The Flip Side Essay On Sexing The

The Flip Side, Essay On Sexing The Cherry By Jeanette Winterson Essay, Research Paper The Flip Side Sexing the Cherry, written by Jeanette Winterson, abandons traditional literary form altogether. The main story line is very simple. At the beginning of the book, we are introduced to the Dog Woman, her adopted son Jordan and the life they lead in sixteenth century England. The Dog Woman is a large grotesque giant who has a very direct view on life. Jordan, on the other hand, has a more philosophical view on life. He has a calm personality and is a dreamer. He meets Tradescant, both an adventurer and the king?s gardener. Jordan travels with him, but his most important travels seem to be those in his mind. Sexing the cherry is unlike many novels. The book doesn?t seem to set

time in a linear fashion. This means the author writes a book in which time is flexible. Both Dog Woman and Jordan are characters who have traits opposite to their own. This is an interesting element to Winterson?s novel, for it allows the audience to look at the characters in a different manner. In this novel, Janette Winterson creates stories within the inherent tale. She sets her characters between two time dimensions, and there is a chapter on dancing princesses. Why has she done this? And has this writing style been successful? What qualities set Dog Woman apart from most women? She is much larger than any women can ever be. She has no self-respect for her looks. She says ?How hideous am I? My nose is flat, my eyebrows are heavy. I have only a few teeth, and those are poor

show, being black and broken?The caves in my face are home enough for fleas?(19) Her past has not treated her well. We know she fell in love once, but her husband ran away because she was too hideous for him. Jordan is the only person she loves, while she likes Tradescant. It seems that Dog Woman is not looking for someone to love her back. She has Jordan and seems to be content. This contrasts most women today who all seem to be searching for the ?right person? in their lives. She has no problem with killing people and not being clean. ?Many of them have set upon me for my insolence, and of most those are dead?(91) If we where to use clear binary divisions, then one could observe that women today seem to be typecast as being the sex that represents cleanliness; Dog Woman doesn?t

clean at all. Most characteristics that represent women today don?t fit Dog Woman. As Jordan states, ? she is silent, the way men are supposed to be?(114). Jordan is a dreamer. He says ? I want to be brave and admired and have a beautiful wife and a fine house.?(114) Such dreams of white picket fences have been reserved for the female gender in today?s society. Jordan is a gardener, a calm person, and generally a smart person. Men are smart! Yet, true or not, the typecast of such a feature is undeniably put towards females. Winterson gives Jordan mysterious characteristics. He is searching for the perfect woman, yet she does not exist. ?Was I searching for a dancer whose name I did not know or was I searching for the dancing part of myself.?(39) Once again Jordan shows that he is

more similar to the female gender then the male gender. Women have always dreamt about the perfect man. Handsome, romantic, dazzling, and most importantly, mysterious. This description seems to fit the thoughts Jordan has for Fortunata, the smallest dancing princess. So how do these characteristics relate to Jeanette Winterson?s bigger picture? ?Let the world mate of its own accord,? she says, ?or not at all. But the cherry grew, and we have sexed it and it is female?(85). Throughout Winterson?s novel she has altered general ideas about gender. In the above example she shows Jordan and Dog Woman talking about a fruit he has grown. Winterson is manifesting social standards on gender roles. The writing may be interpreted to illustrate Winterson?s thoughts on how society thinks. For