Think about these two questions and begin to formulate your responses to them; I would like you to keep these questions in mind as your read Winterson since I think they are important but difficult questions. I hope to discuss them with you both before and after Spring Break.
1. Why does Winterson title the chapters using the Old Testament instead of the New Testament?
Also, please note, she follows the Old Testament Order until after the penultimate chapter when she skips many books and jumps all the way to the Scroll of Ruth.Why does Winterson do this?
2.Examine the bipartite structure of this text as it is divided between the plot of Little Jeanette's life story and a fantasy, fairy-tale-like-myth. For example, see pages 9-10 in the first chapter, pages 61-67 in the third chapter, and pages 112-113, etc. Why does Winterson structure this text in such a manner? Does this structure work? Take one or two of the mythic sections and explain why it is essential to the chapter? Why couldn't the themes of those sections have been integrated into the plot in some other way? Please explain.
Please be aware there are no "right" answers to the above questions, but in order to respond to the questions, especially to #2, you need to spend some time thinking. After doing so, please create your own argument for why you believethe book is structured the way it is. What are the virtues of such a structure? What insights does this structure offer that could not be offered otherwise?
I look forward to your posts.
2. Jeanette uses fairy tales to help her understand her life and the ideas/events that are present in it. From one view the tales may be seen as distracting, but Winterson's technique of placing them in the midst of a chapter, with no transitions, can also be seen as a way to force the reader to take special note of the story and of it's symbolic importance (as opposed to just skimming past it or overlooking it if it were mixed in with the rest of the text). From this stance, I think Winterson's structure does work because it makes the reader stop and really think about why the specific fairy tale was chosen and what the meaning behind it might be.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, one of the first instances where Jeanette encounters doubt in the church’s teachings takes place in Leviticus, as she says, “The sermon was on perfection, and it was at this moment that I began to develop my first theological disagreement. Perfection, the man said, was a thing to aspire to.” She continues, “’Perfection,’ he announced, ‘is flawlessness’" (60). Directly following this passage, she begins telling a fairy tale about a beautiful, wise, independent woman who agrees to spend three days and nights with a prince who is searching for a perfect wife ("without blemish inside or out, flawless in every respect" 61). When the prince believes he has found that in the princess and thus proposes to her, she rejects him, as marriage is not something that really interests her. The princess goes on to say that she is not blemish-free and that what the prince is really searching for is balance and harmony (64). The point the princess is trying to make is parallel to Jeanette's belief: perfection is not flawlessness, for flawlessness does not exist, but instead a "perfect balance of qualities and strengths" (64). Just as the princess' opinion is a representation of Jeanette's, the prince's are a representation of Pastor Spratt's opinion, who also believes that perfection is flawlessness. Therefore, this specific tale's purpose is to allow Jeanette to articulate and better comprehend her feelings surrounding her disagreement with the pastor’s teaching, which is an overwhelming, profound realization for her since she is raised in such a religious environment. The tale also fits within the specific chapter because Leviticus is the book in the Bible that deals with the priestly laws, rituals, etc., which is exactly what Jeanette is rejecting in Pastor Spratt's sermon.
Although it would be possible to make the same point without isolating the tale, I think if Winterson had integrated it into the main text or eased into it with transitions or an introduction, the overall strength of her message would decrease. The virtue of this specific structure is the in-your-face quality of it, which would be lost using a less direct technique.
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ReplyDeleteThe Old Testament contains many social issues that are still relatable to modern life. Temptation, abandonment, violence, and betrayal are among the challenges of God's chosen people. The New Testament also exposes these themes of humanity; however, the majority of the New Testament revolves around Jesus Christ. Because both Jewish and Christian people are familiar with Old Testament stories, Jeanette Winterson might have desired a greater accessibility for both religions.
ReplyDeleteWinterson’s novel begins with Genesis, which is the first book of the Old Testament. Genesis also means “the action of building up from simple or basis elements to more complex ones” (OED). In both contexts of the word, there are strong emphases on the beginning of creation. Winterson chooses Genesis as the first chapter in her novel, because it is chronologically correct; however, it is also the beginning of the character, Jeanette’s experiences in the world. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:1). In the Bible, God brings light to darkness, creates day for night, and man for woman. These concepts all have opposites. Jeannette sees the world similarly to the book of Genesis, because of her mother’s black and white view of life: “She had never heard of mixed feelings. There were friends and enemies” (3).
While Winterson includes “Ruth” as one of the chapters in her novel, because of the power of women in this book of the Old Testament. The story of Ruth involves sacrifice, as well as, unconditional love. Similarly to Ruth, Jeanette seems faithful to the people in her life that care about her. When Naomi’s son die and their wives are instructed to return to their homeland, Ruth stays with Naomi. She is faithful woman who risks her own life to protect another. “Ruth” is the only book in the Bible with a woman’s title. She is relentless about her cause. Jeanette, even in the first two chapters, is strong-willed, firm in her beliefs, and confronts the hardships in her life with stubbornness.
I believe the first reason why the chapters are titled by the Old Testament is because of Jeanette’s mother. Jeanette states early on that, “[My mother] was Old Testament through and through. Not for her the meek and paschal Lamb, she was out there, up front with the prophets, and much given to sulking under trees when the appropriate destruction didn’t materialize. Quite often it did, her will or the Lord’s I cannot say” (4). I think that the Jeanette, in the first two chapters at least, is following her mother’s will. She definitely has a voice of her own but doesn’t use it yet. She believes that her mother knows her future at this point and therefore the chapter titles are based upon Jeanette’s mother’s values.
ReplyDeleteThere is also some symbolism behind these chapter titles. Jeanette’s upbringing is largely based on her mother’s religion, and therefore so are the chapters of her life. Beginning with Genesis, typically known as the creation story, we learn where Jeanette comes from, her origin. Exodus means “going-out” or “departure” and in this chapter Jeanette goes to school for the first time. I don’t know what the later chapters hold yet but I’m sure there will be relevance between the name of the Bible book and the events in Jeanette’s life.
Because of that connection between the book name and the chapter title, I believe the jump to Ruth is quite meaningful. The Book of Ruth is about allegiance to family, personal growth, and love and honor. I am excited to see how Jeanette’s life will develop to the point where it may be relevant to Ruth’s.
The structure of this text seems confusing at first but after a close reading the breaks from Jeanette's story are actually crucial to the novel. The story is being told by Jeanette as she remembers elements of her history and therefore jumps around as she recalls different things. For example, Jeanette often interjects her story with different stories that seem to not have a place in the chapter without any transitions, for example, in Genesis she tells a story about a princess and an old hunchback that has seemingly know connection to the text (9-10). Immediately following this she begins the story of her adoption, which reminds me of the immaculate conception of the virgin Mary. Jeanette says, "My mother, out walking that night, dreamed a dream and sustained it in daylight...she followed a star until it came to settle over an orphanage, and in that place was a crib, and in that crib, a child" (10). Following these two stories, Jeanette jumps right back into the main story of the chapter as if nothing had happened.
ReplyDeleteAs Jeanette gets older she begins to question her sexuality and experiment with what that means for her, her family and her congregation. She quickly learns that she will not be excepted as she is and has to under an exorcism to rid herself of her homosexual daemons. Thankfully, Jeanette knows that she must follow her heart and not conform to what others say she should be.
I believe that Jeanette tells these seemingly random stories mid chapter to show us the power of story and that they are all just fantasy. Jeanette is brought up to never question the bible or disagree with it. I think that the fantasy stories used throughout the novel are there to show the reader that the bible and this novel, along the stories (the princess, the stone, etc) are all open to our own interpretation. In addition, I think this is one of the reason why the chapters are titled after stories in the bible. Jeanette re-tells the stories of the bible in relation to her own life.
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ReplyDelete2.)
ReplyDeleteI feel that Winterson intertwines the fantasy and fairy-tale-like-myths into the main text of the book because they enhance the plotline of Little Jeanette’s childhood. Although I am not quite mid-way through the piece, the few times I have encountered her diversion from plotline into fantasy, the stories have served as a reminder that even though Jeanette appears to be grappling with serious, adult-like issues, she is still only a child. The bipartite structure of the text works in Winterson’s book because the myths have relevance to not only the content of the chapters, but they also provide the reader with an insight into Little Jeannette’s mind as she transforms the reality of the problems in her own life into fantastic interpretations.
For example, in the chapter Genesis, Jeanette recalls the story of her mother’s conversion. Although it is not blatantly stated, it is hinted at that her mother had been enticed by more than just Pastor Spratt’s Glory Crusade. Following her recollection, the text abruptly shifts to a mythical fantasy about a princess who agrees to take on the responsibilities of the hunchback so that the old woman is able to die. The plot then shifts, yet again, to a detailed account of her mother’s decision to adopt. Although it might be a stretch, I interpreted the fantasy as Jeanette’s own childlike version of her mother’s conversion. Jeanette’s mother must leave her “old-self” behind (the hunchback) in order to convert into her new religion which entails new responsibilities. Through her new outlook on religion, Jeanette’s mother must symbolically take “charge [of] the small village of homely people, to whom she [would be] an advisor and friend,” just as the princess did in Little Jeanette’s story. (9) The fantasy is related to the title of the chapter, Genesis, because, as does the story in the bible, Jeanette’s myth tells the tale of new beginnings. “The princess agreed to stay and forgot all about the palace and the moths.” (10) Like her mother’s “romantic” account of how she found her faith, Jeanette formulates her own quixotic version of the story from the perspective of a seven year old child. (9)
Winterson’s unique structure provides her audience with insights into Little Jeanette’s mind and gives the character a voice of her own which may have otherwise been difficult to establish under the tyranny of her mother. I enjoy Jeanette’s random interjections because it enables the reader to get a glimpse into the wandering imagination of a child during their youth. Jeanette must venture into the unknown in her mind and in her stories since it is forbidden to venture off from what is “good and right” in the reality of her own life under the strict religious rule of her mother.
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ReplyDeleteWhen I first encountered the first mythical section in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, I was very confused. I had to go back and reread the section. The passages seem very out of place, and it is very hard to understand why Jeanette Winterson incorporated them into her book so randomly. These fairy tale fantasies must have a purpose in the text. In my opinion, I believe Winterson might have put these passages into the text to symbolize the fairy tale that Jeanette’s mother lives in. Her mother believes that she is religious and righteous; however, I believe Jeanette is more religious than her mother. The mother is judgmental and bias throughout the story. For example, the mother judges individuals who shop at Maxi Balls. These individuals are described as desperate, careless and poor (Winterson 5). This judgmental behavior is not appropriate for someone who is “very religious”. I feel as if Jeanette’s mother views religion as a game. For example, when Jeanette’s mother converted, she received a pot plant. It seems strange that gifts would be given away for such a thing. Also Bible quizzes were common; this practice also seems abnormal to me. Instead of teaching Jeanette the positive lessons from the Bible, her mother focuses on using scare tactics to prevent Jeanette from doing “unjustly” things. For example, she refers to school as the “breeding ground”, and does not allow Jeanette to hang out with the two “women that do not have husbands”.
ReplyDeleteJeanette’s mother is very narrow-minded. Jeanette is not in this fantasy fairy tale world like her mother. Even as a young girl, Jeanette is brilliant and alert during her childhood. Jeanette is not as judgmental as her mother, and she also gives out more respect to people.
I believe Winterson throws the random mythical sections in the story to show how religion confused Jeanette as a child. Just like I was confused when coming along to this fairy tale, Jeanette is confused with her mother’s practices as a young girl. Jeanette’s mother does not inform Jeanette of any reasoning behind her practices and opinions. For example, when Jeanette asks her mother to teach her French, her mother refuses. When Jeanette asks her mother why, her mother “muttered something about [Jeanette] being too young, that [she’d] find out sooner than later, that it was nasty” (Winterson 16). Her mother does not give her relevant reasoning for anything.
When reading the passage on pages 9 and 10 for the first time, it seems as if it does not fit in with the book. Winterson throws it in the middle of her chapter, and it ends abruptly. A line that sticks out to me in that passage is when the old woman tells the princess, “you are in danger of being burned by your own flame” (Winterson 9). I believe this line can be connected to Jeanette’s mother. She practices her religion and makes sure others see her as religious; however, she is not truly religious like Jeanette. She is going to “get burned by her own flame” because she is being somewhat hypocritical throughout the book. She claims to be very religious; however, she is judgmental and at times fails to consider the fact that humans sin.
Also, on pages 61 through 67, Winterson is using a fantasy passage to deliver a message to her reader. This passage is also incorporated in the story randomly. Once again, this shows the confusion that Jeanette is feeling as a child. The passage does not make sense to you at first, just like Jeanette’s ideas of religion does not make complete sense while growing up. I believe Winterson is using the passage to compare the Prince to many religious followers. Many individuals who follow religion and focus on “perfection” lose sight of a lot of things in life. Humans are not perfect; we are not flawless; we all sin. I feel as if Jeanette understands this concept and has more of a realistic view on life than her mother.
(cont.) Jeanette Winterson had a reason for putting these passages in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. I believe these passages are essential in the book. The passages represent the confusion in Jeanette’s life, and each passage delivers a distinct message that connects with the rest of the book.
ReplyDelete1. Winterson titles the chapters of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit using the Old Testament instead of the New Testament. Winterson does this because the Old Testament is about the laws given by Christ and the origin of sin. Much of the book, from what I have read so far, is about Jeanette’s mother’s rules which can be considered “laws” and what is sinful. For example, a law or rule of her mother’s is not to go to school because “They’ll lead you a stray” and it was “…the Breeding Ground” (16-17). By calling school a “Breeding Ground” Jeanette’s mother believes that school is a place of sin and sin is depicted in the Old Testament. Also, Jeanette learns another thing that is sinful, sex. She says, “I didn’t know quite what fornicating was, but I had read about it in Deuteronomy, and I knew it was a sin” (54). The Old Testament explains to the Jewish people what sin is, and Jeanette’s mother does the same for her as well.
ReplyDeleteThe Old Testament is also about external religious activities where the New Testament is instead more about the internal connection with Christ. In this novel, Jeanette witnesses much external religion rather than internal by her mother. For example, when observing her mother praying she sees that “She [Jeanette’s mother] always prayed standing up, because of her knees, just as Bonaparte always gave orders from his horse, because of his size. I do think that the relationship my mother enjoyed with God had a lot to do with positioning” (4). This shows that her mother is concerned with how she prays really instead of what she prays for because her appearance to the Lord is what she believes matters most. Also, another example of why the Old Testament books are the titles of the chapters in this novel is what Pastor Spratt does during his ceremonies. Pastor Spratt, “…performed healing miracles. He was very impressive. My mother said he looked like Errol Flynn, but holy. A lot of women found the Lord that week” (8). The external religious aspect of being “impressive” is having nothing to do with internal connections with the Lord that the New Testament expresses and is why Winterson uses the Old Testament to title her chapters of her novel.
Winterson wrote this novel, “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit”, using a bipartite structure. The text is broken up between two parts which includes the life story of Jeanette and fairy-tale-like-myths. The first time I took notice of this structure it confused me, but, after I had some time to think about possible reasons for this, I was able to see the value in using this structure. Although I have only read the first two chapters, I would classify little Jeanette as having a bipartite personality. The character of Jeanette is divided between the submissive little girl who obeys her mother’s orders and the independent young woman who begins to think for herself.
ReplyDeleteJeanette’s home-life revolves around her mother’s religion. As a matter of fact, her mother’s religion is responsible for Jeanette being adopted into the family in the first place. Even as a young girl Jeanette was aware of her mother’s purpose for taking her from the orphanage. She rehearsed the event when her mother decided “She would get a child, train it, build it, dedicate it to the Lord: a missionary child, a servant of God, a blessing” (10). Jeanette’s mother failed to take into consideration the fact that the child she took from the orphanage would have a mind of her own. Her mother is extremely devoted to her religious practices and instills in her daughter the idea that religion is all that matters. Her education is focused entirely on religious books, which are fairy-tale-like stories in themselves. It is not until Jeanette’s mother is ordered to enroll her in school that Jeanette’s education revolves around anything but religion. I believe that the fairy-tale-like structure comes from the fact that her mother overloaded her with fairy-tale-like stories. Jeanette received no lessons based on reality, which is why her life story in the novel is interrupted with these fairy-tales. Jeanette is forced to play two separate roles once she begins attending school because her knowledge of religion is not sufficient in getting her through her new responsibilities as a student. Jeanette expresses her disappointment and confusion when her work is not praised at school because she knows the same work would have been praised at her church. The second part of Jeanette’s personality is the part she develops on her own, without the overwhelming influence of her mother. While reading I saw some examples of this when she challenges her mother’s ideas. She talks about how her mother complains about a radio “’programme about the family life of snails’” (21). Her mother responds to this topic by saying “’The family life of snails, it’s an Abomination, it’s like saying we come from monkeys’” (21). Jeanette challenges her mother by responding “’No Mum …it’s not like that at all’” (21). Jeanette begins to question if her mother’s ideas have always been correct. Jeanette expresses that “A thrill of excitement ran through me” (29) when her friend Elsie Norris agreed to teach her about numerology “because I knew my mother disapproved” (29). These two different roles, which Jeanette is forced to play, have an influence on the way Winterson decided to structure the text. This is effective because it allows the reader to gain a deeper understanding of Jeanette’s experience and the confusion she must have felt as a young girl.
The reason Winterson included the mytic section about the princess and the old hunchback women because this reflects her life (9). Jeanette’s mother is a symbol of the old hunchback women who “wished to die, but could not because of her many responsibilities” (9). After the women found someone to take over her responsibilities she was comforted because the people of the village would be cared for. The old woman was able to die without guilt. This fairy-tale reflects the life of Jeanette. Jeanette’s mother adopted her with hopes of training and building her into a servant of God (10). The reason Jeanette’s mother adopted her was because she wanted the comfort of knowing that once she passes away her daughter will be able to continue her work.
I believe that Winterson uses the Old Testament because of her upbringing. The back of the book states, “Jeannette Winterson was raised by a family of Pentecostal evangelists and was destined to become a missionary. While looking up more information about Jeannette Winterson I came across a critic who said that Oranges are Not the Only Fruit is a semi biography of Winterson’s childhood. Which could be one of the main reasons why the book is divided into chapters of the Old Testament. Winterson starts off her novel with the chapter called Genesis. In Genesis in the Old Testament it is the beginning of the world and the beginning of the Jewish people just like Winterson’s first chapter is the development of her main character and her main character’s childhood. The main character, Jeannette, shares stories about how her mother raised her. Her mother read her stories of Daniel and Jonah and the Whale. Jeannette took these stories and tried to apply them to her life as her mother was applying religion to hers. She watched her mother as a young child pray and worship. Her mother was her school and her education for the beginning of her life until the laws made her mother send her to school in the chapter Exodus. The book of Exodus in the Old testament tells stories about the Jewish people’s escape from Egypt and how Moses lead them away from Egypt and into a covenant with God. This chapter in Oranges Are not the Only Fruit begins Jennette’s new chapter in her life. She was made to go to public school by the law and there in school she is introduced to many different ways of life but she still stays true to her mother’s way of life. So in a way she has made a covenant with her mother and refuses to change her view on the world that her mother helped her develop. And in the chapters to come I believe that the main theme expressed in the Old Testament books will be expressed into the chapters. The Old Testament is used because there was no savior, no Jesus. This could be read that there was no one to save Jeannette from her way of life but herself, which is if she wanted to be saved. When researching the different books of the bible I did not see the large jump from Judges to Ruth. I saw that the order of the books when from The Book of Judges to the Scrolls of Ruth. Maybe by chance I am not looking up the correct information. Although I do not see this jump I can understand why she choose the Scroll of Ruth. This part of the Old Testament is all about Women and how powerful they are and how they can take measures into their own hands. For example Ruth asks a man to marry her not the other way around which at that day and age was very forward. Naming the last chapter of her book Ruth could be a very powerful ending of a book that looks to promote female independence.
ReplyDeleteBy using the old testament books to name the chapters Winterson symbolically links her work to the Biblical text. The old testament is really about being bound by the law. Before Jesus came to fulfill the law righteousness was only attainable through works and sacrafice. Like Jeanette the chosen people were burdened by laws that outlined perfection and were simply unrealistic to keep. I definitely feel like Jeanette experienced a similar oppression as the chosen people from her mother. The book of Ruth discusses the fruits of obedience and faithfulness. I haven't finished the text yet but I imagine Jeanette being rewarded for her faithfulness to her mother as Ruth was for her faithfulness to Naomi.
ReplyDeleteWinterson uses the Old Testament to name her chapters because of her upbringing. She starts out the book discussing her mothers religious beliefs and how she prayed every morning. She started the day, after prayer by saying, "The Lord is good" to her daughter. The back of the book also explains that Winterson was raised by a family of devout Pentecostal evangelists and was supposed to become a missionary. Genesis is the first chapter in the Old Testament so that would explain why she would start her first chapter of as that. Also her upbringing was centered around stories from the bible, bible passages being read to her and spending a lot of time either in church or around church events. I looked up the Old Testament but could not find a jump between Judges and Ruth so I am not sure about the large jump. However, I think Winterson chose to end her book with this, Ruth, as the title. It appears that this book in the Old Testament is focused on women. That it tells them that their destiny is up to them and that they can do things for themselves. This reflects in Winterson's personal life since this book appears to be a semi-biography about her upbringing, her struggle to find herself and be the person she was comfortable with.
ReplyDeleteThe chapters in Jeanette Winterson’s novel Oranges are not the only fruit are sequenced into the Old Testament books. The Old Testament is also called the “Old Covenant”. It is the history of creation, clear judgment, and good versus evil. In the first two chapters little Jeanette says that her mother only reads the Old Testament and that is the only version she teaches her daughter. Looking online the first five chapters of the novel are the Jewish laws also called the Torah. The next two chapters are the prophets and the last is the scroll. To me I think that she made the chapters go into that order because of her belief. She has a strong belief in her religion and it is portrayed in her character of Jeanette. Little Jeanette is so headstrong about her religion that nobody could tell her otherwise unless it’s her mother. Her mother reads her the bible every morning and instills in her head the practice and belief of the Christian faith whether it is wrong or right. Maybe by using the Old Testament chapters she is making her own bible by writing this novel. She is setting her own rules and commandments in her life and sharing it with everyone. Throughout this novel there are various references to religion and ways that little Jeanette learns from her religion. In this novel religion is the way of life for Jeanette and if she didn’t have it what would she be? Would she be as persistent in her school projects? Or that headstrong in her belief? I think that religion has shaped Jeanette into who she is and that’s why the chapters are from the Old Testament because it is the creation of her and who she is.
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