In this term paper I will show how a real person - Virginia Woolf - is presented as a fictional character in Michael Cunningham’s The Hours.
The title he chose for his book is the working title of Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway. Cunningham’s composed his work is composed of three interlacing parts, entitled “Mrs Woolf”, “Mrs Dalloway” and “Mrs Brown”. This fact hints at the possibility of his wanting to point out some relations between the authoress and her fictive offspring.
To get a most objective picture of how Virginia Woolf really was, I also used her diary edited by Anne Oliver Bell, and gave the information derived from there priority in completing this term paper.
Furthermore, I will compare Michael Cunningham’s version of Virginia Woolf with descriptions of her by people that were close to her: Virginia’s husband Leonard Woolf and her nephew Quentin Bell.
When comparing Cunningham’s novel with Virginia Woolf’s diary I found that there were so many interesting points I was reluctant to suppress that I decided to shorten my inquiries into the other two books in order not to go beyond a reasonable volume of this paper.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Virginia Woolf in Michael Cunningham's The Hours
- Virginia Woolf Based on her own Diary
- Virginia Woolf as Described by Quentin Bell
- Virginia Woolf as Described by Leonard Woolf
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to examine how Virginia Woolf, a real person, is portrayed as a fictional character in Michael Cunningham's novel The Hours. It delves into the relationship between the author and her fictional creation by analyzing Virginia Woolf's own diary, as well as descriptions of her by those close to her.
- The portrayal of Virginia Woolf as a fictional character in The Hours
- The interplay between Virginia Woolf's real life and her fictional creation
- The themes of sanity, impersonation, and the struggle for creative expression
- The impact of mental illness on Virginia Woolf's life and writing
- The relationship between Virginia Woolf and her husband, Leonard Woolf
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: Introduces the topic of the paper and outlines the author's methodology.
- Virginia Woolf in Michael Cunningham's The Hours: This chapter explores Cunningham's depiction of Virginia Woolf's suicide in 1941, focusing on the language and imagery used to convey her emotional state. It also examines how Cunningham portrays Virginia's daily life in 1923, highlighting her struggle with mental illness, her passion for writing, and her relationship with Leonard.
- Virginia Woolf Based on her own Diary: This chapter analyzes Virginia Woolf's diary entries to provide a more objective view of her personality and experiences. It compares Cunningham's fictionalized portrayal with Woolf's own words, highlighting similarities and differences.
- Virginia Woolf as Described by Quentin Bell: This chapter explores how Quentin Bell, Virginia's nephew, describes her in his writings, offering an additional perspective on her personality and life.
- Virginia Woolf as Described by Leonard Woolf: This chapter examines how Leonard Woolf, Virginia's husband, depicts her in his works, providing insights into their relationship and his understanding of her mental and emotional struggles.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Key words and themes of this paper include Virginia Woolf, The Hours, Michael Cunningham, diary, biography, mental illness, creative writing, self-expression, relationship, gender, social class, and the 20th century.
- Quote paper
- Kathrin Ehlen (Author), 2004, Virginia Woolf as a Character in Michael Cunningham’s THE HOURS, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/175149
