Religious belief in a secular age: Literary modernism and Virginia Woolf's<i>Mrs. Dalloway</i>

Griesinger, Emily

doi:10.1177/0148333115585279

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Woolf's criticism of rationality is the further development of the alienation theme and also a useful reflection on modernity "during the peak of literary modernism." [15] One thing needs to be stressed, that is, this paper approaches the death of Septimus from the confrontation between humanitarianism and rationalism, a perspective seldom touched before and thus may challenge some readers' preexisting comprehension of the novella. To justify such a challenge, the writer of this paper would like to quote from Jonathan Culler, "meaning is contextbound, but context is boundless."…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Death of Septimus and Virginia Woolf’s Attitude Towards Rationality

Zhang¹

2021

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research

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This paper attempts to deeply explore the death of Septimus from the perspective of the opposition between humanitarianism and rationalism. Different from previous critics who attributed Septimus's death to shell shock, this paper attempts to argue that Septimus, the symbol of humanitarianism, is forced to commit suicide by Bradshaw, the symbol of rationalism, because the former's lament for the loss of humanitarianism is interpreted by the latter as symptoms of madness, the whole process of which reveals the transgression of rationalism on humanitarian spirit. By indicating the spiritual identification between Septimus and Clarissa, and employing Clarissa as the incantation of her spirit, Virginia Woolf subtly denotes the spiritual identification between Septimus and herself. Virginia Woolf metaphorically employs the death of Septimus to embody the transgression of rationalism on humanitarianism in her time so as to make a social warning.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Death of Septimus and Virginia Woolf’s Attitude Towards Rationality

Zhang¹

2021

Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research

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“…Hemingway's fellow modernists shifted the focus of fiction to the secular exploration of "Christian archetypes, imagery, and symbols" (Griesinger, 2015, p. 455). According to Griesinger (2015), the religious symbols in modernist fiction, if present, are primarily observed within the context of the secular. Therefore, their portrayal and exploration significantly differ compared to the previous times.…”

Section: Seeing a Troubled World: Pain And Consolationmentioning

confidence: 99%

"There's going to be a moon tonight": Images of light and darkness as symbolic elements in Ernest Hemingway's In our time

Surla,

Gordić-Petković

2023

Zb Filoz fak Priština

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This paper aims at exploring and analysing the presence and significance of images of light and darkness as symbolic elements in the short story collection In Our Time by Ernest Hemingway. Many renowned writers incorporate such images into their works, often representing them as distinct polarities or as a unified entity. Given the fact that Hemingway's often omitted elements of the narrative are prone to analysis due to their significance, the main aim of this paper would be to examine what these symbolic elements might be an indication of. By relying on the theory of conceptual metaphor and Jung's coniunctio oppositorum, or the union of opposites, abstract oppositions such as emotions surrounding birth and death, fear and consolation, the fundamental misunderstanding between various married or unmarried couples within these short stories will be analysed within the mentioned framework. Thus, the paper provides an exploration of these notions and sheds light on Hemingway's portrayal of the stereotypical dark/light opposition, as well as the coexistence of these opposing elements within the inner and outer worlds of his characters. Hence, the main conclusions which can be drawn from the analysis include the perspective from which the author creates images of light and darkness in order to draw attention to emotions such as fear or consolation corresponding to the common perception of these images. Nonetheless, depending on the context within different narratives, the author also manipulates the common perception, thus creating the reverse symbolisation. By presenting both of these images, examining their contrast, relatedness, as well as the necessity of their existence, Ernest Hemingway creates a unique short story collection, thus supporting the claim that his narratives can be repeatedly and inexhaustibly reread and reanalysed.

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“…Septimus loses his manliness by becoming shell-shocked; he has failed to behave in the manner society expects of him. Consequently, the question arises whether Septimus becomes feminine through his sobbing and is excused from becoming a recognized griever by his gender (Griesinger, 2015). Hence, one can argue that Septimus and Clarissa are both womanly roles, as they are both oppressed by masculine-dominated structures.…”

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confidence: 99%

The Manifestations of Woolf’s Life Experiences in Mrs. Dalloway

Albalawi

2022

ALLS

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Mrs. Dalloway is one of Virginia Woolf’s greatest achievements. The novel continues to enthuse scholars across the globe, and there are myriad studies through which readers can gain a finer understanding of it. This paper attempts to show how Woolf implants in Mrs. Dalloway a plentiful range of experiences from her life. It argues that in order to have an ample understanding of a character’s state of mind or behavior, emphasis should be placed not only on the text but also on the role of the writer’s personal experiences in its formation. This paper discusses, more specifically, how Woolf’s own experiences are linked to Septimus’s, and showcases that Woolf’s life is a major influence on the story of Septimus.

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Religious belief in a secular age: Literary modernism and Virginia Woolf'sMrs. Dalloway

Cited by 7 publications

References 11 publications

The Death of Septimus and Virginia Woolf’s Attitude Towards Rationality

The Death of Septimus and Virginia Woolf’s Attitude Towards Rationality

"There's going to be a moon tonight": Images of light and darkness as symbolic elements in Ernest Hemingway's In our time

The Manifestations of Woolf’s Life Experiences in Mrs. Dalloway

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