Fruits (Motif)
Fruits are a significant motif in the novel; in one pivotal scene, Jordan and Dog Woman see the first banana that has been brought back to England, and later Jordan brings back other fruits, such as pineapples. Fruits are even used as a visual signifier to demarcate the different sections narrated by Jordan and Dog Woman. As a motif, fruits function to elaborate on notions of desire, temptation, and allure. Fruits perform reproductive functions for plants, allowing them to spread their seeds, and from a botanical perspective, a fruit is a ripened ovary. There is also a long cultural and artistic tradition connecting fruit to desire (such as the story of the Garden of Eden). Winterson uses the motif of fruits to show that virtually all human beings experience desire, and can be powerfully driven by it. "Fruit" has also sometimes been used as a derogatory term for gay and lesbian individuals, and Winterson uses this motif to explore the importance of accepting different individuals and acknowledging that people should be free to live as they wish.
Water (Motif)
Water is a motif in the novel because rivers, oceans, and other water sources are seen to be life-giving and affirming, as well as deserving of protection. Jordan being found by the river functions as a metaphor for him being born into life with Dog Woman, even though she doesn't biologically give birth to him. Water sources are also a way for individuals to explore and have new experiences; Jordan uses access to the ocean as a way to escape, and symbolically be reborn as an explorer. Later, the woman in the modern section of the novel is fiercely protective of streams and other water sources, objecting to toxic chemicals being poured into water. Because water flows freely from place to place, it shows how individuals are connected to one another. The fluid nature of water also contrasts with a more typically linear view of time, which Winterson disrupts throughout the novel.
Fire (Symbol)
At the end of the novel, Nicholas Jordan and the woman activist set fire to a factory that has been pouring toxic chemicals into a local river. In a parallel narrative, a huge fire breaks out in London, prompting Dog Woman and Jordan to finally leave the city for good. Historically, a huge fire did destroy swathes of London in 1666. The fire in both sections symbolizes purging, cleansing, and rebirth. While fire can be destructive, it can also be a way to eliminate destructive elements that need to be purged. Both the factory and the city of London (especially during the time when it was controlled by Puritans) were causing harm, and needed to be wiped out, or reimagined so that something better could arise from the ashes. The fire symbolically creates the possibility of rebirth.
Jordan's Medallion (Symbol)
When Jordan is young, Dog Woman gives him a medallion. He wears it faithfully, but eventually gives it to Fortunata. In exchange, she gives him a necklace, which he wears back to England. The medallion symbolizes childhood and family; it shows the bond that Jordan shares with his adoptive mother, and her desire to keep him safe. When Jordan gives away his medallion, and wears Fortunata's necklace in exchange, he symbolically transitions from a child into an adult. His closest emotional bond is now with the woman he loves, rather than his family of origin. While the maturation symbolized by the medallion can be painful, it shows the inevitability of children growing into adults with their own desires and ambitions.
Dog Woman's Giant Size (Symbol)
Dog Woman is superhumanly large. Her giant size symbolizes her powerful personality, and refusal to conform to social and gendered norms. Dog Woman always says what is on her mind, and acts in ways that are direct, even if they can be brutal. She does not see any reason to sugercoat her words or actions, and she does not try to make herself less intimidating. Her large size reveals her confident and assertive nature, which is particularly striking at a time when women had limited rights and agency. Dog Woman believes that her giant size limits her ability to be desirable, which symbolically hints that men may be intimidated by confident and assertive women.
