suicide to becoming a refugee.

Robin Williams is the main actor in the film his acting is superb. His character had a great dialogue to work with. The characters personality suits Robin Williams excessively.  His character says Carpe Diem “Seize the day make your life extraordinary” this saying really gets to the boys and they find a new way of life. they see that they can take control and do what they feel is right. Mr Williams passion for the English language and life is unconsciously transferred to the boy’s.

Neil and the other members of the Dead Poets Society only felt free when they were reading and writing poetry. They found a way of expressing themselves where they had all the power.The boy’s were under great pressure from home with their parents trying to live the boy’s lives for them.