Desiring the mother: A psychological reading of female identity and homosexuality in Jeanette Winterson's "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit"

Metin V.

8th International Aegean Conference on Social Science and Humanities, cilt.8, ss.102-109, 2023 (Düzenli olarak gerçekleştirilen hakemli kongrenin bildiri kitabı)

Özet

This paper embarks on a comprehensive psychological exploration of desire, identity formation, and homosexuality within Jeannette Winterson's bildungsroman Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Drawing upon the foundational insights of Luce Irigaray's essay "Body against Body: In Relation to The Mother," this analysis offers a lens through which to scrutinize the intricate interplay of these themes. Beyond Irigaray, the essay incorporates the distinct theoretical contributions of some other feminist writers such as Julia Kristeva and Judith Butler. Irigaray's thought-provoking insights into the primal connection to the mother via the umbilical cord, and the subsequent emergence of the father's influence upon its severance, provide a rich framework for understanding the novel's themes. The umbilical scar, an indelible wound, symbolizes an insatiable desire for the mother, one that is persistently moderated and controlled by societal structures, embodied by the Law of the Father. This control weaves a complex tapestry of anxiety and disgust into female sexuality as the longing for the mother is suppressed. These theoretical constructs are meticulously mapped onto the narrative canvas of the novel wherein the protagonist's yearning for her biological mother remains submerged in her unconsciousness. In stark contrast, her adopted mother dismisses the real mother as a mere "carrying case." As the essay unravels, it becomes evident that Jeanette's repressed desire for the mother eventually manifests as homosexual desire, a desire harshly censured by the representatives of the societal Father. At the core of this analysis lies the central argument that Jeanette's journey towards homosexuality is catalyzed by her detachment from her real mother. Her adopted mother emerges as a symbol of homophobian religious society that together with the other church members, predominantly employs symbolic language (in contrast to semiotic, as distinguished by Kristeva). This culminates in Jeanette's alienation and marginalization within the confines of such a patriarchal society, solely due to her homosexuality. Employing various feminist psychoanalytical theories, the essay will offer profound insights into the intricacies of desire, identity, and societal oppression, particularly as they pertain to female homosexuality in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit.