‘Burning in this Clumsy, this Ill-fitting Body’. Corporeality in Virginia Woolf's Writing

Table of Contents

Introduction: Corporeality and Spirituality

The Significance of Corporeality for the Individual

The Social Meaning of Corporeality

Corporeality and Language

Conclusion

Research Objectives and Core Themes

This thesis examines the representation of the human body in Virginia Woolf's major novels, specifically Mrs Dalloway and The Waves, by analyzing the tension between corporeality and spirituality. It explores how Woolf's characters grapple with their physical identities, the social perceptions of the body, and the challenges of articulating these corporeal experiences through modernist narrative techniques, drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Julia Kristeva and Maurice Merleau-Ponty.

• The role of the body in individual perception and identity formation.
• The social constitution of the body and the phenomenon of abjection.
• The interplay between mental states and physical existence in modernist literature.
• Woolf’s critique of social boundaries and gendered perceptions of the body.
• The linguistic difficulties inherent in writing about the physical self.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

Introduction: Corporeality and Spirituality: This chapter establishes the Cartesian division between mind and body and outlines the thesis's focus on Woolf's literary exploration of the physical self.

The Significance of Corporeality for the Individual: This section utilizes Merleau-Ponty's theories to analyze how characters in Mrs Dalloway and The Waves perceive the world and construct their identities through their bodily experiences.

The Social Meaning of Corporeality: This chapter applies Kristeva’s theory of abjection to examine how social norms surrounding the body, motherhood, and illness influence the characters' self-perception and psychological state.

Corporeality and Language: This section discusses the inherent difficulty in using language to describe physical reality and compares Woolf’s narrative approach to that of James Joyce.

Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, asserting that Woolf successfully illustrates the inseparability of body and mind despite the challenges of the literary medium.

Keywords

Virginia Woolf, Corporeality, Abjection, Mrs Dalloway, The Waves, Julia Kristeva, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Identity, Modernism, Perception, Spirituality, Gender, Body, Anorexia, Narrative Technique

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core focus of this thesis?

The thesis focuses on how Virginia Woolf represents the human body and physical experience in her writing, challenging the traditional separation between the mind and the physical self.

Which novels are central to the analysis?

The primary texts analyzed are Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway and The Waves.

What is the primary objective of the research?

The goal is to demonstrate that Woolf recognizes the body as central to individual identity and to analyze how she portrays the social and linguistic struggles of representing this corporeality.

Which theoretical frameworks are applied?

The author primarily employs Julia Kristeva’s theory of abjection and Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological perspective on the body's role in perception.

What topics are covered in the main body of the text?

The main body covers individual perception, the social meaning of the body, personal identity, the impact of illness and age, and the challenges of articulating physical states through modernist narrative devices.

Which keywords best characterize this work?

Key terms include Corporeality, Abjection, Identity, Modernism, Perception, and the specific works of Virginia Woolf and Julia Kristeva.

How does Woolf's narrative style handle the body?

The thesis argues that Woolf uses specific narrative techniques and metaphors to express the physical nature of her characters, even while the characters themselves may feel detached from their bodies.

Does the author compare Woolf to other writers?

Yes, the author specifically contrasts Woolf’s narrative approach to physical reality with the writing style of James Joyce, particularly in Ulysses.

What is the author's conclusion regarding body and mind?

The author concludes that body and mind are inseparable and that Woolf's literature ultimately emphasizes this unity despite the societal tendencies to separate them.