The novel "Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?" represents a modern novel because it was written by J. Winterson in 2011 and it deal with themes of the contemporary world, for example the iusse of homosexuality, of child's adoption.

In her autobiological novel "Oranges Are Not The Only Friut" J. Winterson speaks about her upbringing in Accrington as the adopted child of working-class evangelical Christians, the discovery of her lesbianism and, ultimately, her triumphant escape to Oxford. But twenty-six years later, she has produced "Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?", that is a memoir, indeed the events are not told in a chronological order. The novel speaks about the adoption of a child and her struggle in finding her biological mother. Narration is fragmented: the facts are told following the emotional impacts. In her narrative tecnique she uses a lot of quotation, flashbacks and flashforwords. Language is apparently easy; the writer adopts the first person narrator.

J. Winterson dedicates her novel to her three mothers: Constance Winterson, her adoptive mother, Ann S., her biological mother, and Ruth Rendell, her literary mother. Every mother represents fundumental figure and something different for the writer.

From the title the word "Happy" and "Normal" are in opposition. The novel is organized in to 15 chapters and in its economy every title gives directions to the reader.

The first chapter is informative and introductive because it gives information about the novelist's life, indeed she describes her adoption and her parents. When she was young, she felt outside beacuse che was adopted and she thinks her mother chooses the wrong child.

The second one is descreptive and argumentative chapter. J. Winterson describes her native town: Manchester, and she wants to bring to surface the contradictory nature of the city: it is in the south of the north of England, and in the town there was wealth, but living conditions were poor. Manchester represents the typical industrialized city affected by the effects of the Industrial Revolution.

The third and fourth chapters are connected by the word "language", indeed the writer wants to tell the reader how she reached the awareness and the importance of the language. The title "In The Beginning Was The Word" recalls the incipit of the Bible; J. Winterson communicates the power of language and she chose to write about the Bible because It is the root of the western mind. The prtagonist becomes novelis even if her mother attempts to stunt her imagntive growth wit religion. Also in the fifth chapter the novelist wants to communicate the important role of books in her life, indeed she escapes from this sad place taking refuge in them; besides she describes her home and what usually happens inside.

The sixth chapter is a reflection on the contradictions of religion, indeed the church is described. In the seventh one an other important place is presented by the writer: Accrington, which is the city where J. Winterson spent her childhood with her adoptive family. In the eighth chapter the novelist wants to reflect on society, religion and homosexuality, indeed she falls in love with an other girl and she reveals this to her mother.

In the following four chapters J. Winterson restates the importance that books have in her life. She sees literature as a medicine, as a friend who can help her, indeed books remain an important support in the protagonist's life. The writer wants to show the importance of writing as a rehabilitation tool.

In the last three chapters the novelist reveals the mystery of her roots, indeed she meets her biological mother appealling to feeling to describe this crucial appointment. By means of the meeting with Ann, she finds the meaning of her life.