Written on the Body
Jeanette Winterson’s Written on the Body revolutionizes the conventional love story by infusing it with linguistic prowess and existential inquiry. Love, under Winterson’s deft handling, is examined from every possible angle, exposing its raw and multifaceted nature. Through this exploration, Winterson crafts a narrative that is both an intimate confession and a philosophical meditation on love’s complexities.
Exploring the Nature of Love
In Written on the Body, Winterson takes on the age-old subject of love with fresh vigor, challenging its clichéd expressions. The novel’s unnamed, genderless narrator brings a unique perspective to the narrative, interrogating both the emotional and physical dimensions of love. Winterson posits that love is not just a gentle force but can be tumultuous and destabilizing, prompting her characters to brace for disappointment even in moments of deep connection. This is captured poignantly in the narrator’s reflection, "Why is it that the most unoriginal thing we can say to each other is still the thing we long to hear? 'I love you' is always a quotation."
The Narrator’s Unconventional Journey
The narrator of Written on the Body embodies an enigmatic presence, leaving both name and gender unspecified, which invites readers to focus on the universality of the love story rather than specifics. This choice allows the narrative to explore profound themes such as the measurement of love and the nature of sacrifice. The journey through love in the novel is as much about introspection and solitude as it is about intimacy and connection, with the narrator's experience likened to a meditation on actions and inactions in the name of love.
Monologue and Direct Address
The novel’s structure is a rich tapestry of monologue and direct address, presenting a reflection on past relationships during a dry, lonely summer. The narrator reminisces about vibrant summers filled with desire, contrasting them with the present solitude. Addressing Louise, the narrator’s lost love, the narrative becomes both a personal confession and a dialogue with a broader audience, acknowledging shared experiences in love’s battlegrounds.
Chronicle of Love and Loss
The narrative unfolds through memories that piece together a chronology of love found and lost. The story of Louise begins amidst the calm companionship shared with Jacqueline, which is interrupted by the allure of Louise’s captivating presence. Winterson highlights the tension between stable fidelity and passionate, fleeting affairs—a familiar dynamic for the narrator whose past is littered with relationships with married individuals. Yet, Louise prompts a possibility of genuine commitment, marking a pivotal shift in the narrator's perspective on love.
The Dilemma of Sacrifice
The relationship between the narrator and Louise flourishes until Christmas Eve brings a disruptive revelation from Elgin, Louise’s husband: Louise has cancer, and Elgin offers access to advanced treatments on the condition that the narrator relinquishes their relationship with Louise. This moral quandary underscores the theme of love’s sacrifices, as the narrator grapples with leaving Louise for her own sake. Retreating to Yorkshire, the narrator enters a period of self-imposed exile, reflecting deeply on love, health, and the corporeal self.
Interlude on the Body
Winterson diversifies the narrative structure by interjecting poetic essays on various body parts, using clinical language to craft a love poem to Louise. This exploration delves into the particulars of physical attraction, though it occasionally stumbles in creativity compared to the rest of the novel. Notably, the section on the nose is a standout, celebrating the sensual aspects of Louise’s body. However, Winterson’s interpretation of the body as a “secret code” might stretch readers’ imaginations, hinting at a missed opportunity to explore identity and self-expression through the body.
Gender and Identity
Winterson’s decision to render...
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the narrator genderless raises questions about identity and perception. Though the narrator’s sexual orientation is clear—having relationships with both men and women—the absence of gender creates curiosity and intrigue. Yet, this decision also detracts from the rich descriptions of sexuality, as gendered details inadvertently seep through, leading readers to speculate about the narrator’s true identity. This ambiguity, while innovative, sometimes distracts from the narrative’s depth.
The Return to Plot and Resolution
As the story progresses, the narrator’s unease grows due to the silence from Elgin and the lack of news about Louise. With the help of a friend, Gail Right, the narrator embarks on a search, ultimately discovering that Louise has not returned to Elgin. This revelation brings the narrator back to the cottage in Yorkshire, where Louise waits, adding a layer of redemption and hope to the narrative.
Literary Exploration and Legacy
Written on the Body stands as a testament to Winterson’s ability to breathe new life into the familiar narrative of love and loss. Her linguistic dexterity and narrative innovation create a story that is both singular in its execution and universal in its themes. The novel’s strength lies in its exploration of love through the voice of its compelling narrator, offering insights that resonate with readers long after the pages are closed.
Style and Technique
Written on the Body is a profound exploration of the complexities of love and desire, articulated through a unique narrative voice. The narrator, whose gender and identity remain undisclosed, weaves a tapestry of past and present relationships, focusing primarily on the poignant loss of Louise, a cherished and enigmatic former lover. This intricate tale unfolds through memories, marked by both humor and melancholy, as the narrator navigates the labyrinth of love lost and found.
The Nature of Passion
The novel delves into the intense emotional landscape of its narrator, who reflects on their tumultuous romantic history. The character of Louise stands out as the epicenter of the narrator's passion, an all-consuming love that is distinct from previous affairs. Earlier relationships, presented through witty and often cynical anecdotes, provide a stark contrast to the depth of feeling for Louise. These past lovers, such as Inge, the "anarcha-feminist," and Bathsheba, the secretive married dentist, serve as colorful caricatures that underline the profound connection the narrator feels toward Louise.
Encounters With Past Lovers
Each past relationship offers insight into the narrator's evolving understanding of love. Inge, who grapples with the conflict between her ideologies and her appreciation for beauty, and Bathsheba, who prioritizes social conventions over passion, illuminate the narrator’s journey through varied romantic entanglements. Other lovers, like Bruno and Crazy Frank, add humorous elements to the narrative, their exaggerated personas emphasizing the narrator’s longing for something more enduring and genuine, which they find in Louise.
The Shift to Louise
The narrative's tone shifts when the narrator meets Louise while involved with Jacqueline, a steady but uninspiring partner. Jacqueline, likened to an emotional refuge after a series of draining affairs, becomes a casualty of the narrator's newfound love. Her destructive response to being spurned disrupts her previously stable character, illustrating the unpredictable nature of love's impact. Meanwhile, Louise leaves her husband, Elgin, to be with the narrator, setting the stage for a transformative chapter in the narrator's life.
Confronting Mortality
The novel takes a poignant turn when Elgin reveals Louise's diagnosis of lymphocytic leukemia. Torn between their desires and Louise’s well-being, the narrator makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave, hoping Louise will return to Elgin for the best medical care. This decision marks a pivotal moment, underscoring the narrator’s profound love and the lengths they will go to protect Louise, despite the personal cost.
Anatomy of Love and Loss
In a narrative shift, the story adopts a clinical tone, dissecting the human body and its vulnerabilities, specifically Louise's battle with cancer. This section serves as a metaphorical and literal examination of Louise’s physical and emotional state, juxtaposing scientific detachment with the narrator’s emotional turmoil. It is a pause in the narrative that heightens the tension, bridging the past with an urgent present.
The Return
The narrator’s journey comes full circle when prompted by Gail, a sympathetic confidante, to seek out Louise once more. Upon discovering that Louise has abandoned her treatment and Elgin, the narrator's despair deepens. However, a return to Yorkshire reveals a surprising twist—Louise, though frail, has been waiting. This reunion breathes new life into the narrative, transforming it into an open-ended beginning filled with potential and uncertainty. The story concludes with a reflective sentiment, emphasizing continuity and the cyclical nature of love: "This is where the story starts."
Historical Context
Jeanette Winterson burst onto the literary scene in the mid-1980s with her debut novel, garnering immediate acclaim. Although Winterson is a lesbian and a feminist, her literary pursuits transcend the boundaries of specific political or identity-driven agendas. Instead, her work is celebrated for its innovative form and diverse thematic exploration. By seamlessly blending multiple styles and literary traditions, Winterson delves into grand themes such as sexuality, gender, time, and freedom. Her narrative experiments with form are particularly notable, often featuring disorienting shifts in time and characters whose sexual identities resist clear categorization.
Winterson's fourth novel, Written on the Body, is sometimes perceived as a thematic sequel to her acclaimed debut, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. The protagonist, Jeanette, bears a resemblance to Winterson, echoing elements of her life and journey as a lesbian. However, Winterson has consistently dismissed claims of her work being autobiographical. In what seems a playful counter to such speculations, Written on the Body features a first-person narrator who is both enigmatic and unreliable, challenging readers to separate the author from the narrative voice.
Winterson's body of work defies genre constraints, a quality that many critics regard as her most significant contribution to women’s literature. Her approach aligns with the adventurous spirit of writers like Angela Carter. As Nicci Gerrard notes in Into the Mainstream: How Feminism Has Changed Women’s Writing, Winterson, much like Carter, possesses the courage and imagination to transcend the traditional confines of "woman’s world" literature, treating the entire world as a canvas for her stories.