The context in which a piece of literature is created will affect which values and attitudes are conveyed, however, despite being represented differently, some of these values and attitudes transcend through time and permeate contexts in order to reflect universal struggles which affect society. Through a comparative study of a pair of texts, the responder is able to analyse literary context as well as compare and contrast themes and ideas presented in order to gain an understanding of these struggles of. Both ‘Mrs Dalloway’ written by Virginia Woolf and ‘The Hours’ directed by Stephen Daldry are perfect examples of this. Due to the use of modernist and post-modernist techniques such as juxtaposition, both texts illustrate a perspective on
…show more content…
This is seen in ‘Mrs Dalloway’, as Woolf utilises linear time as an underlying motif throughout the novel. Throughout the text Woolf often breaks the modernist stream of consciousness of the character in order to acknowledge the chiming of Big Ben "The sound of Big Ben striking the half-hour struck out between them with extraordinary vigour.” Through doing so, Woolf introduces a linear time frame for the events that occur. By interrupting Clarissa’s tunnelling thoughts of the past, linear time acts as a catalyst for Clarissa’s realisation and acceptance of death. At the beginning of the novel Woolf demonstrates Clarissa’s thoughts on post-WW1 social constructs through interior monologue, “Did it matter then, […] did it not become consoling to believe that death ended absolutely?” However throughout the day, Clarissa starts to come to terms with human mortality and eventually accepts and understands it, “There was an embrace in death...The young man had killed himself […] She felt glad that he had done it” Through using the motif of time, Woolf symbolises society’s universal unease about human mortality and disillusionment that occurred after WW1 as well as addresses the effect that …show more content…
Throughout the movie, the responder is placed to see Richard’s descent towards death due to his condition, however, the responder is also positioned to see his acceptance of death through his suicide. In the suicide scene Richard is seen wearing an open robe made from his childhood doona cover, he then tears down a curtain in his apartment that was a curtain from his childhood home’s kitchen. Through doing so, Daldry symbolises Richard’s realization and acceptance of death through letting go of his life in order to escape from having to “face the hours” which will bring his eventual death as well as face the social stigmatization of his condition. This acceptance of death is also seen in the opening scene of the movie where the responder is shown Woolf’s suicide. Through the foreboding of Woolf’s death, Daldry creates the sense of unavoidable death. The result of this is that throughout the day of which the movie follows, the audience is forced to come to the realisation that death is certain for all the characters as well as themselves. By paralleling characters in both ‘Mrs Dalloway’ and ‘The Hours’ the responder is able to realize how time is seen in all contexts as an unstoppable force that brings death, however, when confronted with this society comes to an acceptance of death and a further sense of self.
Both ‘Mrs Dalloway’ and ‘The Hours’ convey the universal social
This is seen in ‘Mrs Dalloway’, as Woolf utilises linear time as an underlying motif throughout the novel. Throughout the text Woolf often breaks the modernist stream of consciousness of the character in order to acknowledge the chiming of Big Ben "The sound of Big Ben striking the half-hour struck out between them with extraordinary vigour.” Through doing so, Woolf introduces a linear time frame for the events that occur. By interrupting Clarissa’s tunnelling thoughts of the past, linear time acts as a catalyst for Clarissa’s realisation and acceptance of death. At the beginning of the novel Woolf demonstrates Clarissa’s thoughts on post-WW1 social constructs through interior monologue, “Did it matter then, […] did it not become consoling to believe that death ended absolutely?” However throughout the day, Clarissa starts to come to terms with human mortality and eventually accepts and understands it, “There was an embrace in death...The young man had killed himself […] She felt glad that he had done it” Through using the motif of time, Woolf symbolises society’s universal unease about human mortality and disillusionment that occurred after WW1 as well as addresses the effect that …show more content…
Throughout the movie, the responder is placed to see Richard’s descent towards death due to his condition, however, the responder is also positioned to see his acceptance of death through his suicide. In the suicide scene Richard is seen wearing an open robe made from his childhood doona cover, he then tears down a curtain in his apartment that was a curtain from his childhood home’s kitchen. Through doing so, Daldry symbolises Richard’s realization and acceptance of death through letting go of his life in order to escape from having to “face the hours” which will bring his eventual death as well as face the social stigmatization of his condition. This acceptance of death is also seen in the opening scene of the movie where the responder is shown Woolf’s suicide. Through the foreboding of Woolf’s death, Daldry creates the sense of unavoidable death. The result of this is that throughout the day of which the movie follows, the audience is forced to come to the realisation that death is certain for all the characters as well as themselves. By paralleling characters in both ‘Mrs Dalloway’ and ‘The Hours’ the responder is able to realize how time is seen in all contexts as an unstoppable force that brings death, however, when confronted with this society comes to an acceptance of death and a further sense of self.
Both ‘Mrs Dalloway’ and ‘The Hours’ convey the universal social