Compare and contrast the presentation of sex and sexuality in The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

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Compare and contrast the presentation of sex and sexuality in The Color Purple by Alice Walker and Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

The theme of sex and sexuality contributes to the important ideas of a struggle in the novels The Color Purple and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Sex is presented through gender and the physical act, and sexual orientation is emphasised for sexuality. The novels chart the development of the protagonists, Celie and Jeanette, through their growing sexuality and their positions as women in society. Their struggles, however, are different. Celie's predicament is that of being a woman in a patriarchal society, whereas Jeanette's is living with her sexuality in a strict, fundamentalist, Christian household and church community. These are presnted greatly through attitudes of society, and through other characters. Celie's father and her husband both abuse her violently and sexually in The Color Purple. Both men contribute significantly to Celie's initial powerlessness to fight back. In Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, however, Jeanette's mother and the church are antagonists in her fight for her homosexuality. Both of the authors, Alice Walker and Jeanette Winterson, use similar techniques to suggest the importance of sex and sexuality and to demonstrate how they progress throughout the novels.

Foreshadowing is employed near the very beginnings of both novels to hint at both of the protagonists' sexuality. Walker does this in letter 5, when Celie explains that she "don't even look at mens" but at women. This can be compared with the way in which Winterson refers to Jeanette's later homosexuality. This is through a gypsy's prophesy that she "will never marry" and "never be still". These are in fact the very first indications of homosexuality in both of the novels.

One of the main methods used to present the theme of sex and sexuality are the use of other characters, especially their dialogue. Both writers use the male gender to symbolise authority. Walker uses Celie's father, Fonso, in the first few letters to illustrate sexual and violent abuse towards women. Fonso's use of undue pressure on Celie's mother to have sex with him as he is "pulling on her arm" whilst she is extremely ill gives the idea of the selfishness of men and their deep interest in self-satisfaction. Her reply that she is "already half dead" illustrates this further as he starts to use Celie to satisfy his needs when he says "you gonna do what your mammy wouldn't". It seems that any women can be treated like this by a man and that it is a man's right to have this privilege. His language towards her is also disgraceful, especially when he tries to sell her to a man called Albert in letter 7. He calls her ugly and describes her as "no stranger to hard work" and that "you can do everything just like you want to and she ain't gonna make you feed it or clothe it". This illustrates the power that men seem to generally have over the women, and also provides an insight into the treatment and lives of women. This explains Celie's struggle with actually dealing with being a woman. A contrast can be made to Jeanette, as she also has a struggle relating to sex and sexuality, but this is focused more on her homosexuality. This is indicated through mainly her mother. It is explained that "she had never heard of mixed feelings" and that "sex (in its many forms)" was an enemy of hers. This hints at the fact that she, like the church, is very narrow-minded. Her view of homosexuality is made much clearer when Jeanette asks to visit the beach with the two women who owned the paper shop, she replies "firmly and forever, no". She does not let Jeanette ever go back, foreshadowing the cutting off of all homosexuals. Mrs. White describes the women to have "dealt in unnatural passions". The term "unnatural" symbolises the community's belief that homosexuality is abnormal and deviant, and therefore shows the dismissal of all homosexuals.
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The bildungsroman genre of the narratives contributes to the growth of the protagonists' sex and sexuality from a struggle to strength. Celie's mental weakness is due to men and their treatment towards her. Her acknowledgment of this is shown when her reply to fighting back is "I don't know how to fight. All I know how to do is stay alive". This passivity is contrasted with Jeanette's similar attitude. The chapter of Joshua includes Melanie's confession to the church of their sexual relationship. Melanie was soon "calm, cheerful and ready to accept" repentance and by that summer she ...

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