Becoming Whole Again - Questions of Identity in Jeanette Winterson's 'Sexing the Cherry'

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2010 im Fachbereich Anglistik - Literatur, Note: 1,0, Christian-Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Jeanette Winterson herself does not want to be seen as a postmodernist writer. However, many of her works show significant features, which identify them to be postmodern, Sexing the Cherry2 being one of them. The title of the book refers to the art of grafting as utilized in agriculture and horticulture. It is mostly applied on fruit trees to produce plants which show a combination of desired characteristics. For example, a plant which may have roots that are resistant to cold is fused with a plant which grows a special kind of fruit or blossom but would otherwise perish in winter. In the process of grafting the bark is sliced open and a twig of another tree is inserted into the cut and fastened in place. The original tree provides the twig with nourishment and allows it to grow. '[S]o the two take advantage of each other and produce a third kind, without seed or parent.' [78]. Both trees become one. The motif of fusing things together in order to form something that is closer to perfection can be detected throughout the whole novel. [...]