Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

My personal beliefs are grounded in Judeo-Christian teachings. I was raised by Christian parents, attended church weekly, and raise my own family in a similar fashion.
Many people shaped my belief system: parents, friends, teachers. However, most profoundly, my mother and father, though not always for the better. As I grew from child to adult, I found their beliefs didn't always fit with my interpretation of truth or even Christianity. My early childhood was very legalistic and stifling. It took many years to "undo" that type of upbringing, to sift the good from the not-so-good.
In Oranges are Not the Only Fruit, the beliefs that are upheld only vaguely resemble Christianity. Mostly, it is a warped interpretation of the religion that is twisted and hateful. The predominant belief that is challenged is that homosexuality is a sin. In the chapter of "Numbers", the author explores the notion of never marrying because all men are pigs! And not matter who she talks to about the subject, she's told that she'll eventually get used to it. Although her mother's belief system could not handle homosexuality, Jeannette dares to entertain the idea in her head, and eventually literally with Melanie.
The "Exodus" that Jeanette takes from home to school foreshadows the ideological separation from her mother that is to come. Her world is broadened, if only for a short time, by the relationships with others her age and her teacher. However, the way Jeanette becomes a cast-off at school also foreshadows the way she will not be accepted as a homosexual. Foreshadowing aso takes place in the chapter of "Leviticus" by the way the author disagrees with Pastor's theology of a "perfect person". Instead of always being aligned with her mother's belief system, she starts to develop her own.
Obviously, struggles still exist for Jeanette as they exist for us all. Primarily the struggles will be with relationships, whether her mother or God himself!