Includes bibliographical references. / This thesis is an investigation of the concepts of androgyny used in the work, both theory and fiction, of Virginia Woolf, Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson and Jacqueline Harpman. Androgyny is an idea which is thousands of years old, and an overview of its presence in religion, mythology and psychology is included as background to its representation in the work of these writers. The basic concept of androgyny in this context, is one in which the psychological aspects of 'masculine' and 'feminine', as generally understood by Western society, are synthesised into a harmonious and balanced whole within each individual. Within a feminist epistemology, it offers an opportunity to escape the power structures and value systems of patriarchy, and to attain individual fulfilment in both writing and identity. Virginia Woolf introduces the idea of androgyny into feminist literary theory in A Room of One's Own and into feminist ontology through the androgynous protagonist of Orlando, although the binary distinction between theory and fiction is deliberately blurred. Angela Carter continues the examination of androgyny with regard to women and writing in The Sadeian Woman and 'Notes from the Front Line', and explores androgyny fictionally in The Passion of New Eve. Jeanette Winterson returns to Woolf's ideas and develops them in Art Objects and creates the ultimate androgynous character in Written on the Body. Jacqueline Harpman revisits and recreates Woolf's fiction from a contemporary perspective in Orlando. Differences are identified in the style and approach of these writers, resulting from their respective historical contexts, starting points, and intentions. However, the commonalities are examined in greater detail, including analogous ideas and tropes, as well as references to and interrelations with each other. The connection between Woolf's work and that of Winterson and Harpman is identified as particularly strong. Through the examination of their work, the four writers are found to have similar feminist beliefs and concerns: there is a common interest in the emancipation of women from the constraints of patriarchy, implemented through a deconstruction of gender essentialism and artificial gendering processes. Furthermore, a utopian concern is identified, in all four writers, with the creation of a new space which exists beyond the confines of patriarchy in which the woman writer is able to create freely, and the woman subject is able to develop freely. Although the writers are dealt with chronologically, the cyclical aspect of their work is emphasised, as well as their cyclical relationship to one another, through their common androgynous vision. The continuing presence of the androgynous ideal is taken as indicative of its strength. The conclusion is drawn that, although the concept of androgyny tends to be highly idealised in the work of these writers, it is a viable option to the transformation of both society and the individual. These writers are creating the awareness of the artificial nature of gender, which is required for the transformation to begin.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/9737 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Woodward, Suzanne |
| Publisher | University of Cape Town, Faculty of Humanities, Department of English Language and Literature |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Master Thesis, Masters, MA |
| Format | application/pdf |
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