What is the function of the Fairy Tale?

Question

in "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" by Jeanette Winterson

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The unrelated narratives complement what is happening in Jeanette's life, or her emotions about a particular issue. For example, when Jeanette disagrees with the idea of perfection, she thinks up a lengthy story critiquing the idea of perfection itself. Likewise, when Jeanette is forced to leave her home, she describes her circumstances by telling the tale of Winnet Stonejar. The events in Winnet's life mirror those in Jeanette's but by telling them through a made- up fictional character Jeanette is able to depersonalize her circumstances. The unrelated narratives also demonstrate Jeanette's imaginative capacity. As she grows old, Jeanette's imagination becomes the place that she can run to when times get tough. Jeanette eventually will become the narrator of the novel and these small imaginative fantasies appear as her training for the ultimate task. On a wider level, the inclusion of unrelated narratives in the novel forces the reader to question the very nature of storytelling. The various stories thrust into the novel force one to question which ones have their basis in reality.

The purpose of this questioning is to realize that no stories can ever be firmly fixed as fact. All stories, including histories, are relative truths, and all stories have been shaped by a teller.

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