Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? By Jeanette Winterson Memoir’s analysis by Annalisa Bianco

Memoir’s structure • The memoir is divided in 15 chapters more the coda: every chapter has a title which function is introduce the reader what the chapter will deal with. The narrator speaks in 1 st person and the protagonist, the narrator and the eyewitness are the same person. • It is dedicated to her three mothers: v Constance Winterson her adoptive mother v Ruth Rendell “writer and literary mother” v Ann S. Birth mother

CHAPTER’S STRUCTURE AND ANALYSIS 1 st chapter The Wrong Crib • The title is a methonimy and J. Winterson refers to the wrong crib. • In this chapter there is the introduction of the topic of the novel. 2 nd chapter My Advice to Anybody Is: Get Born • This chapter presents a provocative question for the reader: “Get Born!” are we all dead? • Moreover there is an introduction and description of Manchester before and after her birth.

CHAPTER’S STRUCTURE AND ANALYSIS • • 3 nd chapter In The Beginning Was The World Function: put the reader’s attention on the “word”. The language, the importance of the word, both in levels of reading and writing through emotional events experienced by the protagonist. Emotional impact structuring elements of the novel logical and chronological leaps Child – mother relation Mother that leaves every reference to the sex out on purpose, even if written on the Bible, religious text as base of Jeanette Winterson’s education. • J. Winterson puts on the same level Bible and her novel. Both texts coexist and mingle.

CHAPTER’S STRUCTURE AND ANALYSIS 4 th chapter The Trouble With A Book… 5 th chapter • The chapter deals with the protagonist’s relationship with books and the different points of view about reading for J. Winterson and Mrs. Winterson. • Books seen as “a new house”. • The writer brings out the emotional side of the literature. At Home

CHAPTER’S STRUCTURE AND ANALYSIS 6 th chapter Church 7 th chapter • The main topic is Jeanette Winterson’s point of view about church and her relation with this. • Moreover she makes some reflections about love. • As the reader can understand from the title the writer tells about the town where she lived: Accrington’s shops and inhabitants. Accrington

CHAPTER’S STRUCTURE AND ANALYSIS 8 th chapter The Apocalypse • The intelligent reader can understand that the title is referring to Mrs. Winterson religion. This chapter deals with the idea of death and the discovery of J. Winterson’s omosexuality. • Also some episods about her and mother’s disapproval. 9° chapter English Literature A-Z • The writer tells the importance of reading books and language. • The chapter deals with time that passes quickly. • Jeanette –literature relationship books as “message in bottles”.

CHAPTER’S STRUCTURE AND ANALYSIS 10 thchapter This Is The Road 11 th chapter Art and Lies • Woman during the Industrial Revolution. • Woman in Manchester and woman in the North. • J. Winterson’s admission to Oxford and her future. • J. Winterson creates a parallelism between art and lies. • At the end of the chapter the writer tells about the period of her life when she was studying: she spoke about her life spent in university, her point of view on literature and her mother’s opinions and thoughts.

CHAPTER’S STRUCTURE AND ANALYSIS 12 th chapter The Night Sea Voyage • The title reminds the reader to something of dark and hard. • The word “night” makes the reader thing about darkness, silence, fear and mistery. The expression “Sea Voyage” is usually something of difficult, dangerous and troubled. 13 th chapter This Appointement Takes Place In The Past • Full of concepts and meanings: v Relationship with Susie v Meeting up with her father v Meeting up with biological mother

CHAPTER’S STRUCTURE AND ANALYSIS 14 th chapter Strange Meeting • With the title the writer means the meeting with her biological mother. • The writer quotes an extract from one of her books “Stone Goods” in which she describes this meeting. 15 th chapter The Wound • The title belongs to anyone as for Jeanette Winterson, as for her mother, but at the end she feels at home. Coda The Coda presents a brief summary of how the “life” of this book and J. Winterson’s feelings on it. Moreover the writer adds some informations about her life, meetings and thoughts about love, maternity, love and life.