Jeanette Wintersons's "Written on the Body" (1990) draws a realistic picture of twentieth century England, but in contrast to the majority of post-modern works that display chaos and displacement often accompanied by apocalyptic future visions, "Written on the Body sets love and trust against individualism and control. The simple plot of the story as well as the overload of metaphors and imagery have misled some critics into judging the novel as trivial and romantic, but a closer look clearly does not hold that interpretation. The use of imagery and fantastic elements is much too pointed to be read as mere poetic illustration of romantic feelings. In fact what seems trivial and naive at the surface appears highly thought through at a deeper look. "Written on the Body" is a notable comment on society's perception of gender and identity. The ostentatious playing with cultural conventions and assumöptions related to sexual relationships and the female body, constitutes a sociocritical statement, which is artistically wrapped up in a melodramatic love affair. It challenges the conventional binary gender system, although, at the same time, it seems itself trapped in this system. In this paper I want to explore the representation of body, gender, and identity in "Written on the Body".
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Gender
2.1. The genderless I-narrator
2.2. It’s the clichés that cause the trouble
2.2.1. The cliché woman
2.2.2. The cliché man
3. The Body
3.1. The female body
3.3.1. Louise Fox
3.3.2. Gail Right
3.2. The male body
3.3. The sick body
3.4. Writing on the body
4. Conclusion
5. Literature
Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the representation of body image, gender constructions, and identity in Jeanette Winterson's novel "Written on the Body." The central research question explores how the text challenges conventional binary gender systems while simultaneously navigating the limitations of literary clichés and patriarchal beauty standards.
- Analysis of the genderless I-narrator as a disruption of traditional identity categories.
- Investigation of gender roles and the influence of cultural clichés.
- Exploration of body imagery, specifically focusing on the female, male, and sick body.
- Critique of Winterson’s application of post-modern theories regarding identity and desire.
Excerpt from the Book
3.4. Writing on the Body
The title “Written on the Body” is highly self-reflexive. Firstly, the title is written on the naked female body that is shown on the cover. Secondly, it is written on the body of text that lies under this cover, thirdly, it is written on a body of text on the female body, and fourthly, Winterson uses writing and reading as metaphors for loving:
“Articulacy of fingers, the language of the deaf and dumb, signing on the body body longing. Who taught you to write in blood on my back? Who taught you to use your hands as branding irons? You have scored your name into my shoulders, referenced me with your mark. The pads of your fingers have become printing blocks, you tap a message on to my skin, tap meaning into my body. Your morse code interferes with my heart beat. [...] Written on the body is a secret code only visible in certain lights; the accumulations of a lifetime gather there. In places the palimpsest is so heavily worked that the letters feel like braille. [...] I didn’t know that Louise would have reading hands. She has translated me into her own book.” (89)
Since “love demands expression” (9) and the existing expressions – “Love makes the world go round. Love is blind. All you need is love.” (9) - are not precise enough, the narrator wants to find her/himself a new language for love. “’I love you’ is always a quotation.” (9) That is why s/he searches for an alternative that might not be as loaded with clichés but give credit to the originality and individuality of her/his sensations.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the novel's sociocritical intent, noting how it counters post-modern tropes of chaos with a focus on love and identity while challenging binary gender systems.
2. Gender: This chapter analyzes the narrator’s gender-neutral status as a construction and explores how the novel utilizes and simultaneously struggles against gender-related clichés.
3. The Body: This section investigates the depiction of various body types—female, male, and sick—arguing that the text maintains certain patriarchal biases despite its intent to celebrate individual sexuality.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, suggesting that Winterson ultimately fails to transcend the very clichés she critiques, leaving the work caught between progressive theory and traditional conventions.
5. Literature: This section lists the academic sources utilized for the theoretical framework, including works by Judith Butler and David Gauntlett.
Keywords
Jeanette Winterson, Written on the Body, gender construction, body image, identity, queer theory, patriarchal system, I-narrator, female sexuality, clichés, literary metaphors, feminism, binary gender, representation, palimpsest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this paper?
The paper primarily explores how Jeanette Winterson’s "Written on the Body" addresses the intersection of body image, gender roles, and the construction of identity within a contemporary literary context.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The main themes include the subversion of gender through a non-binary narrator, the critique of stereotypical gender roles, the aesthetics of the female body, and the failure to fully escape patriarchal conventions.
What is the central research question?
The research examines whether Winterson effectively uses the novel to deconstruct binary gender and fixed identity, or if the work remains trapped within the very clichés it attempts to challenge.
What methodology is used?
The analysis employs a literary and sociocritical methodology, drawing on queer theory and gender studies to deconstruct the text's characters and narrative techniques.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body investigates the "genderless" I-narrator, the conventional representation of male and female characters, and the metaphorical use of writing and anatomy to describe human intimacy.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include "gender construction," "body image," "queer theory," "binary gender," and "patriarchal system."
How does the narrator’s ambiguity impact the story?
The narrator’s sex is never revealed, which forces the reader to detach identity from biological markers, acting as a functional "queer" tool to show that gender is a social construct.
Why is the "sick body" an important topic in the analysis?
The analysis argues that the sick body, particularly the female sick body, is historically associated with asexuality; the novel attempts to address this but ultimately resorts to traditional tropes of death and tragedy.
What does the author conclude about the effectiveness of Winterson's critique?
The author concludes that while the novel succeeds in raising theoretical questions about gender, it ultimately fails to offer a constructive, innovative alternative, remaining entrenched in conventional literary patterns.
- Citar trabajo
- Britta Sonnenberg (Autor), 2003, Body Image and Identity in Jeanette Winterson's "Written on the Body", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/25908
