An Analysis Of Masculinity In Orlando

As one of the most famous female writers in the history of English literature in the past centuries Virginia Woolf has been active in the sights of literary lovers and literary critics.Her work has not only made outstanding contributions to the English literature,but also made great efforts to the development of social movements,the restoration of women’s history and Victorian history.This dissertation will analysis the masculinity of the protagonist in different periods of life in her mocking autobiographical novel "Orlando" as the main by using the masculinity theory of professor Raven Cornell.The novel tells the story of a 400-year-old fantasy of a British noble,Orlando,from a male to a female,also from a handsome young man to a delicate woman.After trans gendering,in social life,she also experienced various kinds of lawsuits and inconveniences brought about by women identity.In her four hundred year of life,Orlando has gradually become a mature woman,and her masculinity is also perfectly integrated with her.This paper selects Connell’s masculinity theory to analyze the changes in masculinity in Orlando during the gender relations and gender practice before and after trans gendering.Although Orlando’s gender and identity have been changing,masculinity has always existed.Through the analysis of masculinity,on the one hand,it reflects the situation and causes of gender inequality in the Elisabeth and Victorian period that the author wants to present.On the other hand,the story of Orlando is used to explain how gender and masculinity are formed at that time.This paper is divided into five parts: the first part briefly introduces the novel and theoretical background as well as the relevant academic achievements in china and abroad.Chapter one,the theoretical basis,will elaborate the formation process and theoretical content of Cornell’s theory.The core is that gender is constructed by gender relations and gender practice,also in this part some essential gender theories given by political and sociological scholars such as Foucault will be introduced for better understanding of Connell’s theory.The second chapter elaborates how Orlando’s gender temperament changes from masculinity in line with mainstream social norms to the harmonious coexistence of two gender temperaments in the process of communicating with others.The third chapter mainly elaborates the influence of gender practice on Orlando’s masculinity before and after transgender.For Orlando,the personal discourse part of gender practice runs through her life for more than 400 years.Chapter IV will clarify the interaction between gender relations and gender practice,because they are mutually restrictive and mutually conditional.The last part will summarize the theory and text.