When reading Winterson’s “Written on the Body”, the biggest take away I had was not a specific person, or a specific scene. But everything about the story. I think the perspective that the narrator is a lover of Louise’s, and we are witnessing their perspective of Louise battling Leukemia. is such a unique perspective and idea I’ve never even remotely seen in another story. In a way, I read the lines about her body breaking down and thought that the narrator loves her so much, they want to embody themselves into her struggle to see her more clearly, to take away her pain, and I felt a sense of yearning. I couldn’t tell if the narrator was yearning for Louise period or yearning for a healthy Louise. I also believe that the concept of reading a book about a woman who had an affair, was diagnosed with cancer, and her perception is being explained to all readers, through a lover is, random is the best word. Not a spouse, a child. or herself, but a lover. We know this narrator has had many affairs before, but I think their lack of ethos on who they are as an individual also makes your mind as a reader wonder with curiosity. Why this person? Who even is this person? Why this perspective? The rarity and uniqueness of it captivated my interest, this concept of this story is very unique.
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