Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? By Jeanette Winterson Structural analysis Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? By Jeanette Winterson

LITERARY GENRE Memoir In the book J.Winterson collects the principal episodes of her life describing them with emotions and feelings There isn’t a respect of chronology J.Winterson tells her story in first person narrator without the use of dialogues A memoir is a collect of significant experiences, isn’t an autobiography

DEDICATION Ann S. birth mother Constance Winterson adoptive mother J.Winterson dedicates the novel to three mothers: Ann S. birth mother Constance Winterson adoptive mother Ruth Rendell literature mother ( she is an essential figure for the novelist regardin to the literary contest )

THE MEANING OF THE BOOK’S TITLE Why is a question which belongs to all men’s life Be and Could represent the up-to-date and the hypothetical condition of the life Happy humanity’s aim Normal static condition devoid of changes

ANALYSIS OF THE CHAPTERS The novel is constituted by fifteen chapters: CHAPTER 1 The Wrong Crib TITLE: it remainds to the idea of mistake regarding to the adoption Description of Constance Winterson J. Winterson’s personality when she was young Contrasts between J. Winterson and her mother CHAPTER 2 My Advice To Anybody Is: Get Born TITLE: the novelist underlines the importance regarding to the first step of the life throught the literature an instrument for everybody Description of Manchester throught J. Winterson’s point of view ( personal emotional feelings ) J. Winterson cenception of the life interminable search of the happiness Writer’s infancy

CHAPTER 3 In The Beginning Was The Word TITLE: it remainds somebody of the beginning of the Bible and underlines the importance of the word’s use Exhibition of the sensitive memories belonged to a child The reading of the Bible the language is the central point of the contest and it’s necessary to communicate ( bases of J. Winterson’s education ) Hierarchical relation between the members of her family CHAPTER 4 The Trouble With A Book… TITLE: it remainds to the theme certain the reading and the function of the books The different points of view between the writer and her adoptive mother regardin to the books Books represent the basic instruments of Jeanette’s career as writer CHAPTER 5 At Home TITLE: it underlines the familiarity of the place Description of writer’s home and her life with her adoptive parents Jeanette’s fictionally world a world based on the passion certain the reading of the books

CHAPTER 6 Church TITLE: it remainds to the religious conceptions of Mrs. Winterson Church as a crucial setting of J. Winterson Exorcism brings the novelist to reflect certain the contradictions between love and religion CHAPTER 7 Accrington TITLE: it refers to the city where Jeanette W. Lived Description of the city: shop and inhabitants Jeanette remembers some episodes bounded to Accrington CHAPTER 8 The Apocalypse TITLE: it reference to Mrs. Winterson’s religion, the idea of life and the idea of its anthitesis, the death. The title also remainds of the writer’s discovery of omosexuality Reflections about sex the birth of Jeanette’s relationship with Janey Mrs. Winterson’s disapproval about her doughter’s omosexuality

CHAPTER 9 English Literature A-Z TITLE: it recalles the importance of the literature Explanation regarding to the novelist’s conception of the literature Jeanette tells about the maternal love ( refering to her mother ) CHAPTER 10 This Is The Road TITLE: quotation from the previous chapter Description of the woman’s role in the society Admission to Oxford Jeanette’s reflections certain the homosexuality wasn’t accepted during that time CHAPTER 11 Art and Lies TITLE: parallelism between art and lies J. Winterson tells about her life’s time dedicated to the university The novelist clinches her opinions certain to the literature and art moreover she shows her mother’s point of view

INTERMISSION Reflections about life and art, Jeanette predilects feelings, immagination and emotions CHAPTER 12 The Night Sea Voyage TITLE: it remainds to a dark atmosphere “ Night” calls to mind silence and darkness “Sea Voyage” calls to mind the life’s difficulties ( refers to her life ) CHAPTER 13 This Appointment Takes Place In The Past TITLE: meeting between J. Winterson and her biological mother. The word “past” probably refers to the moment in which Ann gave Jeanette for adoption Flashback Jeanette remembers old episodes regarding to her parents and Christmas Jeanette tries to get some informations about her biological mother CHAPTER 14 Strange Meeting TITLE: it reminds to the meeting between Jeanette W. And her mother and her feelings during this moment Quotation from her book ( “Stone Gods” ) in which she tells about her meeting with her biological mother

CHAPTER 15 The Wound TITLE: it call to mind the pains that the writer suffered in her life ( caused by Ann and Mrs. Winterson ) Jeanette reflects on her childhood and her adulthood She revives her feelings throught every memory CODA In these pages Jeanette tells how the book was born and the following meeting with her mother Ann. Moreover she leaves space to shows her thoughts regarding to maternity, love, past and future.