DA PAIXÃO QUE CONSPURCA AO AMOR QUE LIBERTA: IDENTIDADES QUEER EM ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT, DE JEANETTE WINTERSON

Abstract

Discourses against subjects that do not fit to hegemonic gender standards are recurrent within our society. Such discourses are characterized as homophobia, that is, verbal, physical or moral violence against homosexual individuals. LGBTQ+ people are marginalized because they do not adjust to the model of heterosexual identity, which is considered to be the only “natural” sexual orientation by some groups. In addition, patriarchy exerts great pressure, with truly harmful consequences over subjects, especially women, who, due to male dominance, are condemned to a subordinate position. Considering this, we chose as object of study the novel Oranges are not the only fruit (1985), by English writer Jeanette Winterson (1959 -), aiming to analyze, in the light of Queer Theory and some socio-historical considerations about female sexuality, how the characters Jeanette and Melanie deal with the social repression to which they are exposed due to their homoaffective relationship. To support our work, we are going to use as theoretical framework the studies of Foucault (2017) and Stearns (2010) regarding the history of sexuality. We also subsidize Hall (2005), aiming to understand the process of identity formation, and the contributions of Butler (2017), Louro (2004) and Spargo (2017) in order to discuss theorizations about gender identities.