Perception of Time in the Novels of Virginia Woolf

The predominant objective of this thesis is an analysis of the representation of time in three novels written by a modernist writer Virginia Woolf. This thesis studies dichotomy between a psychological, inner time and time imposed on characters by the external world. It is claimed that the juxtaposition of these concepts in the novels Mrs Dalloway, The Waves and To the Lighthouse can be compared with notions of l'étendu and durée, represented by a French philosopher Henri Bergson. The notion of the subjective nature of durée is based on its quality of existing internally, while being independent of the external time. This characteristics is contrasted with the notion of l'étendu that can be described as the external time, enforced by its mechanical division of time into units. The juxtaposition between the two types of time are evident in the studied novels, nevertheless, each discussed novel employs time in a different manner, providing multiple points of view on the same problem. The introductory part of the thesis outlines possible roots of Woolf's occupation with the concept of time, claiming that the accurate representation of time was not only a literary concern but also a philosophical one. Besides Henri Bergson, key ideas of Paul Ricoeur and William James are mentioned as well. The thesis..