Virginia Woolf is regarded as one of the great writers in modern fiction. She wrote innovative pieces of fiction for she used the stream-of-consciousness and experimented with different point of views. Furthermore, the treatment of time is an important issue in her fiction as she broke with the traditional chronological narration. This paper will discuss Virginia Woolf’s concepts of time theoretically and in her novels Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse.
First of all, it is necessary to understand that time itself is and has always been a problematic concept which has been subject to philosophical discussion. People have been obsessed with control and domination of time. They measure it and create linear segments, such as days, minutes and seconds. In Modernism, new concepts of time came up and especially the concepts of time by Henri Bergson influenced the writers of Modernism. Woolf as a modern writer and critic was strongly influenced by these new concepts. This can be seen in her experimental fiction and her usage of time in her novels. Therefore, a brief outline of the main characteristics of Modernism will be given to understand the context in which the discussion is embedded. Furthermore, Henri Bergson’s concepts of time will be presented briefly as they have been the most influential in modern fiction. Finally, Woolf’s own theoretical concepts of time will be explained. She concentrated especially on the distinction between moments of being and non-being which will be defined.
In the following, it will be examined how she applied these concepts of time in two of her novels. Mrs Dalloway, published in 1925, and To the Lighthouse, written and published after Mrs Dalloway in 1927, will be analysed with a special focus on the treatment of time. It will be examined how time influences the structures of the novels and how its dimensions, past and present, are treated. Especially past times effecting present situation and present moments evoking past memories are of importance. Furthermore, this paper will identify moments of being in the novels and analyse how they are perceived in respect to time. Finally, the treatment of time in the two novels will be compared. It will be examined if there is a development in her concepts and if so, the changes will be highlighted.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theoretical Background
3 Time in Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse
3.1 Time in Mrs Dalloway
3.1.1 Time’s Influence on the Novel’s Structure
3.1.2 Past and Present
3.1.3 Moments of Being
3.2 Time in To the Lighthouse
3.2.1 Time’s Influence on the Novel’s Structure
3.2.2 Past and Present
3.2.3 Moments of Being
4 Conclusion
Bibliography
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper explores the multifaceted concepts of time in Virginia Woolf’s novels "Mrs Dalloway" and "To the Lighthouse," examining how she rejects traditional chronological narration in favor of subjective, psychological experience. The primary research goal is to analyze how Woolf utilizes time to structure these novels, connects past and present through memory, and portrays "moments of being" as a means to transcend linear time and find deeper meaning in existence.
- Theoretical foundations of Modernism and Bergsonian time concepts.
- Structural roles of time and clock-time versus lived-time.
- Psychological mechanisms of memory and the "tunnelling process."
- The distinction between "moments of being" and "moments of non-being."
- Comparative analysis of temporal development between "Mrs Dalloway" and "To the Lighthouse."
Excerpt from the Book
Time’s Influence on the Novel’s Structure
The novel is not structured through chapters but through time. Time structures the novel on the one hand by the course of a day and on the other hand through the striking hours of Big Ben (Weber 1965: 247). It is set on the 13th of June in 1923 in London and Clarissa Dalloway is planning and preparing a party she gives in the evening. There are many different strands of plot in the novel: Septimus who suffers from shell shock and his wife trying to care for him, Peter Walsh coming back from India and visiting his first love Clarissa, Lady Burton writing a letter to The Times helped by Mr Dalloway and other strands of plot. These various strands are interlinked with each other through time and space. The narration jumps from one strand to the next and as Woolf uses the stream-of-consciousness technique, from one mind to the next, constantly changing focalisation. The reader would get lost because the novel is not structured by the plot (Velicu 1985: 40) but Woolf uses Big Ben striking the hours instead to structure the novel. How precisely Woolf used this technique can be seen when Big Ben strikes twelve (MD: 104). The clock strikes twelve in the middle of the novel and noon represents the time exactly in the middle of the day. The points in time are carefully marked as they create a unifying character in the constantly changing focalisation (Weber 1965: 247). An example for the change in focalisation is the scene when Reiza wants to leave the park and is trying to calm Septimus down as he is caught in his inner world again. This is presented through Septimus’ view. Also Peter Walsh watches this scene and when the focalisation changes to his view the reader realises that he interprets it completely wrong. The strikes of Big Ben indicate the end of Septimus’ focalisation and the beginning of Peter’s.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces Virginia Woolf’s departure from traditional narrative structures and outlines the study’s focus on her theoretical concepts of time in two selected novels.
2 Theoretical Background: This section examines the influence of Modernist thought, specifically Henri Bergson’s philosophy of time and the distinction between analytical space and intuitive temporal experience.
3 Time in Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse: This core chapter analyzes how the specific novels apply temporal concepts, using structures like Big Ben’s chimes or the "Time Passes" sequence to manipulate the reader’s perception of duration and memory.
4 Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, noting that Woolf’s treatment of time evolves from a structural, day-long focus in "Mrs Dalloway" to a more complex, eternalized perspective in "To the Lighthouse."
Keywords
Virginia Woolf, Modernism, Time, Stream-of-consciousness, Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, Bergson, Moments of being, Memory, Structure, Focalization, Tunnelling process, Past and present, Subjective time, Literary criticism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how Virginia Woolf integrates innovative, non-chronological concepts of time into the narrative structure and psychological depth of her novels "Mrs Dalloway" and "To the Lighthouse."
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The key themes include the interplay between subjective and clock-time, the use of memory to bridge the past and present, and the philosophical concept of "moments of being."
What is the primary research question?
The study aims to investigate how Woolf’s theoretical concepts of time influence the structure of her novels and whether there is a discernible development in her application of these concepts between her 1925 and 1927 works.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The work employs a literary analysis method, evaluating primary texts against relevant Modernist philosophy, specifically Bergsonian temporal theories and secondary academic research.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section details the structural use of Big Ben in "Mrs Dalloway," the "tunnelling process" of memory, and the "Time Passes" sequence in "To the Lighthouse," along with an analysis of how characters perceive reality through "moments of being."
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The work is defined by concepts like Modernism, subjective time, stream-of-consciousness, memory, and the "tunnelling process," which are essential to Woolf’s experimental technique.
How does Big Ben serve the structure of "Mrs Dalloway"?
Big Ben acts as a unifying structural device that marks time for the reader, providing a anchor point for the shifting stream-of-consciousness perspectives of the various characters throughout a single day.
What is the significance of "moments of being" in Woolf's writing?
Moments of being are rare, intense experiences of reality that exist independently of chronological time, allowing characters to transcend their immediate circumstances and reach a deeper truth about their existence.
How is the "Time Passes" sequence used in "To the Lighthouse"?
It acts as a bridge representing ten years of war, shifting the narrative focus from the specific internal lives of characters to a broader, distorted, and dreamlike view of time’s passage and loss.
- Citar trabajo
- Saskia Lührig (Autor), 2006, Concepts of Time in "To the Lighthouse" and "Mrs. Dalloway" by Virginia Woolf, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/123439
