Abstract:Virginia Woolf was a famous British female writer and feminist critic in the 20th century. Her androgynous vision becomes a very important theory in the feminist criticism. This essay intends to analyze Woolf’s feminist thought through a case study of her fantastic historical biography Orlando, with a focus on Woolf’s theory of androgyny. Androgyny refers to consummation and integrity of human nature in ancient times. This concept was first put forward by Plato, Woolf later developed it into a new theory with more connotations. On the basis of Woolf’s androgynous theory, the brain of a human being is marked by the characteristics of both sexes. The hope, therefore, is that mutual tolerance and respect between sexes will prevent gender opposition and lead to freedom and equality.
The whole thesis consists of five parts. Part 1 is a brief introduction to Woolf’s literary career and her achievements, especially her androgynous vision. Part 2 discusses the formation and contents of Woolf’s concept of androgyny. Part 3 is an in-depth research on Woolf’s androgynous vision through a close examination of Orlando. Part 4 uncovers the significance of Woolf’s androgyny theory. Part 5 is a conclusion .
By creating the androgynous protagonist Orlando, Woolf deconstructed the gender binary system and came up with a solution to the problem of sexism, that is, harmonious coexistence between genders. It is from this feminist perspective that the essay reveals that the realistic meaning of Orlando lies in the criticism it makes against the deep-rooted sexism in the patriarchal society.
Key words: Virginia Woolf; Orlando; androgyny; feminism
摘要:弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫是二十世纪英国著名的女性作家和女权主义批评家。她提出的“双性同体”观成为女权主义文学批评理论中一条重要的理论基础。本文试图通过分析弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫的“双性同体”理论，解读伍氏的奇幻传记小说《奥兰多》，揭示其女性主义思想。“双性同体”指的是人类最初身兼两性、浑然一体的圣洁状态。这一概念最先由柏拉图提出，伍尔夫将它提升为理论。根据伍尔夫的“双性同体”理论，人类的大脑同时具有男女两性的性格特征。两性之间应该互相包容、互相尊重，从而消弭性别对立，走向自由与平等。
全文分为五个部分，第一部分简要介绍了伍尔夫的文学生涯及其成就，特别是她所提出的“双性同体”观点。第二部分探讨了伍尔夫“双性同体”观的形成原因及其理论精髓。第三部分通过对《奥兰多》的文本分析，进一步阐释伍尔夫的“双性同体”理论。第四部分揭示了弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫“双性同体”观的重要意义。最后一部分是对全文的总结。
正是通过对奥兰多这个“双性同体”人物的塑造，伍尔夫解构了性别二元论，提出了性别问题的解决途径在于两性间的和谐共存。本文从女性主义视角出发，揭示了小说《奥兰多》的现实意义在于批判父权社会中根深蒂固的性别歧视现象。
关键词：弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫；《奥兰多》；双性同体；女性主义
