Sexing the Cherry Lesson Plan

Chapters narrated by Jordan begin with a pineapple, while chapters narrated by Dog-Woman begin with a banana. Why do you think Winterson includes these markers? How do they relate to the role of fruit in the novel so far?

Strong responses should be able to identify the fact that Winterson’s inclusion of the fruit icons before each chapter directly relates to the subversion of gender roles and stereotypes the novel has already begun to explore in its first 30 pages. Students should realize that the banana in the novel is associated with men (for its phallic look) in the scene where Johnson reveals this exotic fruit (the banana) to the people of England, brought back as...