Abstract
This paper offers an ecofeminist analysis of Jeanette Winterson’s novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, exploring the complex process of female identity formation under intersecting systems of power. Focusing on the protagonist Jeanette’s journey, it examines how she navigates repression imposed by the church, the family, and a heteronormative patriarchal society. The study argues that Jeanette’s path from identity loss to self-reconstruction is facilitated through narrative resistance and a strategic alignment with nature. By subverting religious dogma and reclaiming bodily autonomy, she transforms natural imagery into a source of symbolic agency, challenging the very structures that seek to discipline her. The novel thus illustrates an ecofeminist paradigm in which the liberation of women and the revaluation of nature are intrinsically linked. Ultimately, this reading positions Winterson’s work as a meaningful contribution to ongoing feminist discourse, providing insight into the enduring struggle for self-definition and freedom beyond prescribed social and sexual norms.
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How to cite this paper
On Loss, Pursuit, and Reconstruction of Female Identity—Taking Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit as an Example
How to cite this paper: Yu Ao. (2025) On Loss, Pursuit, and Reconstruction of Female Identity—Taking Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit as an Example. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science, 9(10), 1944-1949.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2025.10.018