Queer Images In Maurice And Orlando

As representative figures in early20th century English literature, both E.M.Forster and Virginia Woolf are significant figures in London literary society and well-known members of the Bloomsbury Group. They are experts in exploring inner world of characters, whose fate is unpredictable but natural. Forster’s Maurice and Woolf s Orlando, have been interpreted by a lot of scholars and critics from many perspectives since they were issued.In early1990s, queer theory as a new theory about sex and gender emerged. American theorist Annamarie Jagose pointed that queer theory covers the study on all "nonstraight" sex, gender and sexuality. Besides traditional gay and lesbian studies, queer includes transvestite, androgyny, transsexual and third sex. One of the main principles of queer theory is questioning heterosexual hegemony and protesting against traditional discrimination and oppression on non-straight people who are inconsistent with main stream culture and dominant social norms of sex or gender. But it does not mean to advocate and preach homosexuality as some people misunderstand, but firmly opposes rigid categorization of heterosexuality and homosexuality, thus encouraging people to tolerate and accept different gender identities.In compatible with what queer theory holds, Forster and Woolf advocate a protest against rigid social categorization, elimination of gender identity discrimination and pursuit of freedom and social harmony in their works.As writers with homosexual orientation, Foster and Woolf reflect the trouble of gender identity via the characters of their works. Forster explicitly depicts the emotional life of a male homosexual Maurice while Woolf humorously unrolls Orlando’s legendary transformation from man to woman over300years. The two protagonists in Maurice and Orlando have clear queer qualities such as the same-sex love between Maurice and two men, Clive and Alec,Orlando’s love with both man and woman, which embodies the writer’s objection to binary categorization and expectation of getting rid of all prejudices towards marginalized people to establish a harmonious and free world, just as queer theory pursues.Based on the detailed textual analysis of Maurice and Orlando with queer theory as its major research methodology, the thesis explores two queer images, Maurice and Orlando in the works to unveil what is in common with queer theory and therefore reflects the writer’s opposition to rigid gender categorization, elimination of discrimination and pursuit of a harmonious and free world. The analysis of Maurice and Orlando is combined with a study of the author’s homosexual orientation.The thesis falls into four chapters. The first part serves as an introduction which provides the origin of the study, an overall literature review relevant to the research thesis and a brief thesis statement. Chapter two and three constitute the main parts of the thesis. Chapter two analyzes that Maurice, first suffers confusion and discouragement in the process of self-awareness of homosexual identity. In the closing scene, Maurice and his homosexual partner go far from the madding crowd and retreat to the greenwood, which suggests Forster’s silent protest against heterosexual hegemony and pursuit of freedom and harmony. Chapter three explores the protagonist Orlando’s love with both woman and man while transforming from man to woman. Orlando loves the Russian princess,Sasha, Captain Shell and maintains a close relationship with a lot of women. Her personal emotional experience reflects a challenge for heterosexual hegemony and transcendence of binary categories. The thesis concludes Forster and Woolfs attitude towards rigid categorization of heterosexuality and homosexuality.