Chapter 8: Ruth

            The last chapter of the book was inter-spaced with more stories than usual. The girl, Winnet, taken in by the sorcerer was very interesting in how it connected to the book. Many parts of that story can be related to the book. Winnet is alone at the beginning before being take in by the sorcerer, Jeanette was an orphan before her mother found her. Upon arrival to the sorcerer’s home Winnet the sorcerer slowly causes Winnet to forget her past and herself, Jeanette’s mother raised her in a certain way on purpose in an attempt to raise the perfect follower. A boy caused Winnet to lose everything when the sorcerer cast her out. Jeanette’s homosexual relationship was wrong in the eyes of the church and her mother and was cast out because of it. Both leaving on a journey to hopefully a better place. However, I think both the parental figures did feel some misgiving about casting out their daughters. The sorcerer tied a string to his daughter, and Jeanette’s mother acted as if no time had passed when Jeanette returned for Christmas. No apology was given by Jeanette’s mother during the story, which is disappointing but like all things a problem has different solutions based on one’s perspective. From her mother’s view Jeanette betrayed her by being sinful, from Jeanette’s view her mother betrayed her by burning her things. I think at the end of the story both parties involved were able to get at least a little closure, they’ll never be as close as when Jeanette was a child but perhaps there is a future where they both can be happy for the other.

            An interesting scene in this chapter was during Jeanette’s return home for Christmas. Jeanette was standing on the of a hill, making it possible to see where Melanie lived. During this she thought back to when she had coincidentally run into Melanie in her second year away from home. According to Jeanette time had only deadened Melanie, “If she had been serene to the point of bovine before, she was now almost vegetable.” (Winterson 190) I think for Jeanette this was a sad thing to see. A previously good friend and lover had become normal, “I kept looking at her, and wondering how we ever had a relationship; yet when she first left me, I thought I had blood poisoning. I couldn’t forget her. Now she seemed to have forgotten everything” (Winterson 190) Throughout the book Jeanette has mentioned how the past can shape people and how the past is subjective. This scene is an example of that very thing, to Melanie their past relationship was not as important as it was to Jeanette. Melanie looks back on it with detachment and recommended getting rid of meaningless letters, while Jeanette didn’t need letters to remember what they had. The differences described here emphasize how the past can be remembered differently by two people who lived that same event.

Chapter 7: Judges

This chapter contained what we expected to happen at some point, her mother choosing the church over her daughter and kicking her out. After Melanie left Jeanette started managing her own bible study and taking on other duties within the church. Eventually she engaged in another relationship with a member of the same sex, Katy. All seemed well for awhile until, on a week-long trip away, their excitement got the better of them and someone outside their door noticed their activities. Jeanette took the fall, leaving Katy out of her explanation, instead fabricating a story about the absent Melanie. Jeanette seemed better equipped to handle the fallout this time. Katy and Jeanette kept their calm and made a plan, a plan that unfortunately laid all the blame on Jeanette’s willing shoulders but a plan, nonetheless. During the fall out Jeanette kept her cool and resisted their damnation's. She stayed true to herself and refused to go through the church’s demon exorcising ordeal a second time. Throughout all of this her mother has been the most disappointing. Ideally a mother stands by and supports their child in all things. Unfortunately, Jeanette’s mother is not a unique case, especially among religious fanatics, or even just the average parent. Kicking out your child and not caring how they will survive, especially your daughter is mind boggling to me. Jeanette handled it well though, she restrained herself until she handled her current crisis. Finding a place to live away from home for the first time and making the decision to work more in order to make her way in life was very courageous.

            The scene that stood out to me in this chapter was near the beginning, on pages 146 to 147. The scene describes how Katy and Jeanette went away for a week at the Morecambe guest house for the bereaved. It was here that they were found out on the first night. They planned for the fallout, “The plan was the most fanciful of my brilliant career and from her point of view it worked perfectly. There was no hope for me.” (Winterson 146) This quote alludes to first off her plan and how the plan involved Jeanette taking all the blame. Jeanette went on to tell the church that she had secretly met with Melanie again, freeing Katy from all suspicion. This showed Jeanette’s willingness for self-sacrifice, ironically a virtue that church celebrates. Jeanette went into this ordeal with no intention of suffering the same fate twice, “I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I wouldn’t live through any of that again.” (Winterson 147) The characters are expanded upon in this scene, Katy’s sadness about the situation and Jeanette’s willingness to take the fall alone saving Katy from, Jeanette put it, “She was stubborn and angry like me, but unlike me she couldn’t cope with the darker side of our church.” (Winterson 147) The scene ends with a note of sincere determination.

Chapter 6: Joshua

            A lot of life altering thing happened to Jeanette in this chapter. Jeanette’s relationship is clarified. Unfortunately, what I feared happened. After telling her mother some of what was going on between her and Melanie, her mother promptly informed the church and together persecuted the both of them until they gave in and repented. To me, this was an unbelievable betrayal on her mother’s part. However, it wasn’t until her mother burned her letters and personal notes that Jeanette considered it a betrayal, which I think was a bit late but can see where she was coming from. Telling the church might have been subconsciously expected. However, going into her room and burning her things could be considered a more personal kind of attack and betrayal. I think this was a major cause for Jeanette’s realization that her mother is not always right, “In her head she was still queen, but not my queen any more, not the White Queen any more. Walls protect and walls limit. It is in the nature of walls that they should fall. That walls should fall is the consequence of blowing your own trumpet.” (Winterson 127) At this moment Jeanette affirmed to herself that her mother was no longer her queen, worthy of her loyalty and trust. I think this quote works on multiple levels to illustrate what happened in that scene. First it alludes to the relationship dynamic between Jeanette and her mother. As a queen and follower, Jeanette obeyed her mother and let her dictate her life, satisfied with no status quo. The walls that closed her in were safe and familiar. The queen blowing her own trumpet, her mother betraying her to the church, tore down those walls and liberated Jeanette, at the cost of the trust between them.

            A major scene in this chapter, on pages 116 to 121, starts off innocently enough. Jeanette is with Melanie when they make plans to go to church together. It is at church where things take a turn for the worse. There relationship is revealed to the horrified congregation. They “have fallen under Satan’s spell.” (Winterson 118) Is one of many accusations thrown at the two lovers. Melanie promptly capitulates, Jeanette runs out of the church to a waiting Miss Jewsbury. At miss Jewsbury’s house they talked before eventually sleeping together. In the scene itself Jeanette describes her interaction with Miss Jewsbury as ‘making love,’ however, I argue that Jeanette was not in the right frame of mind for that kind of act. Jeanette herself described it as “We made love and I hated it and hated it, but would not stop.” (Winterson 121) Miss Jewsbury took advantage of her during a time of emotional turmoil, another kind of betrayal from someone she trusted. This scene described a huge turning point for Jeanette. Multiple betrayals in the form of her mother’s loose lips, Melanie’s incapability to stand up for her, and Miss Jewsbury taking advantage, forced Jeanette to learn multiple lessons about life and who to trust.

Chapter 5: Deuteronomy

            This chapter was the shortest so far, but it was interesting because the entirety of the chapter was Jeanette’s thoughts on time and the past. The chapter starts out very strong with, “Time is a great deadener.” (Winterson 107) The rest of the chapter builds on this premise with great descriptions and examples. I think this chapter explains some of the views the author herself has on the past and memories. In one of her interviews she talks about her unique view on the subject, this chapter may be one of the core pillars of her view. This chapter could be setting up the reader for something later in the book. Possibly if Jeanette leaves this life behind for something new, I think this chapter will apply heavily when she thinks about her past. A past that may not be that pleasant to remember. Nothing drastic has happened yet that would force her to become estranged with her mother or the church, but some foreshadowing has taken place. Jeanette’s undefined relationship with Melanie may be something that develops in a way that her current lifestyle would view negatively. My thoughts while reading this chapter is if this chapter is a sort of interlude. Separating the acts of the story. Previously Jeanette had met and befriended Melanie. That friendship was slowly changing. Quite possibly in the future this friendship may evolve into something other than platonic. IF that happens this chapter is well placed to separate the story. From before, her comfortable problem free life, to after, a possible question ridden life about her sexuality and the fallibility of the church.

            The majority of this chapter was on Jeanette’s thoughts regarding time and the past, thoughts that she applies to a history book towards the end of the chapter. While looking at the book she thought, “Perhaps the event has an unassailable truth. God saw it. God knows it. But I am not God. And so when someone tells me what they heard or saw, I believe them, and I believe their friend who also saw, but not in the same way, and I can put these accounts together and I will not have a seamless wonder but a sandwich laced with mustard of my own.” (Winterson 110) This quote near the end of the chapter encapsulates perfectly the one of Jeanette’s personal views. While not mention beyond the one time in this chapter I think the history book Jeanette looks at is a strong symbol. The history book represents something beyond just being a book, it represents the past. When Jeanette looks at a history book, she doesn’t just see a biased history somebody wrote down, she also understands that their view of the past may differ from hers or somebody else’s. The past can be subjective based on the person telling the story. This chapter is also unique in the way that it doesn’t appear to have multiple scenes in one chapter. The chapter instead contains her inner thoughts with a reference to a single history book. By being one of the only physical objects referenced in the chapter, this places emphasis on the book, turning it into a symbol.