Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?

1. Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? By Jeanette Winterson Structural Analysis By Alberto De Meo

2. LITERARY GENRE Memoir • Memoirs are representations of memory • The writer follows the personal emotional impact of events as structuring principal • She does not follow chronological order • A memoir is not an autobiography

3. IPOTHESIS FROM THE TITLE WHY  poses a problem, a question BE/COULD  an ordinary question, theme of research HAPPY  meaningful life, human beings’general aim NORMAL  acting following the norm, repression of individual perspective on things and matters

4. DEDICATION Dedication paves the way to content. The novel is dedicated to the writer’s three mothers: • C. Winterson: adopted mother • Ruth Rendell: English novelist • Ann S. : her biological mother or a lover

5. STRUCTURE • The text is organized into 15 paragraphs and a coda STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTERS • Title: fosters expectation, and hypothesis • Content: fosters links between other chapters • Characterization: how characters are portrayed • Settting • Narrative Technique

6. FIRST CHAPTER: The Wrong Crib Keyword: Wrong  wrong choice, idea of mistake  Introduction of main topic: • Jeanette’s adoptive family • her life as the wrong adopted child DISPLACEMENT SECOND CHAPTER: My Advice To Anybody Is: Get Born Get Born: wake up from ordinary life to find out who a person really is; narrator’s invitation to reflection Description of Manchester  the importance of roots Quotations: F. Engels, The Condition of the English Working Class in England Introduction of Jeanette Winterson’s mother apocalyptic nature DO NOT RESIGN: FIGHT

7. THIRD CHAPTER: In The Beginning Was The Word Title: recalls incipit of the Bible Keyword  Word: emphasis on language. Language: at the core of the chapter Quotation: from Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit Postmodernist technique

8. FOURTH CHAPTER: The Trouble Of The Book… Keyword: Trouble  reading as an act of rebellion (C. Winterson ) Different points of view on books • the protagonist’s • her mother’s Use of language: imaginary atmosphere irony Dots = expectation Quotation: Dr Jekill and Mr. Hyde, Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night’s Dream READING AS REINVENTION

9. FIFTH CHAPTER At Home Keyword  Home Home: a center of gravity a place of order but Feeling: being out of place in it. Her home: books Home influence on one’s life. C. Winterson is a powerful character Unbalanced Relationship: mother - father

10. SIXTH CHAPTER: Church Church: a place of hope and help. Mrs. Winterson: sense of hyperbolic relevance of religion. Religion = punishment of sins Guilt = homosexual nature Sentence= exorcism SEVEN CHAPTER: Accrington Setting: • Size • Inhabitants • Shops.

11. EIGHTH CHAPTER: The Apocalypse Title= tragic Mrs Winterson’s rejection of adoptive-daughter Homosexuality = banished. Mrs. Winterson’ obsession with religion The pursuit of happiness Escape as a way out The title of the novel «Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal» appears Break-up of relationship with adoptive-mother

12. NINETH CHAPTER English Literature A-Z Love for reading (particularly English literature) Books: «messages in a bottle» a friend who can comfort from life difficuties. TENTH CHAPTER This Is The Road Title= quotation from the previous chapter. The novelist quotes Gertrude Stein. Admission to Oxford university Reflection about woman society. ESCAPE AS WAY OUT

13. ELEVENTH CHAPTER Art and Lies Art Jeanette’ s university career  reflection about literature as a form of art. Life in Oxford = life in a library Lies  Jeanette’s university tutor behaviour  Mrs. Winterson inhospitality. Jeanette’s life at university and with her last meeting with her adoptive mother. INTERMISSION Reflection about art and life against chronoligical time. Jeanette’s favours a life of emotions rather than a factual life

14. TWELTH CHAPTER: The Night Sea Voyage Night  Darkness: • dark secret, • mystery • Jeanette’s mood Sea Voyage  metaphor for discovery. Episode of Jeanette’s life Sheep  Drawer  Treasure  Certificate THIRTEENTH CHAPTER: This Appointment Takes Place In The Past Appointment: multiple references: • love affair with Susie • research about adoption • last meeting with her father • appointment with her biological mother.

15. FOURTEENTH CHAPTER: Strange Meeting Keyword Mix of emotions during first meeting with biological mother FIFTEENTH CHAPTER: The Wound Wound  mark, different meanings to different people. • Jeanette Winterson • Mrs. Winterson • Anne • Reflections on her voyage through time • Finally she feels at home All wounded

16. CHARACTERIZATION JEANETTE WINTERSON She is the narrator and the protagonist. The narrator tells about her life with a strict link to emotions Jeanette’s relationships Jeanette’s relationships to her adoptive parents made her the writer she is. Mrs Winterson dominates the first half of the book as she dominated Jeanette’s life. The second half is written in response to another mother-tumult: the novelist’s search of her birth mother. Jeanette does not denounce her adoptive-mother but she wants to understand Mrs Winterson with her contradictions and eccentricities.

17. MRS. WINTERSON At the center of the narrative is Mrs. Winterson. She is a powerfull character because she has skills. The novelist tells the reader abou: Mrs. Winterson’s ideas life-style physical appearance Strong reaction/s Mrs. Winterson’s values contempt for bodies devotion to the principles of the Bible. Mother and her Father=divide Father’s absence was his presence