Feb 18; More 'Oranges'

At three different points in Winterson's book does she use the line (or something to the effect of), "there are different sorts of treachery, but betrayal is betrayal wherever you find it. I noted all three times that that line was used (I suppose there could have even been more occasions in which I missed). I noticed that line because each time I saw it I was made to stop and think. I wondered what she meant by betrayal, and why she distinguished it from treachery or infidelity - terms that are relatively synonomous.

I think that these especially highlighted instances of betrayal are of special significance to Jeanette. I think that in these instances that she describes as betrayal her violated trust moved to push her away from blind acceptance of the beliefs of others and more towards a greater understanding of self. These are the moments where "coming-of-age" really start to come into effect. By separating from an insecure attachment to others, she is then better able to develop her own beliefs and self-reliance.

She ultimately distinguishes her feeling of betrayal from a feeling of treachery because she wants to stress the magnitude of her personal feelings. Betrayal, despite a similar definition to treachery, carries a much bolder connotation. By this, she conveys to the reader that this is not a momentary emotion, but a lasting experience that forever alters her perspective.

As such, her definition of betrayal is (on page 171): "promising to be on your side, and then being on somebody else's."

What's further interesting about this definition, is that while she distances herself from her mother by way of her stated beliefs, but actually, she clearly still has dualistic beliefs about right and wrong, just like her mother!