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Written On The Body Jeanette Winterson Analysis

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Subverting the Normative, Idea of Gender, Sexuality and love in Jeanette Winterson’s ‘Written on the Body’

Body plays an important role in describing ones identity. One with breast is considered to be women and one with penis is man these are biological identifiers to determine ones sex. Terms, for example, he/she, his/her is related to recognize the sexual orientation of man or women and when such parallels are expelled then it becomes difficult to distinguish ones gender. Such an endeavor is made conceivable in Jeanette Wintersons fictitious world in her most fascinating and controversial postmodern novel ‘Written on the Body’ by its genderless narrator. Consider, what if the normative structures of society are seen in different ways? Can it be made possible to deconstruct gender and establishing a genderless society? Is it not possible to remove stereotypes regarding men and women to generate fluidity in gender and sexuality? Or is love constrained, to happen only between heterosexual relationships? Such questions are widely explored in this novel to open up new possibilities and new thoughts in postmodern readers. Winterson have raised her voice against orthodoxy of social institutions, normative structure of society, and also questioning …show more content…

In ‘written on the body’ winterson chose not to reveal the gender of the narrator there by creating a debatable plot. The engendered narrator has drawn many critics to rethink what gender can mean when crossed its boundaries. The narrator has many relationships with women and men therefore cannot be fixed in a hetero or homo relationship. Later deeply falls in love with a married woman named Louisa and wanting or one could say desiring to settle with her but soon discovers her cancer resulting in their end in relationship. The following sections of the novel have detailed description of narrator deep mourning’s for his/her lover

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