Chloe’s English Blog

Character Name : Francesca Spinelli

Symbolism of name

• Francesca is the Italian feminine form of Franciscus and the meanings include; “Frenchman”, “From France” and “Free-Spirited”
• She has nicknames, the most common of them “Frankie”, she is most addressed by this name by her mother and father.
• Her name is interestingly linked to some of her actions, in parts of the novel she appears to be free and fun loving, however through the course of the story she becomes increasingly timid, inhibited and withdrawn, contrary to the meaning of her name.
• She reminisces of times when she was uncontrolled and was not concerned about what others though of her.

Speech

• Francesca uses mostly informal language, however when she has a point to make she is well spoken, concise and often sarcastic.
• Her words are articulated in a somewhat hostile manner, especially when directed towards male characters and when criticising her peers.

Appearance

• Not much is said about her appearance, however through reading the story, the reader can formulate their own image of what she looks like, based on her actions, emotions and brief descriptions in the text. From the small hints left in the book, not only about her but also about her parents appearance, and heritage (Italian – Dark hair, olive skin etc)

Actions

 Franceseca reacts to each character

• What impact does this have on the narrative (story)?
• How do the characters actions relate to  the themes of the text ?(you need to list the page numbers where you have found your examples)

Other

• Describe the stereotypical nature of the characters and how they relate to their peers or society.
• What do you think about the characters and do you know anyone like them?