Virginia Woolf took her life in March 1941. Her fear that she would no longer be able to live meaningfully, according to her ideals and particular vision of life, forced her to choose death as salvation. To her, death was not an ending. The spirit above all had to be preserved. Like her character Septimus Warren Smith, under the strain of mental illness, she threw her life away in order to preserve that which was most sacred to her – life and integrity of the soul.
Probably it seems to be a contradiction - to destroy one’s life in an effort to save it. There are many such paradoxes in Virginia Woolf’s thinking, due to her emotional nature and to her special way of looking at life, time, and space that shapes reality itself. In this vision of life as an eternal process, the concepts of time and space, invented by man, have no meaning, because reality exists outside of them. By passing his temporal life man views all things in relation to himself and his life on the earth. But it is rather difficult to squeeze one’s life among birth and death, for man permanently organises his experience into rather relative formulations of interweaving time and space. And reality, as viewed by Virginia Woolf, includes the whole expanse of space and time, and every living form brings its historic and prehistoric past into the ever-flowing stream of life. The present moment is never isolated, because it is filled with very preceding moment, and is constantly in the process of change. Time flows with the stream, having neither beginning nor end. Reality is actually timeless and spaceless, because it contains all space and all time.
Believing in the eternal process, Virginia Woolf also demanded a revolution in literary technique and subject matter. She reconsidered personality, language, plot and structure in a new light. Personality was continuously in the process of taking shape and could not be accomplished by external descriptions. Language had to convey the emotions and perceptions of different levels of awareness all at the same moment, revealing the unconscious as well as the conscious things. Plot had to be eliminated, since action held no interest. The only thing that mattered was the inner life. Filled with the “moments of being”, it revealed to a person the pattern behind the woolly curtain of existence and through it, connected him to the other people and the outer world.
Contents
Introduction
1. Woolf’s concept of time(s)
2. Time in “Mrs. Dalloway”
2.1. “Tunnelling process” through “the characters’ caves”
2.2. The unifying character of Big Ben
3. Time in ”Moments of Being”
3.1. Correlation of the past and the present
3.2. Juxtaposing moments of “being” and “non-being”
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how Virginia Woolf integrates complex temporal concepts into her literary work, specifically exploring how she synthesizes external, linear time with internal, psychological time to define character identity and reality.
- The duality of historical and psychological time in modernist literature.
- The structural function of Big Ben as a unifying device in "Mrs. Dalloway".
- The "tunnelling process" used to connect deep levels of character consciousness.
- The autobiographical distinction between "moments of being" and "non-being".
- The role of memory in shaping a coherent sense of self.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1. ‘‘Tunnelling process” through “the characters’ caves”
On this one day in June, we learn the significant life-time experiences and precious memories of the central characters as their inner consciousness unravel before us. Chronological time (this day in June) and psychological time (the past memories and the present thoughts) are in the counterpoint relation. To shape the characters more precisely and to draw the unifying threads, Virginia Woolf made her “discovery” on how to connect the characters among themselves: “I should say a good deal about the Hours (which later became “Mrs. Dalloway”), and my discovery; how I dig out beautiful caves behind my characters; I think that gives exactly what I want; humanity, humour, depth. The idea that the caves shall connect, and each comes to daylight at the present moment" (Thursday 30 August 1923). Moreover, she also discovered what she called her “tunnelling process, by which I (she) tell the past by instalments…” (Monday 15 October 1923).
According to Virginia Woolf, in some dark and remote cave of the spirit, each person's mind connects with all the other minds, in a vast cavern where all the tunnels end. The most important evidence for this in “Mrs. Dalloway” is the fact that the same images of unity and of reconciliation appear spontaneously from the deep levels of these minds of all the major characters. One of the most pervasive of these images is Peter Walsh's version of the maternal tree, binding all living things together in its embrace of leaves and branches.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This section outlines Virginia Woolf's unique perspective on life and death, emphasizing her departure from traditional literary structure to focus on the inner life and "moments of being."
1. Woolf’s concept of time(s): The author explains Woolf’s adoption of Henri Bergson’s dual concept of time, distinguishing between external, linear historical time and internal, subjective psychological time.
2. Time in “Mrs. Dalloway”: This chapter analyzes how Woolf uses temporal devices to structure the novel, focusing on the interplay between the characters' internal experiences and the objective reality marked by the chiming of Big Ben.
2.1. “Tunnelling process” through “the characters’ caves”: This section details Woolf’s narrative technique of creating "caves" behind her characters to reveal their memories and connect them through subconscious unity.
2.2. The unifying character of Big Ben: This part examines the role of the clock as a central motif that underscores both the passing of time and the existence of a broader, encompassing reality.
3. Time in ”Moments of Being”: This chapter discusses Woolf’s autobiographical essay, analyzing how she constructs her identity by organizing her past into moments of "being" and "non-being."
3.1. Correlation of the past and the present: This section explores how Woolf perceives the past as a permanent, influential force that is continuously integrated into her present consciousness.
3.2. Juxtaposing moments of “being” and “non-being”: The author describes Woolf's classification of life into trivial routine moments of "non-being" and intense, revelatory moments of "being" that reveal the underlying pattern of reality.
Keywords
Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway, Moments of Being, psychological time, chronological time, tunnelling process, stream of consciousness, identity formation, Henri Bergson, memory, consciousness, modernity, literary technique, reality, autobiographical essay
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this academic paper?
The paper explores Virginia Woolf’s philosophical and literary treatment of time, specifically how she uses time to bridge the gap between internal consciousness and external reality.
What are the main thematic areas covered?
The core themes include the modernist perception of time, the function of narrative structures in "Mrs. Dalloway," and the psychological construction of identity in "Moments of Being."
What is the central research question?
The research investigates how Woolf transcends the limitations of traditional, linear storytelling to represent the complexity of human life through the lens of psychological and historical time.
Which scientific or theoretical methods are utilized?
The work employs a literary analysis approach, drawing upon modernist philosophy (notably Henri Bergson), psychoanalytic concepts derived from Freud, and textual close-reading of primary sources.
What subjects are addressed in the main body?
The main body examines the structural use of Big Ben, the "tunnelling process" of character memory, and the distinction between "moments of being" and "non-being" as a mechanism for identity construction.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include "tunnelling process," "psychological time," "moments of being," "identity formation," and "stream of consciousness."
How does Woolf connect the characters in "Mrs. Dalloway"?
Woolf connects her characters through a "tunnelling process," where their inner minds, residing in "caves" of memory, spontaneously reach out to connect with the minds of others, creating a unified reality.
What is the significance of "cotton wool" in Woolf's writing?
Woolf uses the term "cotton wool" to describe the routine, subconscious moments of daily life ("non-being"), which she contrasts with intense, disruptive "moments of being" that reveal the true pattern of existence.
- Quote paper
- Nataliya Gudz (Author), 2005, Concepts of Time in Virginia Woolf, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/40732
