Place And Space In The Years

As the main representative of the western modernist movement, Virginia Woolf has an aptitude for the depiction of people’s life and their psychology. Scholars at home and abroad have analyzed her works from different perspectives, such as the feminist perspective, the perspective of writing skills, the view of ethics and so on. This thesis, using The Years as an entry point, analyzes how the Pargiters, during the decline of the British Empire, turn the space into the place with time, and what kind of method they take to seek a psychological breakthrough. The thesis, combining the theory of place and space from the perspective of human geography and the theory of Bergson’s duration together, discusses how the Pargiters set up the ideal world in their constant pursuit of the ideal space, more specifically, how they combine the action and thought together to further their place and space.This thesis consists of five parts. To begin with, The introduction presents Woolf’s life experience, the main content of The Years, and the study on Woolf’s works in this field. Besides, this thesis explores the Pargiters’intention to transcend the restricted place, and summarizes the three basic elements of the sense of place, which are the static settings, people’s activities and the meaning of people’s experience. This chapter also analyzes the Pargiters’determination to surpass the confinement. Furthermore, this thesis mainly analyzes the proper methods and actions for the Pargiters to further their space. Confronted with the predicaments, the Pargiters struggle to deepen their demand for the social space, personal space, and free space by the following ways, such as wandering around the world, searching for the independent space in nature, and looking for the meaningful life at work. Finally, this thesis illustrates the Pargiters’desire to realize their ideal world. In order to approach the New World, the Pargiters spare no pains to keep the balance of their ideal space and place.This thesis concludes that Woolf relates the Pargiters’pursuit for the sense of place, the ideal destination, and the ideal world, which uncovers many social evils in the Victorian Age, such as the gender discrimination, the inconstancy of human relationships, and the lack of education. This thesis, combining the theory of place and space from the perspective of human geography and the theory of Bergson’s duration of the free will together, mainly unfolds people’s longing for justice, freedom and peace in the war years. Meanwhile, this thesis calls on our society to pay more attention to the lower classes who are constrained and inferior.