Construction Of Female Self-identity In Michael Cunningham’s The Hours

This thesis analyzes the construction of female self-identity in Michael Cunningham’s The Hours, concentrating on the predicament of self, the exploration of self, and the establishment of self of the three female characters,and reveals that in male-dominated society, females in different times choose their own ways to explore self so as to accomplish self-construction.The thesis is mainly divided into five parts. Introduction presents literary achievements of Michael Cunningham, the content and value of The Hours,research situation at home and abroad, the basic concepts which are applied in this thesis as well as the organization of the thesis. The main part of the thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter One presents three females’ predicament of self in the process of their self-construction. As a female writer, Virginia Woolf suffers from dual imprisonment physically and mentally. As a suburban Los Angeles housewife,Laura Brown submits herself to domestic role which leads to her self caught in plight. As a modern woman, Clarissa Vaughn’s self remains in an unbalanced state.Chapter Two analyzes the exploration of self-construction of the three females.Woolf struggles in the anxiety of self-construction because of the hostess role and the identity as a female writer. Laura tries to eliminate the perplexity in her self-construction. Clarissa undergoes the crisis of losing self during the process of self-exploration. Chapter Three studies the establishment of self in the process of the three females’ self-construction. Woolf, as a female writer, who suffers from the opposition from the male-dominated society, is unable to get herself out of the anxiety caused by identity, and ultimately she commits suicide to extricate self from depression in order to seek subjectivity. Laura reconstructs self throughescaping domestic life. She gets out of the dilemma caused by domestic role and creates a new self. Clarissa confronts the death of Richard, draws revelation from his death of Richard, and has a new understanding of life and death. Eventually Clarissa regains balance in self, and returns to her authentic self.This thesis draws a conclusion that in the construction of female self-identity,it is not advisable to extricate self through committing suicide or reconstruct self through escaping domestic role. Women should explore self, reflect on self and the meaning of the existence of self. They should acquire independence economically and spiritually, seek subjectivity, make efforts to transcend the influence of otherness imposed on self, and then fulfill the completeness of self in the construction of self-identity.