Transcending Gender
----A Study of Virginia Woolf’s Androgynous Concept in Orlando
Abstract
Virginia Woolf was a famous British female writer and feminist critic in the 20th century. Her androgynous vision becomes a very important theory in the feminist criticism. This essay intends to analyze Woolf’s feminist thought through a case study of her fantastic historical biography Orlando, with a focus on Woolf’s theory of androgyny. Androgyny refers to consummation and integrity of human nature in ancient times. This concept was first put forward by Plato, Woolf later developed it into a new theory with more connotations. On the basis of Woolf’s androgynous theory, the brain of a human being is marked by the characteristics of both sexes. The hope, therefore, is that mutual tolerance and respect between sexes will prevent gender opposition and lead to freedom and equality.
The whole thesis consists of five parts. Part 1 is a brief introduction to Woolf’s literary career and her achievements, especially her androgynous vision. Part 2 discusses the formation and contents of Woolf’s concept of androgyny. Part 3 is an in-depth research on Woolf’s androgynous vision through a close examination of Orlando. Part 4 uncovers the significance of Woolf’s androgyny theory. Part 5 is a conclusion .
By creating the androgynous protagonist Orlando, Woolf deconstructed the gender binary system and came up with a solution to the problem of sexism, that is, harmonious coexistence between genders. It is from this feminist perspective that the essay reveals that the realistic meaning of Orlando lies in the criticism it makes against the deep-rooted sexism in the patriarchal society.
Key words: Virginia Woolf; Orlando; androgyny; feminism
Contents
中文摘要……………………………………………………………….……...i
Abstract………………………………………………………………………..ii
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………..……..iii
Introduction…………………………………………………………..………..1
I. Woolf’s Androgynous Concept……………………………………..…….…3
A. Formation of Woolf’s Androgynous Concept…………………..……..3
B. Contents of Woolf’s Androgynous Concept……………………..……6
II. Study of Woolf’s Androgynous Concept Through Textual Analysis
of Orlando……………………………………………….…………………..9
A. Brief Introduction to the Novel Orlando…………………………..…..9
B. Orlando’s Struggle…………………………………………….………10
C. Orlando’s Vacillation between the Two Genders…………………......14
D. The Symbolic Meaning of Androgyny on Orlando…………………...17
III. The Significance of Woolf’s Androgynous Concept………………..20
Conclusion………………………………………………………....…………..22
Notes………………………………………………………………….………..25
Bibliography………………………………………………………….………..27