An Interpretation Of The Hours From The Perspective Of Spatial Culture Theory

As the contemporary American writer Michael Cunningham’s representative work, TheHours is an emotional and exquisite novel, which narrates Virginia, Laura, and Clarissa’seventful life in a single day, drawing on Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway. As soon as itwas published, The Hours has become a bestseller. It was awarded the PEN/Faulkner Awardof1998and the Pulitzer Prize of Fiction of1999. In2002, it was adapted for a successful film,which won the60thGolden Globe Award. It is this novel that establishes Cunningham as amajor force in American writing.Critics and scholars abroad and at home have studied The Hours from variousperspectives，such as theme analysis, psychoanalysis, feminism, postmodernism, and filmadaption. However, few people have interpreted the novel from the perspective of spatialtheory. It is known that people, who live in space, are active participants in the construction ofembracing spatiality. Space will inevitably influence all aspects of people’s life.This thesis attempts to apply Georg Simmel’s spatial culture theory to analyzing TheHours. It consists of six parts: Introduction, four chapters and Conclusion.Introduction starts with the author, the novel, and literature review. Then, thesignificance of the thesis is presented: in light of Simmel’s study of spatial and urban culture,the thesis tries to analyze the main characters’ existing circumstances in cities, the causes oftheir existing circumstances and the possible ways of self-redemption, and then explores thecore of the novel—in what way human should act to respect their life.Chapter One sets the theoretical foundation for the whole thesis. According to Simmel’sspatial culture theory, metropolis is the stage for modern experience and minds. The generalfeature of modern metropolitan experience is the atrophy of life feeling. This phenomenon can be explained from the three qualities of spatial form, namely boundary, fixity and distance.Boundary represents the mutual psychological limitation. Fixity of spatial contents reveals therelation between domination and subordination. Distance, on a higher aesthetic level, is thepoetic pursuit of life. The contradiction between various limitation and poetic freedom resultsin the atrophy and depression of modern individuals. What is the possible redemptive way?Because space, in general, is an activity of the mind and the extension of life, people maywalk out of this dilemma only through life itself. To some extent, death is an indispensableelement of life as well as the judgment and sublation; it is another transcendence of life. Thus“death” is probably one of the redemptive ways to get rid of the atrophy of life feeling.Chapter Two is the detailed analysis of the main characters’ existing circumstances,similar and typical, such as intellectuality, blasé attitude, reserve and adventure. Their life hasturned into a perfect and prosperous ritual. To the core, it is lifeless and oppressing. Their lifefeelings have atrophied gradually. They live in cities, but do not belong to the city life. Theyare strangers in the modern city.Chapter Three focuses on exploring the causes of the main characters’ existingcircumstances with the help of three qualities of spatial form. House is the specific form of“boundaries”. The main characters live in the prison-like houses or apartments. Houses havebecome the psychological obstacles in their minds. The “fixity” of life contents has thesupreme power over other things. The main characters have to be subordinate to their fixedlife contents and get controlled by them all the time.“Distance” separates people from the lifethey are living, and provides them with a poetic understanding of life. The main charactersactually have a strong sense of poetic complex. They have dreams and care about theirspiritual pursuit. They “stand” at the other side of common people and common life, anddiscern that the dislocation of reality and spirit is the fundamental reason of their tortured lifefeelings. Chapter Four goes on to analyze the main characters’ final self-redemption based onSimmel’s thoughts of death. The essence of life1is the incessant transcendence to gain thewider and fresher spiritual space. Death, as a substantial part of life, is also a form ofself-transcendence, and can be seen as a possible redemptive way. Among the characters,Virginia and Richard end their life by suicide. Laura tries a failed suicide but abandons herstable family. Clarissa witnesses the death of Richard. It can be said that their life hassomething to do with death. Through experiencing death, escaping death or confronting death,they rescue themselves from the turmoil. Thus, they have achieved the epiphany of life in theend.Based on the above analysis and discussion, a summary is made in Conclusion. Though itis full of description of desperation, suffering and even death, The Hours is not a novel withsuch sentiment. On the contrary, it contains enormous vitality. The characters’ seeminglydifferent behavior comes from their love for life, especially their respect for life—facing pains,daring to cut the connection with the unsatisfying life, and seeking the poetic life of their own.No matter they choose to continue or end life, they all accomplish the transcendence of life.That is to say, in light of spatial culture theory, The Hours actually provides a different angleto survey life. To know life, to love life, and then to abandon the unsatisfying forms of life andcontrol the direction of life flux probably constitute the highest respect for life.