Chapter 3 Analysis

Thoughts and Reactions 

    My initial thoughts when reading Chapter 3 "Leviticus" in "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" was the humor it contained even though it revolved around serious religious matters. The way mother fought the religious conflict by blasting hymns against her "heathen" neighbor genuinely made me laugh. The use of "Ask the Savior to Help You" shows a mix of bizarre and relatable characteristics in religious opposition against "sin". The character of the mother in the story drew my complete attention. The character presents both ridiculous and powerful characteristics through her survival preparations of black cherries and sardines for the Holocaust alongside her leadership of a prosperous religious organization. Such contradictory double-nature exists naturally among actual individuals. 

I was highly puzzled by the inserted fairy tale in the beginning but eventually I identified its role as a critical analysis of the mother's absolute religious faith. Perfection searches performed by the prince represent how his mother deals exclusively with absolute categories. According to the wise woman perfect balance surpasses flawlessness contradicting the entire religious system that the narrator grew up with. This dark transformation in the fairy tale narrative hit me the most emotionally. The prince shows the lethal effects of fundamentalist thinking when he orders the execution of the woman who defies his orthodox beliefs. The part where Jeanette worked with the wreath-maker resonated with me most in the chapter. There's a matter-of-factness about death that contrasts with the dramatic religious fervor of her mother. I appreciate how the author weaves together humor, horror, and philosophical questioning throughout this chapter.

Literary Element: Theme

The core message of this chapter explores how religious perfectionism creates destructive conflicts between dogma following and spiritual equilibrium seeking. The tale about the prince looking for his perfect bride presents this theme with the most clarity. The narrator challenges the concept of perfection presented in a sermon: "Perfection, the man said, was a thing to aspire to... It could only be truly realized in the next world... 'Perfection,' he announced, 'is flawlessness.'" The fairy tale immediately contradicts this definition of perfection. The wise woman taught the prince that  "The search for perfection, she had told him, was in fact the search for balance, for harmony." The interpretation of perfection as equilibrium stands as a different theological approach which goes against the religious teachings of the narrator.

The violent ending of the tale reinforces this theme when the prince rejects this wisdom: "'Off with her head.' And they chopped off the woman's head." This harsh religious response towards challenged doctrine mirrors the brutal nature of the narrator's mother while dealing with "The Heathen" neighbor. This theme relates directly to the narrator's life because she describes a "first theological disagreement" that occurred shortly before starting the fairy tale. According to the writing religious dogmatism cannot be flawlessly followed since it fosters danger through violent actions directed toward dissenters. The reader discovers Frankenstein's story through the prince which indicates that seeking perfect beings through science usually yields monsters rather than successful creations – this commentary underscores that strict religious education can produce adverse effects in its students.