CH7-Judges

Question 1

What is the plot summary for Judges?

Answer 1

• Mrs W asks J to move out
• J and Katy go to Morecambe
• Sir Perceval Myth
• J moves out after Mrs W denounces her at Church

Question 2

What is the link to the Bible story of Judges?

Answer 2

• The Bible story of Judges contains the history of the Israelites from Joshua’s death to Samuel. Israel lacked a central leader for all tribes.
• For Jeanette, multiple judges rule over life which becomes increasingly fragmented (not one ideology dominates at this time).

Question 3

What are the key methods we see in Judges?

Answer 3

• Epigraph of Alice in Wonderland
• language of disease
• motif of brown pebble
• Metanarrative of Sir Perceval
• capitalisation
• motif of oranges
• imagery of separation

Question 4

What context is important to remember for Judges?

Answer 4

• AIDS epidemic and the view of homosexuality as disease

Question 5

What quotes support: language of disease?

Answer 5

‘I made her ill, made the house ill, brought evil into the church’

Question 6

What quotes support: epigraph of Alice in Wonderland?

Answer 6

‘Now I must give you fair warning’ shouted the Queen, stamping on the ground as she spoke; ‘Either you or your head must be off’

Question 7

What quotes support: demonisation of homosexuality?

Answer 7

‘romantic love for another woman was a sin’

Question 8

What quotes support: capitalisation?

Answer 8

‘she didn’t believe in Determinism and Neglect’

Question 9

What quotes support: the metanarrative of Sir Perceval?

Answer 9

‘The hall is empty’
‘The Round Table is decorated with every plant that grows growig circular-wise like a target. Near the centre is a sundial and at the centre a thorny crown. Dusty now, but all things turn to dust’
‘The loyalty was to the King… had been’
‘Sir Perceval falls to his knees to clasp his lord, but his lord is a tree covered in ivy’

Answer 10

‘the sand was full of sprats gasping as the tide left them behind’

Question 11

What quotes support: motif of pebble?

Answer 11

‘I played with a rough brown pebble’
‘I held on tight to the little brown pebble’
Pebble has dual meaning: in metanarrative the raven coughs it up as a talisman of guidance for Winnet. W’s book acts as her own pebble to guide her through the trauma of her own life

Question 12

What quotes support: imagery of separation?

Answer 12

‘me in ecclesiastical quarentine, them in a state of fear and anticipation’

Question 13

What quotes support: religious metaphor?

Answer 13

‘If there’s such a thing as spiritual adultery, my mother was a whore’
‘The devil had attacked me at my weakest point: my inability to realise the limitations of my sex’

Question 14

What quotes support: characterisation of Elsie as J’s fallen saviour?

Answer 14

’‘(Elsie) started coughing and then she fell over’

Question 15

What quotes support: simple sentences?

Answer 15

‘I’m not going’
‘Will you repent?’ ‘No’

Question 16

What quotes support: metaphor of Jeanette packing up?

Answer 16

‘I took my books and my instruments in a tea chest with my Bible on top’

Question 17

What quotes support: anticlimactic ending?

Answer 17

‘It was not judgement day, but another morning’
contrast to significance of life events- shows resilience of Winterson or perhaps a sharper understanding of the harsh reality of life

Question 18

What is the significance of the metanarrative in Judges?

Answer 18

• Like Sir Perceval, J has to give up the security of the Round Table (the Church), love of King Arthur (Mother) and set out for the quest of the Grail (self-acceptance)
• J develops the understanding of the difficulty but the necessity of leaving the Church (her identity)