Everyday moments and mundane objects in the essays of Virginia Woolf

Abstract

Virginia Woolf’s novels have received a considerable amount of critical attention. This dissertation focuses on her essays, which, I believe, are just as innovative and important although they are given much less attention. Analysing her essays allows the reader’s interpretation and observation to focus on Woolf’s personal thoughts, observations, and opinions, rather than those of the characters in her fiction. In her essays, one can note how Woolf was fascinated with exploring the meaning and influence of mundane objects and daily moments, which potentially have a higher significance than their seemingly irrelevant and ordinary nature. This dissertation observes and discusses how and why Woolf explores and writes about everyday moments and mundane objects. The first chapter closely looks at five of Woolf’s personal essays in order to understand and appreciate how she writes about personal and delicate issues, whilst also exploring daily moments and objects. The often forgotten or insignificant objects and moments, it is argued, are a vehicle to explore personal moments, particularly loneliness, fragility of life, and identity. When reflecting on and observing these intimate and complex parts of life, Woolf does not do so by exploring tragic or catastrophic moments and objects, but through the slow and familiar parts of life. The second chapter questions and discusses whether writing about everyday moments and mundane objects is just as effective in a less vulnerable and personal nature of writing: her critical essays. This chapter explores examples in Woolf’s critical essays where she uses ordinary activities and household objects, such as eating breakfast or a curtain, when making critical points.