From The Diary To The Novel

Virginia Woolf is not only a distinguished novelist,but also an obsessive and dedicated diarist.The thoughts behind the novel and the dynamic creative process of the novel usually can be found in the writer‘s diary.Woolf‘s diary is informative and presents her novel writing process from conception to publication as there are a large number of diary entries related to her literary creation.This thesis focuses on Woolf‘s diary and her novels titled Jacob’s Room(1922),Mrs Dalloway(1925),and To the Lighthouse(1927)in order to explore the influence of Woolf‘s diary on the composition of the above novels.The thesis is composed of six chapters.Chapter One briefs Virginia Woolf and her diary,reviews the research status quo of Woolf‘s diary in China and at abroad in order to clarify the background and the significance of the study,and further points out the theme and the framework of the thesis.Chapter Two explores the relationship between the writer‘s diary and her literary construction,and explains the theories and concepts of the authorial intention and the autonomy of art.Chapter Three studies the literary construction of Jacob’s Room and holds that Woolf realizes her creative intention recorded in her diary by adopting the new form ―no scaffolding‖ and the view of ―the proper stuff of fiction.‖ Chapter Four focuses on the creation of Mrs Dalloway and contends that the original conception of the main writing skills of characterization recorded in Woolf‘s diary has been achieved by ―tunnelling process‖,―characters are merely views,‖ and ―poetic expression.‖ Chapter Five analyzes the production of To the Lighthouse and illuminates that Woolf realizes her initial conception of the framework of the novel and the idea that ―the center is father‖ put in her diary.However,when it comes to the design of how to reunite Lily with Mr.Ramsay,Woolf‘s novel writing does not conform to her original intention recorded in her diary,which indicates the fact that the novel is not controlled by the authorial intention completely in literary construction.The last chapter arrives at the conclusion that the authorial intention is present in Woolf‘s literary construction.To some extent,however,when the authorial intention is not accord with the artistic law,the authorial intention is subject to the autonomy of art.The homogeneity of the diary and the novel indicates the powerful influence of the author‘s intention,while the heterogenicity of the diary and the novel manifests that the art itself is autonomy.