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Re-thinking Woolf's moments with the limited and specific use of elements in Heidegger's thought

University of British Columbia

Time encompasses human beings as they understand and discover themselves in relation to their mortality. In Virginia Woolf s novels Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and The Years, we find many instances of moments of being which herald the experiences of time, the anxiety of death and the periodic glimpse into, and of, the self. Martin Heidegger's introduction to Being and Time, and his articles "What is Metaphysics" and "Letter on Humanism" also discuss issues such as these found in Woolf’s novels. This thesis focuses on the relationship between existential and chronological time in Woolf’s novels with reference to Heidegger's idea that Dasein is fundamentally linked to temporality, to time. I further explore the relationship between chronological time's inherent sense of impending death and the personal awareness (which allows for the existential moment) of one's death. In relation to Woolf s idea of a personal presentiment of death, Heidegger's thoughts on anxiety are discussed. Finally, the role of language in the moment of existence is examined. The dual role of language as revealer and concealer of the self is explored as a significant aspect of Woolf’s moments of being. Regarding this last point, Heidegger's concept of language, as the place where Dasein's essence is revealed, is used to augment the discussion of the elusive self and its relationship to language.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-06-11

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/8946

English

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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