Representations of Gender in Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway". An Analysis of Clarissa and Elizabeth

Seminar paper from the year 2019 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Literature, Works, grade: 1,0, , language: English, abstract: This research paper will explore the thesis that Virginia Woolf's novel "Mrs. Dalloway" portrays gender as a social construct which is determined by the values a society sets in a specific period of time. Thus, Clarissa struggles to find her own identity because of changing societal expectations whereas Elizabeth, who is born in the next generation, adopts the values of Modernism.
Firstly, this paper will focus on women's social position in Victorian Age and in Modernism and the change in the social standing of women. Secondly, an analysis of the figures Clarissa and Elizabeth will be provided by examining the influence the period of time has on the characters.
Virginia Woolf's novel "Mrs. Dalloway", which was published in 1925, describes the protagonist Clarissa Dalloway's difficult process of finding herself due to the change in expectations of society from Victorian to Modern ideals. Clarissa observes her bisexual desires which contradict the idea of a socially accepted life at that time. In order to prevent society's contempt she enters into a marriage that ensures her social respectability and material wellbeing. She develops a multifaceted identity which is defined by ideologies of gender and her struggle to find happiness in this traditionally predetermined role of a woman.
In contrast, her daughter Elizabeth, who grows up in a different environment, commits herself to the idea of a Modern way of living. She represents the new generation that also offers a new conception of female identity which is less strict and compulsory. Nevertheless Elizabeth would still be considered an outsider if she strived for professional ambitions which underlines that the change from Victorian Era to Modernism is a long and complex process.
Women's role in society has always been an issue depicted and discussed in literature. Especially in early 20th century literature, as Victorian Age gave way to Modernism, a shift in perspective and a change in the role of women in society took place. Whereas during the reign of Queen Victoria women firmly belonged to the domestic sphere and had to perform their duties as housewives and mothers, women at the beginning of Modern Age fought for their emancipation and independence. The portrayal of women in fiction and the view of female authors was shaped by the norms and values a society provided and thus dependent on the time when a literary work was written.