This essay concentrates on the theme of religion in two Novels. "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" is a semi-autobiographical novel by Jeanette Winterson, set in the North of England. "The Color Purple" is an epistolary novel by Alice Walker, set in the deep south of America.
The epistolary form used by Walker gives us the idea that Celie and Nettie aren't characters but real people. By choosing this literary form, Walker chooses the best to make her characters as human as possible in that letter writing is a very personal way of communicating. The semi-autobiographical form used by Winterson also adds a certain human nature to the novel, as the experiences are considered to be more 'real'. The protagonist sharing the name of the author provides an obvious link to the reader in this respect. The way the chapters are named after the books of the Old Testament firstly shows the importance of religion in the novel and on Winterson. …
