Jade’s English Blog

Saving Francesca: Character Analysis

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.” 

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