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Chapter Ruth

Chapter 8 The final chapter of the book, Oranges are not the only fruit, was probably my favorite one. Jeanette’s had made it through her Hero’s journey. She had been caught by the church twice and decided the place she called home for years was no longer willing to love her. She had moved out and on her own, living along the heathens. Doing what we all do, trying to survive this cold dark world one day longer. She learns of her mentor Elsie’s death and is forced by her boss to return to community that had abandoned her. She is not the same person as the one that grew up under their judgmental eye. When the church notices her at the funeral, they throw insults at her trying to break the spirit of the unholy. They do not seem to have the same effect on Jeanette, she can see through the disguise now. She knows the type of people they truly are, and the type of people they pretend to be. The story the time skips to a point where Jeanette is living on her own, making her...
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Chapter Judges

Chapter 7 The seventh chapter of the book, Oranges are not the only fruit, was a pivotal point during Jeanette’s Hero journey. In the last chapter, her relationship with Melanie had been revealed to the church, Melanie had repented her sins and moved on and away from Jeanette. Jeanette still had feeling for Melanie, she didn’t understand why Melanie had changed in such a short period of time. One week they are going strong, nothing in the world could have stopped their love. The next, Melanie barely has the enough words to talk to her. Love can be a fickle thing I have learned. We can nurture it, raise it, protect it from this world. We see it reach heights of happiness that we were unaware we had in ourselves. Then, the rug can be pulled from under you; Free falling into heartbreak. Jeanette remained at the church and continued with her work. This is where she met Katy and her situation got more confusing. We start this chapter with Jeanette’s mother screaming at he...
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Chapter Joshua

Chapter 6 I enjoyed the sixth chapter of the book, Oranges are not the only fruit, because I felt like we are starting to see Jeanette really grow during her Hero’s Journey. Jeanette’s relationship with her faith is at turning point. She has started seeing Melanie and exploring her sexuality while maintaining her responsibilities at the church. She has crossed the threshold into her special world of the heathens but is unwilling to let go of her ordinary religious world. She doesn’t not see the harm in their relationship. She knows she is pure, Melanie is pure, and their love of the lord is pure. She does feel like a sense of uncertainty but can’t find where this feeling is coming from. Winterson writes, “Besides, I wasn’t quite certain what was happening myself, it was the second time in my life that I had experienced uncertainty.” (95). Jeanette life has evolved from her choices, yet she is acting as if she is still in her ordinary religious world. She is preservin...
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Chapter Deuteronomy: The last book of the law

Chapter 5 The fifth chapter of the book, Oranges are not the only fruit, was a short chapter compared to the others, but I felt like it was an important point in the maturity of Jeanette way of thinking. Jeanette is reflecting on the past and how it is shaped by the storytellers of their time. I think this is an important time for Jeanette because she is finally starting to see the world for what it is. A long and complicated story that is fed by the individuals who experience it and share their stories. Up to this point Jeanette world knew two truths; there was the past ruled by our Lord and saved by his only son and there was the now, ruled by the devil and his servants while the holy wait for our savior to come. She is beginning to question the truths of history and the lies of the stories that are told. I think this is an important realization coming from a Christian. Their religion is based on a story, passed down by generation. We are so far removed from the ti...
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Chapter Numbers

Chapter 4 The fourth chapter of the book, Oranges are not the only fruit, was a pivotal point in the Journey of our hero, Jeanette. She is beginning to find truths about herself, her ordinary religious world, and her sexuality. We start the chapter with jeanette reflecting about a terrible dream she had. She was about to be married and the husband was less than ideal. Winterson writes, “Sometimes he was bling, sometimes a pig, sometimes my mother.” (68). This dream planted the idea in jeanette mind, what if marriage was not meant for her? She had trouble wrapping her brain around the fact that men are often beasts and women were forced to marry them. She goes to the library to calm her mind. Winterson writes, “In the library I felt better, words you could trust and look at till you understood them, they couldn’t change halfway through a sentence like people, so it was easier to spot a lie.” (69). Jeanette is learning that the world was not a simple as her mother ofte...
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Chapter Leviticus

Chapter 3  The third chapter of the book, Oranges are not the only fruit, really picked up the pace for me and captured my attention. Jeanette begins her time at the Breeding Grounds, her to call to adventure has made it through. We start the chapter with Jeanette explain how one time she went deaf for a few days, her mother blamed jeanette sudden silence as an act of God and didn’t not give it much thought. This is when she meets her mentor of the story, Elsie. I enjoyed her time spent with Elsie Norris, she seems like a good person with a good heart. Elsie shows Jeanette the world beyond the eyes of our lord and how to appreciate the talents of the heathens. After Jeanette finishes explain her sudden fight with deafness and building her relationship with Elsie, we return to the Breeding Grounds. Jeanette tries her very best to fit in to the strange new world she has been thrust into. Though her efforts are met with little acceptance. The other children laugh at...
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Chapter Exodus

Chapter 2 The second chapter of the book, Oranges are not the only fruit, really picked up the pace for me and captured my attention. Jeanette begins her time at the Breeding Grounds, her to call to adventure has made it through. We start the chapter with Jeanette explain how one time she went deaf for a few days, her mother blamed jeanette sudden silence as an act of God and didn’t not give it much thought. This is when she meets her mentor of the story, Elsie. I enjoyed her time spent with Elsie Norris, she seems like a good person with a good heart. Elsie shows Jeanette the world beyond the eyes of our lord and how to appreciate the talents of the heathens. After Jeanette finishes explain her sudden fight with deafness and building her relationship with Elsie, we return to the Breeding Grounds. Jeanette tries her very best to fit in to the strange new world she has been thrust into. Though her efforts are met with little acceptance. The other children laugh at her...
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