Critical overview of parents’ influence on children’s psychology in Jeanette Winterson’s Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

ABSTRACT : Jeanette Winterson in her semi-autobiographical novel exposes through a character namedJeanette her life from childhood. She particularly describes the different aspects that matter in her life as a littlegirl especially religion and the relationship with her father and mother until she discovered her sexual identityand leaves the house. This research work explores the implication of Jeanette‟s parents in her late choices. Theobjective of this research work is to show that parents do influence their children‟s psychology more than whatthey think. After the collection of data and the use of literary theories (Psychoanalytic theory and Culturalmaterialism), it appears that parents can influence their children‟s psychology through different aspects aseducation, religion, behaviour, degree of interaction with men. It is also important to notice that whateverparents do and however they behave or educate their children, it will always have an impact on their children‟spsychology. Parents can build them or destroy them. It is then parents‟ duty to find the perfect balance foreducating their children by focusing on their personalities and most importantly on their social realities. That isthe clue for them to build their future, become good persons with good mental health or not.

KEY WORDS: Influence, psychology, education, behaviour, success.