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

LITERARY GENRE  Memoirs are representations of memory, not of history  The writer follows the emotional impact of the protagonist regarding some events that do not follows a chronological process  The narrator tells about his life with emotionable story  A memoir is not an autobiography Memoir

IPOTHESIS FROM THE TITLE WHY  starts from a problem, a question BE/COULD  question for anyone, theme of research HAPPY  meaningful life, aim of all human being NORMAL  acting regarding the norms, suppression of individualism

DEDICATION Dedication paves the way to the content. The novel is dedicated to her three mother:  C. Winterson: adopted mother  Ruth Rendell: english novelist  Ann S. : her biological mother or a lover

STRUCTURE The text is organized into 15 paragraph and a coda STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTERS  Title: expectation, ipothesis  Content: find link between the other chapters  Characterization: analysis of the characters

FIRST CHAPTER The Wrong Crib Keyword: Wrong  wrong choice, idea of mistake. The protagonist introduces the main topic of the novel: her adoptive family and her life as an adopted child SECOND CHAPTER My Advice To Anybody Is: Get Born Get Born: wake up from the ordiarness and find out who a person really is; the narrator invites the reader to think Description of Manchester  she tells about her roods Quotations: Engels from The Condition of the English Working Class in England It is presented the apocalitic nature of Jeanette Winterson’s mother

THIRD CHAPTER In The Beginning Was The World The title recalls the incipit of the Bible Keyword  Word: it emphasizes the importance of the language. The importance role of the language is the center of the chapter. Quotation: Jeanette Winterson takes a quotation from Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. The reader can understand the postmodernism point of view of the writer.

FOURTH CHAPTER The Trouble Of The Book… Keyword: Trouble  C. Winterson considers reading as a rebellion act. This chapter tells to the reader the protagonist and her mother’s relationship with books. J. Winterson creates an imaginary atmosphere and she writes with an ironic tone. Dots are used to create expectation in the reader. Quotation: Dr Jekill and Mr. Hyde, Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night’s Dream

FIFTH CHAPTER At Home Keyword  Home The writer considers home as a center of gravity and a place of order but she feels out of place in it. She discovers a new home: books In this chapter she explains how the home where a person grows up influences his life. The reader can understand that C. Winterson is a powerful character and there is an assimetrical relationship between her mother and her father

SIXTH CHAPTER Church It is an important place for Jeanette. It is a place of hope and help. In this chapter the novelist underlines Mrs. Winterson exaggerating religiosity. She obliges the novelist to submit an exorcism for her homosexual nature. SEVEN CHAPTER Accrington The novelist describes her small town, its inhabitants and its shops.

EIGHTH CHAPTER The Apocalypse The title suggests to the reader a tragic event in Jeanette Winterson’s life. Mrs Winterson disown her adoptive- daughter because she is homosexual. In this chapter the reader can find Mrs. Winterson’ belief about religion and a very different mentality the novelist and her adoptive-mother. This chapter deals with the pursuit of happiness. From this chapter is taken the title of the novel «Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal» Definitive break-up of relantionship with her adoptive- mother

NINETH CHAPTER English Literature A-Z In this chapter the novelist underlines her love for reading particularly for English literature. She considers books as «messages in a bottle» and as a friend who comfort her from the difficulties of her life. TENTH CHAPTER This Is The Road The title is a quotation from the previous chapter. The novelist quotes Gertrude Stein. This chapter deals with her admission to Oxford university and with a reflection about woman society.

ELEVENTH CHAPTER Art and Lies Art  reference of Jeanette’ s university career and to her reflection about literature as a form of art. Life in Oxford is compared to a life in a library Lies  Jeanette’s university tutor behaviour toward her and women and Mrs. Winterson inhospitality. This chapter deals with 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 predilection for a life of emotions not of facts

TWELTH CHAPTER The Night Sea Voyage Night  Darkness: dark secret is unvealed and it has ripercussion on Jeanette’s mood of life Sea Voyage  metaphor of an important discovery. Episod 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 with root, last meeting with her father and most of all appointment with her biological mother.

FOURTEENTH CHAPTER Strange Meeting Keyword  Strange. Mix of emotions during her first meeting with her biological mother FIFTEENTH CHAPTER The Wound Wound  mark, it has different meanings to different people. Jeanette Winterson, Mrs. Winterson and Anne were wounded. Reflections on her voyage through time and finally she feel at home

CHARACTERIZATION JEANETTE WINTERSON She is the narrator and the protagonist. The narrator tells about her life with emotionable story and she doesn’t follow the chronological process of the events of her life. Jeanette’s life with her adoptive parents was often appalling, but it 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 responce 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.

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 Mrs. Winterson’s ideas, life- style and physical appearance. Mrs. Winterson eductes Jeanette on the basis of contempt for bodies, devotion to the principles of the Bible. The reader can understand that C. Winterson is a powerful character and there is an assimetrical relationship between her mother and her father. Her father shoveled coal at night for a power station. His absence was his presence