Oranges are Not the Only Fruit - Essay Example

She portrayed the environment she was living in through her writings and her art work. Since from beginning, she was deeply ignored by her school teacher and school mates. People feared that little Jeanette could poison the minds of other children at school. She strictly followed Church until her teen, when she fell in love with another woman of her age. On the disclosure of her homosexuality, Jeanette Winterson faced stern opposition and reactions from her mother and the church; they thought she was disgracing the teachings of her religion.

Followed by a series of ups and downs in life, Jeanette Winterson somehow manages her life again, and reconciles with her mother and the church. This book reveals her thoughts, views and depicts the circumstances Jeanette Winterson had been through in a beautiful manner. Oranges are not the only fruit is merely not just a semi-autobiography. This book holds an in-depth explanation of experiences faced by a young girl. A reader would find all the topics needed for survival mechanism well explained in this book.

This book discusses all about courage, life, love and betrayal, religion and how the women were treated on the name of religion in those days. Jeanette Winterson has narrated her experiences in a manner that would draw the reader closer to her feelings and emotions. "Everyone who tells a story tells it differently, just to remind us that everybody sees it differently." (p. 166) The major theme of the novel: Jeanette Winterson has covered many different themes in her novel such as rights of women, passion, betrayal, love, religion, relations of women and one’s quest in finding her identity.

Despite the presence of various themes in the novel, “the rights of women” has been highlighted as the main theme by the author. In her novel, “Oranges are not the only fruit”, Jeanette Winterson has well explained her childhood experiences related with the religious teaching enforced on her by her Christian fundamentalist mother. In this first chapter, the author explains her journey to the school as forced by the law. Her mother had no choice to send her to the school and to obey the law.

Jeanette sets herself on an uncertain journey to her school without having an idea that where this journey would lead her. Her role as a weak creature; women was discriminated by her mother and the church on the name of religion. Her mother was against her education but according to law she had no choice to refrain her from education. Her mother deprived her from every single right she had; education and love. Her childhood was filled with the forced religious teachings that her mother taught her.

Due to her religious beliefs, Jeanette was faced with hatred and opposition from her school teachers and her class mates. They made her feel alienated and odd one out because of her strong religious beliefs and her mother’s strict religious teachings. Jeanette thought herself as “Moses” who had to abide by all the religious commandments as told by the God. Jeanette thought her mother as the “God” who filled Jeanette’s mind with all her religious teachings and wanted her to become a missionary later in her life.

Jeanette faced the same opposition like Moses in her uncertain journey. Her entire school work revolved around her mother’s religious teachings that were infused deeply in her mind. Her extreme obsession with God was