1 – In the bible, Ruth is one of my favorite books in the bible. And in Oranges are Not the Only fruit, the relationships between the stories make me think of independence and righteousness. In the end of the book, it shows she did not cut ties with her mother after all. They still spend Christmas together and the way she wrote the story makes me think that she understand her mom with more mature lenses. She makes questions about how things are going and even though her mom shares her perspectives in lenses that are not Jeanette’s anymore, she does not disagree or demonstrates unkindness. Also, I love the story of the very far away kingdom where everybody knows where it is, but does not belong to everybody. As a foreigner, she would always be remembered of that if living in another ordinary setting. But as a winner, in an extraordinary kindgom, she would be praised and remembered as the one who was too good for her last home, so now she lives in the fairy tale. In many instances, that was exactly what happened, and still I perceive some genuine desire of growth from Jeanette. She is strategic in her plans and she works with her hands, and the time goes on and she is still following her plans. She is a winner in many instances, and I cried in this chapter like a compassionate bird who flew in another world and found a little of its own crew. She relates “magic arts” with all the biblical religious knowledge her mom taught her, making me think of the way she was raised was intellectually right but emotionally corrupted, making me think of a way of understanding my own scripture intellectually, but also emotionally and spiritually. That is when miracles actually happen, and I feel Jeanette did need to feel this separation to then finally apply in a spiritual level all the knowledge she was raised with.

2 – In the short story the book is telling us, about the girl who was raised with this people doing magic arts, she is introduced to do many choices. She (who can be symbolized by Jeanette’s emotions) tries to leave there, but yet she has many challenges, while also the option of staying is valid but the option of leaving is much worthy. In the end of the story, it is said: “When Winnet wakes up, there is a light rain, and she must move quickly. She is crying and the blind man, touching her, tells her not to worry about being afraid.” In some level, that shows that Jeanette was afraid but still would have received encouragement from other people. Back in the day, she was working in a hospice so we could interpret the blind man in the quote could be one of her patients. Then, it is mentioned: “The sail is pulling and the sun is out. Now, there is nothing about her but water. One thing is certain; she can’t go back.” Also describing that even Jeanette having nothing her life but water (symbolized by her emotions and desire to grow, or the power of her own experiences and will), she did have the certainty that a decision was made and there is power in this. There is power in not being able to come back, and that is a strong point of growth to Jeanette. After all, doors closed mean that there is space for a new path, and in the Hero’s journey that is exactly the point she is realizing that even though she made a decision some time ago, it was time now for the new come in. In her settings, there are people willing to help her and even the issue being of having no idea of what comes next, it was still an opportunity for her of something better she never had until then.