The statement "We are free to be who we want to be" can be interpreted to mean that we are able to assume our own identity without having to conform to the expectations or stereotypes of class, culture, peers or gender. In the novel Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta, the protagonist Josephine Alibrandi, desperately wants the freedom to be herself, but has to struggle against the restraints and demands imposed upon her by the Australian and Italian communities resulting in her becoming confused and torn in two directions. Other minor characters in the novel, such as John Barton, Lee and Nonna Katia, also experience similar pressures to conform although they don't achieve emancipation as completely as Josie.

Josie's view on freedom was to escape from the pressure of being made to conform in behaviour and thought from both the Australian and Italian cultures. An example of this...