Essay on Elsie and Her Mother in Oranges Are Not the Only...

Elsie and Her Mother in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit In a story of a young girl coming of age and finding her sexuality in a very religious community, it is key to have a female figure that plays a key role for the character. A mother should play the key role but what happens when this role is confused with a very spiritual role? Where will a young girl turn to when her life goes against the rules society has set for her? Jeanette has lived a sheltered life with no influence on her except for the church. Her mother is a strict Christian with a deep resentment for things and people not within her fold. Being brought up in a society where going against the norm is a sin. A society that shakes its head at acts of individualism and†¦show more content†¦These differences between these two women are what make Jeanette a rounded person, if not a confused one at first. Jeanette gained a sense a self with her mother. She knew she was to work with the Lord and teach his words to others. Her goal in life was to go and be a missionary, to teach others how to believe in God. Combined with this imbedded sense of self is the confidence Elsie gave her. Elsie not only understood the word of the Lord and came from within the society Jeanette grew up in, she had a sense of the world around her, that the world didn?t start and stop with the preaching of the Lord. Elsie gave Jeanette a feeling of fellowship, a deep friendship that was based on true feelings, not the Lord. In one part of the book Elsie helps Jeanette with the transition of home schooling, which was based on biblical texts, to public schooling. Elsie gave Jeanette a way of incorporating her biblical background into a public school setting, even if it did shock and raise eyebrows. The older woman gave Jeanette a much-needed avenue to express herself. At this time her mother is not too upset with the friendship. She likes the reaction Jeanette is getting from her religious art works and other biblical oddities that seem out of place in public school. Elsie is still seen as a fellow follower, a follower of Jeanette?s mother. The relationship between Elsie and her mother gets strained after Jeanette isShow MoreRelatedEssay Role of Women in Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit616 Words   |  3 Pagesof Women in Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit  Ã‚   In the novel Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, by Jeanette Winterson, most of the important, decision-making, characters are female. Jeanette, the female protagonist, is greatly influenced by her mother, a strong, overbearing, eccentric woman, and by Elsie, a prominent member of the family parish who becomes Jeanettes only friend and closest confidant. Elsie and Jeanettes mother act as polar forces in Jeanettes life, with the mother encouragingRead MoreReligious Influence on Adolescent Development in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit 1126 Words   |  4 Pagesdevelopment for a child not only physically but socially, sexually and artistically. Influences such as religion can impose changes upon this development, altering it to something it may never have morphed into otherwise. Religion can either be comforting or confusing depending on the approach. It can drive one to better understanding herself or completely steer her away from the church all together as a way of escaping constraints. In the novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, the reader sees Jean questionRead MoreMarketing Mistakes and Successes175322 Words   |  702 Pagesalso their persuasive skills—not selling products but selling their ideas—and defend them against critical scrutiny. This is great practice for the arena of business to come. NEW TO THIS EDITION In contrast to the early editions, which examined only notable mistakes, and based on your favorable comments about recent editions, I have again included some well-known successes. While mistakes provide valuable learning insights, we can also learn from successes and find nuggets by comparing the