A CRITIQUE OF SOCIAL SYSTEM IN VIRGINIA WOOLF’S MRS DALLOWAY

Abstract

Virginia Woolf knew that the patriarchy suppressed both women’s mind and freedom; however, she could not ignore male power which was at the helm of everything. Woolf crafted her novels in such a way that while not attacking the social system, she made her female readers aware of their entrapment with her perfectly projected female characters. Mrs Dalloway, a ‘simple’ story according to her contemporaries’ values, becomes one of the best examples in which Woolf synthesised her anger against the social system with the art. Woolf achieved her quest and showed to the reader ways to obtain meaning in life and to realise their identities not through a feminist propaganda but through her buried modernist stories embroidered with her subtle use of narrative techniques, innovative language and use of irony. Whilst her writing superficially maintained the status quo, it also destroyed the masculine discourse and created a revolutionary writing, becoming the vehicle to expose the subjection of women.

Keywords

• Virginia Woolf,Mrs Dalloway,Social System,masculine discourse,female identity

VIRGINIA WOOLF’UN MRS DALLOWAY KİTABINDA SOSYAL SİSTEM KRİTİĞİ

Abstract

Virginia Woolf patriarkinin kadınların beyinlerini ve özgürlüklerini zapt ettiğinin farkındaydı fakat her şeyin başında olan erkek gücünü de yadsıyamazdı. Woolf kaleme aldığı romanlarla sosyal sisteme direk bir saldırıda bulunmamasına rağmen kendi öz benliğini yansıttığı kadın karakterleri sayesinde kadın okuyucularına içlerinde bulundukları sistemin onları nasıl hapsettiğini göstermeyi hedeflemiştir. Woolf’un çağdaşlarının değerlerine göre basit bir anlatım örgüsü bulunan Mrs Dalloway, Woolf’un sisteme karşı öfkesiyle sanatını sentezlediği en güzel örneklerden biridir. Woolf okuyucularına hayattan anlam çıkarmanın ve kendi benliklerini ortaya koymanın yollarını feminist bir propaganda ile değil farklı anlatım teknikleri, yenilikçi dil, ve ironi kullanımıyla zenginleştirdiği modernist hikayeleriyle göstermeye çalışmıştır. Yazılarında statükoya karşı çıkmıyormuş gibi görünse de erkek söylemini yıkan yenilikçi yazımı kadınların maruz kaldığı durumları anlatmanın aracı olmuştur.

Keywords

• Virginia Woolf,Mrs Dalloway,Sosyal Sistem,Erkek Söylemi,kadın benliği

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