The Absence Of Subjectivity Of Clarissa---A Spatial Reading Of Mrs Dalloway

As a major British novelist, essayist, critic and one of the leaders in the literary movement of modernism, Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) has attracted much more attention by her distinct Stream of Consciousness novels. Mrs Dalloway was Virginia Woolf’s fourth novel (1925), which broke the mold of the traditional novel and established her status as one of the most influential modern writers in British modern literature. This thesis studies her fourth novel Mrs Dalloway from the space angle and goes deep into the text to explore the absence of subjectivity of Clarissa through the theory of spatial criticism.The thesis consists of six parts.The introduction gives a brief account of Virginia Woolf and her masterpiece Mrs Dalloway. The current situation of study on Mrs Dalloway both at home and abroad is also described. Meanwhile, this part attempts to present the starting point, the value and the fresh ground of this thesis to its readers.Chapter One introduces the concept of space, and focuses on the space theories by Henri Lefebvre, Michel Foucault and Michael Crang and the definition of subjectivity. Henry Lefebvre claims that space is a product, combining actions of the subject. All subjects are in space which they enjoy or modify. Only in space can everyone acquire or lose his subjectivity. Understanding subjectivity means interpreting the relationship between space and human from the angle of value and human existence.Chapter Two explores the abstract meaning of the particular natural space in Bourton and London respectively. Here the natural space is not only the static container to describe the content of the text, but also a kind of metaphor. The change of the natural space from Bourton to London reflects the absence of subjectivity of Clarissa.Chapter Three analyses the social space in the novel. The author of this paper uses the cultural geography and space power theories to prove that the relationship between human beings is also a construction of space. Bourton and London are not simply natural landscape spaces. The social space, such as the relationship, the value and moral standard between different people that permeate in these natural landscape spaces, is emphasized in this part. This part reveals the absence of subjectivity of Clarissa by firstly exploring the unharmonious factors in the space metaphor of “home”, and then analyzing the struggle of thoughts and the resistance and persistence of two groups of people in another typical social space in Mrs Dalloway---“party”.Chapter Four probes the individual space. Individual space here not only includes the attic room which belongs to Clarissa herself, the psychological space is also an important individual space that should be emphasized. This part explores the absence of subjectivity of Clarissa by exploring the irreconcilable conflict of power penetrated between her attic room and the outside world and the irreconcilable conflict between love, freedom, power and social status as well in her psychological world.The conclusion part points out the significance of interpreting Mrs Dalloway through the theory of spatial criticism. It also indicates that space is a heterogeneous field which is the result of all kinds of power, no matter what kind of space, the harmonious relationship of all of the factors is a must. Social development needs a consistent multi-dimensional space. We Human beings can coexist and develop together in the harmonious space by the constant communication and understanding of different individuals.