... Only Fruit' has clear analogies with Winterson's own childhood and adult life, but in my opinion links can also be drawn between Hardy's personal life and the character Angel Clare. To the question whether the novel is autobiographical, Winterson answered equivocally "No not at all and yes ... her non religious' books by flashlight. After falling in love with another girl, Winterson left home at 16. All these details from her personal life are evident in the novel. Hardy's victimised chief character is female also, therefore it could not be autobiographical in its strictest definition. ...

• Word Count: 3072
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate