“Oranges are not the only fruit” was written by Jeanette Winterson during the winter of 1983 and the spring of 1984. This book starts with one quotation from “The Making of Marmalade” by Mrs Beeton and another one in the next page by Nell Gwynn from which the book takes the title.

The novelist titles the eight contents of her book like the first eight chapters of the Old Testament. The themes of “Oranges are not the only fruit”correspond with the themes of the biblical book, for example the Genesis describes the beginning of the world, man and the tribes of Israel likewise the first content of the Winterson's book describes Jeanette, her placement in her family and her family life.

The Genesis develops in a not completely linear flashback. Jeanette describes a typical childhood chronologically but jumps around without clear linkages to discuss her adoption and her memories.

Jeanette's future sexual identity is often suggested in this chapter. The gypsy woman's prediction that Jeanette will not marry is the clearest example of what is going to happen in the future.

Among the narrator's remembrances appears the fable of the princess and the hunchback. This story seems unrelated to Jeanette's world but a careful analysis of this story reveals that it is actually a mythic retelling of what happens to Jeanette. The princess is so sensitive that she can't live well, but after the hunchback gives her something to do the princess forgets her pain. This happens also to Jeanette, who saves herself from distress with her mother's religion.

The biblical book of Exodus contains the story of the flight of the people of Israel to Egypt. The Exodus in “Oranges are not the only fruit” deals with similar themes of flight. Jeanette starts to go to school and becomes exposed to ideas that are not those of her mother's. The story of Jeanette's deafness concerns one of the first phases of her Exodus. During this chapters Jeanette becomes deaf and her mother offer her comfort only by leaving oranges. These oranges symbolize the entire repressive system that Jeanette's mother espouses. When Jeanette goes to school she is considered as different because of her evangelical Christianity and right here Jeanette will develop her personality.