Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? By Jeanette Winterson STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS Desirèe Mosca VA

LITERARY GENRE Memoir focus on emotions, feelings unfold of the writer’s emotional life along her telling  literature as finding place association of ideas, without respecting chronology pursuit of authenticity  A Memoir is not an Autobiography!

EXPECTATIONS FROM THE TITLE Why?  question  start from a problem, doubt Be/Could  undefined subject  question for anyone Happy  aim of all human-beings Normal  standardization, suppression of individualism, acceptance The reader expects the novel to be about choices and their implications: the influence of people’s opinion, the pursuit of the aim, the meaning of the choice…

DEDICATION To my three mothers: C. Winterson  adoptive mother (upbrought Jeanette) R. Rendell  literary mother (helped Jeanette with the re-discovery of her past story) A. S.  biological mother (object of Jeanette’s search) Even if quite different from each other, they were all fundamental figures for Jeanette

TRIBUTES Thanks to friends, editors, supporters, who believed in Jeanette and supported her STRUCTURE Fifteen chapters and a Coda

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTERS a) TITLE: how does it introduce the content of the paragraph? b)CONTENT: how is each chapter linked to the previous one? c) CHARACTERIZATION: Jeanette vs Mrs. Winterson

FIRST CHAPTER The Wrong Crib Wrong: idea of mistake, inadequacy, issue  introduction of the main topic of the novel: adoption and life as an adopted child SECOND CHAPTER My Advice To Anybody Is: Get Born Advice to Anybody: literature as instrument for everybody Get Born: “origin” as fundamental part of people’s story and identity pursuing of happiness as objective for life Development of the main topic introduced in the previous paragraph THIRD CHAPTER In The Beginning Was The World Quotation from the Bible: religious texts as basis of Jeanette’s education and basis of Mrs. Winterson’s thought Resumation of the binomia happiness-life, trough the comparison between Jeanette and her mother

FOURTH CHAPTER The Trouble With A Book… Quotation from the chapter: Mrs. Winterson’s and Jeanette’s idea of reading and literature: differences between characters Development of the content of the previous chapter: function and reading of books FIFTH CHAPTER At Home Home: “centre of gravity”, “place of order”, reference point Jeanette’s discomfort at home  Jeanette’s discovery of an alternative home: books Another point of view about books: the emotional bond between book and reader

SIXTH CHAPTER Church Church: second crucial setting of Jeanette’s life: place of help, hope  it comforted Jeanette hostile place (ex. exorcism)  made her reflect about contradictions of love and religion Description of another seminal place in Jeanette’s history SEVENTH CHAPTER Accrington Description of the small town, its inhabitants and shops Wider portrait of the place in which Jeanette lived EIGTH CHAPTER The Apocalypse Apocalypse: reference to Mrs. Winterson’s belief about religion, meaning of life and idea about death; meatphor for the discovery of Jeanette’s omosexuality,a crucial event in her life Resumation of two topics: religion and sexuality

NINETH CHAPTER English Literature A-Z Books as “messages in bottles”, writers as friends, who could support Jeanette in her diffficulties Further explanation about Jeanette’s conception of literature TENTH CHAPTER This Is The Road This is the road: (quotation from the previous chapter) Application and admission to Oxford and reflection about the role of women in society ELEVENTH CHAPTER Art and Lies Art: double reference to Jeanette’s university career and to her reflections about literature as art-form Lies: reference to biases by the university tutor against Jeanette and women and by Mrs Winterson against Vicky and Jeanette Development of the previous chapter, regarding life at University

Intermission Reflection about life and art, fighting against chronological time. Jeanette’s predilection for imagination and emotions, not facts. Another point of view about Art TWELFTH CHAPTER The Night Sea Voyage Night: darkness  a great, dark secret is unvealed and it has got repercussions on Jeanette’s life and mood Sea Voyage: reference to an episode of Jeanette’s life, metaphor of an important discovery (sheep  drawer, treasure  certificate) THIRTEENTH CHAPTER This Appointment Takes Place In The Past Appointment: multiple references: love affair with Susie, research about adoption with root, last meeting with the father and appointment with her biological mother Consequences of the discovery described in the previous chapter

FOURTEENTH CHAPTER Strange Meeting Meeting between Jeanette and her biological mother Strange: mix of multiple emotions felt by Jeanette Description of the crucial appointment, anticipated in the previous chapter FIFTEENTH CHAPTER The Wound Wound: mark, that has got different meanings to differnt people. Both Mrs Winterson, Jeanette and Anne were wounded Jeanette reflects on her vojage trough time and finally feels at home CODA Information about the following meetings between Jeanette and Ann, reflection about maternity and love, Determination to face the future

CHARACTERIZATION Jeanette Winterson: She is the narrator as well as the protagonist; The reader knows her trough her most private feelings, thoughts and trough the account of some meaningful episodes of her life; The reader takes part in her sufference and troubles; Mrs. Winterson: The reader knows her trough Jeanette’s description  subjective portrait Information about her ideas, life-style and physical-appearance are provided, as well as numerous quotations she liked The attitude of the reader towards her is changable: on one side he feels compassion, on the other side he criticizes her because of her eccessive hardness