Author: mcavoyr

Differing Depictions of Religion (Oranges vs. Angels)

Religion is a fundamental theme in both Winterson’s Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and Kushner’s Angel’s in America. Both texts discuss characters’ unfortunate circumstances of belonging to a religion that does not accept their sexuality. However, the repercussions of their “sin” varies greatly between texts. Winterson depicts a loving and forgiving god while Kushner describes a religion focused on eternal damnation. When Jeanette’s church first begins to realize she is attracted to other girls, they react by asking her to repent for her sins. Though, from the point of view of her church, Jeanette has sinned, she is still capable of forgiveness. “The Lord forgives and forgets.” (Winterson, 109)

Meanwhile, Joe fears the consequences of acting on his sexuality. When he finds himself attracted to Louis, he responds, “I’m going to hell for doing this.” (Kushner, 122) There seems to be no opportunity for repentance in Joe’s idea of his religion. He is certain that this act alone is enough to send him to hell. His religion does not have the same opportunity for forgiveness that Jeanette’s seems to allow. Additionally, The Angel explains to Louis that, “HE left…and did not return.” (Kushner, 177) In this quote, a messenger of god describes the way in which god, disappointed by the humanity he created, abandoned it and all the people within it.

Kushner’s god is capable of abandonment, while Winterson’s is loving and faithful to all who are faithful to “Him”. Winterson’s view of god allowed Jeanette to grow up and redefine her religion. It gave her the safety to discover where she fits within her religion with god’s unconditional love as a safety net. However, Kushner’s god responds to any deviance from “His” word with eternal damnation and suffering. This is an immensely poignant way to frame a book centered around gay men during the AIDS epidemic. The characters of Kushner’s novel exist in a world where their sexuality, which they are incapable of changing, will result in eternal suffering following their death, which could come suddenly and unexpectedly for a gay man during the AIDS epidemic. These two texts together show the very contrasting religious views one can hold, and the effects this view can have on you as a person, especially if you are a member of the queer community. Jeanette was able to meld her religion with her identity, while Joe continues to have a painful internal conflict between his sexuality and his religion.

“It was like the day I discovered my adoption papers while searching for a pack of playing cards. I have never since played cards, and I have never since read Jane Eyre.” (75)

Jeanette has a fairytale-like image of what her life should look like. At very select moments in her life, that picturesque idea was shattered by a harsh reality. Jeanette had always believed her mother to be her biological mother. She understood her family to be a “normal” family, with a child growing in the guidance of the two people responsible for her birth. She had never even imagined the possibility of her family coming together in a different way. The discovery of her adoption paper was earth shattering, and there was no conceivable way for her to frame it in an acceptable manner. The most dominant framework she has is religion. Unfortunately, none of the classic biblical stories start with adoption. This new version of her story was uncharted waters.
Now, here she is in a library, and she decides to relive a fond memory of her childhood, one where she felt so connected to her mother. But, as it turns out, this wasn’t real either. Jeanette loses her sense of reality, and identity. She feels as though every aspect of her life could be called in to question, anything could turn out to be a deception. She cannot handle this feeling. So, she shuts the book and she never revisits it. She carries on and speaks as if her mother were the woman who gave birth to her. She pretends she never learned the truth, because lying to herself is much more comfortable. She does all that she can to avoid this stabbing feeling of a harsh truth. Yet, it keeps appearing as if it’s unavoidable. It is what she felt when she learned she was adopted, when she learned Jane Eyre did not end as she had thought, and also, a little later in life, when she realizes she can’t settle down and start a family of her own in the way she had always expected. She can’t have the fairy-tale life she had assumed she would. The real challenge lies in accepting that.

Cartographies of Silence

The scream

of an illegitimate voice

It has ceased to hear itself, therefore

it asks itself

How do I exist?”

Riche has often stated the importance of telling one’s own story. In this poem, she describes the sad reality of those unable to use their voice in such a way. The voices of minorities are referred to as “illegitimate”, because of how strongly the forces of society work against them. She also speaks to the frustration of a person in this situation, imagining that they not simply speak, but scream to be heard. Minorities have a history of being robbed of their chance to immortalize their voice and therefore immortalize themselves. Here, Riche uses very poignant language to refer to dealing with this idea of being unheard. She even goes so far as to question whether an unheard voice even exists.

What I am really trying to say here is I think Riche is writing in honor of those that have lived their lives without being allowed to fully exist—the minorities so unfairly neglected by the world.