Jeanette Winterson: Fiction, Truth, and Identity

Jeanette Winterson’s works explore themes of identity, fiction, and truth. In her books, she focuses on creating her identity as a girl, reflecting what she did in real life. She believes that if you are the story, you can change it. Even though many events in her books are based on her real experiences, she also creates fictional elements, blending reality with imagination.

In Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, she recalls her mother saying, “The Devil led us to the wrong crib,” implying that she had chosen the wrong baby. Winterson was adopted by Mrs. Winterson as a baby, but their relationship was full of conflict. She had a difficult childhood, facing beatings, being locked out of the house, and experiencing deep loneliness. These traumas shaped her, and when she published her first book, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, at 25, her mother was angry.

Winterson uses stream of consciousness in Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, seamlessly shifting between conversations with her mother and her thoughts on writing. She captures the conflict between them with lines like, “Why were you never proud of me?” While recalling a phone call, she also dives into childhood memories, illustrating how trauma and humor coexist in her storytelling.

Her mother saw her homosexuality as the only "abnormal" thing, despite all the other hardships Winterson endured. This is an example of her dark humor, pointing out the irony in her life. Writing became a way for her to build her own identity, to tell her own story.

In Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, Winterson finds her adoption papers, which symbolize a possible connection to her biological parents. She reflects on how we remember events emotionally rather than in chronological order. At the end of the book, she shares that she found her biological mother and even returned to Mrs. Winterson’s house. She explores three possible endings: revenge, tragedy, and forgiveness, ultimately choosing forgiveness, though it was difficult.

Winterson emphasizes that art supports us; writing gave her a voice when she had none in her childhood home. Through literature, she processes her trauma and finds a way to move forward.

Some powerful quotations from The Wrong Crib:

“For most of my life, I’ve been a bare-knuckle fighter.”

“WHEN MY MOTHER WAS ANGRY with me, which was often, she said, ‘The Devil led us to the wrong crib.’”

“She hated being a nobody, and like all children, adopted or not, I have had to live out some of her unlived life. We do that for our parents – we don’t really have any choice.”

Winterson’s work is deeply personal, asking questions about truth, identity, and how literature reflects reality. Her writing is not just about storytelling; it is about survival, self-expression, and ultimately, healing.