Deconstructing Dogma: Faith, Queer Identity, and Narrative Fluidity in Jeanette Winterson’s Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Abstract

Intervention of faith, queer identity, and the fluidity of storytelling challenging the conventional norms is examined in this paper in the context of Jeanette Winterson’s Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Through the lens of postmodernism and Queer theory, Winterson criticizes institutionalized religion and its suppression of non-normative identities by dissecting the protagonist’s apostolic upbringing and also by examining the conflict between religious dogma and Queer self-realization. The protagonist's coming-of-age journey also reflects the fluidity of queer identity. The paper argues that the novel’s fragmented and polyphonic narrative structure mirrors the fluidity and Jeanette’s own self-discovery, allowing for a narrative space where identity is not fixed but is constantly evolving. This study contends that the author’s portrayal of narrative fluidity provides an illuminating perspective on the prospect of self-reinvention, suggesting that different themes of identity, faith, and personal history are continuously reshaped through storytelling.