In the memoir "Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?" Jeanette Winterson explores themes of identity, belonging, and emotional struggle. Winterson shares her experiences growing up in an unconventional household, marked by a sense of isolation and rejection. Her reflections reveal a deep conflict with feelings, highlighting the tension between vulnerability and self-preservation.

Through her narrative, Winterson questions the necessity of feeling and the pain it can bring, ultimately leading to the profound quote, "Feeling. I didn't want to feel." This quote encapsulates the struggle of confronting emotions when they are tied to past traumas and the longing for emotional detachment as a form of protection.