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Ecriture Feminine and Mrs Dalloway

Écriture féminine is a literary theory promoting women's writing that emphasizes fluidity, subjectivity, and the disruption of patriarchal discourse. Virginia Woolf's *Mrs Dalloway* exemplifies this theory through its stream of consciousness narrative, focus on bodily experience, and multiple perspectives, critiquing patriarchal structures. The work encourages a rethinking of authorship and representation in literature from a feminist viewpoint.

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18 views2 pages

Ecriture Feminine and Mrs Dalloway

Écriture féminine is a literary theory promoting women's writing that emphasizes fluidity, subjectivity, and the disruption of patriarchal discourse. Virginia Woolf's *Mrs Dalloway* exemplifies this theory through its stream of consciousness narrative, focus on bodily experience, and multiple perspectives, critiquing patriarchal structures. The work encourages a rethinking of authorship and representation in literature from a feminist viewpoint.

Uploaded by

emreeray0013
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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we have a different use

of language
it is not a traditional novel

Écriture Féminine and *Mrs Dalloway*

Part 1: Course Notes on Écriture Féminine

Definition

Écriture féminine, or 'women's writing', is a literary theory and practice associated with French
feminist theorists such as Hélène Cixous, Luce Irigaray, and Julia Kristeva. It promotes writing from
the female body and female experience, resisting patriarchal language and structure.

Key Features

• Fluidity of language: Non-linear, poetic, rhythmic prose


• Subjectivity: Emphasis on interiority, emotions, bodily experience
• Disruption of phallocentric discourse: Rejecting binary oppositions like man/woman,
reason/emotion
• Multiplicity: Embracing plural identities, voices, and meanings

Hélène Cixous and 'The Laugh of the Medusa'

Cixous urges women to 'write the body' and create a new, liberating language that expresses
female desire, autonomy, and creativity. Traditional language, she argues, is structured by male
logic and suppresses feminine expression.

Why It Matters in Literary Studies

Écriture féminine challenges the dominance of male-centered narratives in literature. It encourages


scholars to rethink authorship, language, and representation from a feminist perspective. It also
promotes experimental writing forms and elevates women's voices in literary traditions.

Part 2: Écriture Féminine in Virginia Woolf’s *Mrs Dalloway*

1. Stream of Consciousness as Feminine Form

Woolf’s stream of consciousness narrative resists linear, masculine logic. The novel flows through
memories, impressions, and associations—reflecting the fluidity of écriture féminine. The
boundaries between past and present dissolve, mirroring how écriture féminine disrupts rigid time
and structure.
2. Focus on the Body and Sensory Experience

Clarissa’s reflections are rooted in bodily sensations—touch, smell, memory of kisses, and physical
aging. This attention to the body and lived female experience aligns with Cixous's call to 'write the
body'.

3. Multiple Voices and Subjectivities

Woolf’s narrative moves between characters—Clarissa, Septimus, Peter, Rezia—without a


dominant voice. This multiplicity of perspectives reflects the pluralism of écriture féminine, which
values difference and non-hierarchical expression.

4. Subversion of Patriarchal Structures

*Mrs Dalloway* critiques the patriarchal systems that govern medicine (as seen in the treatment of
Septimus), politics, and gender roles. Clarissa’s private rebellion and Septimus’s rejection of
authority highlight Woolf’s feminist resistance to social norms.

Conclusion

Virginia Woolf may not have used the term 'écriture féminine', but *Mrs Dalloway* exemplifies many
of its principles. Through her fluid style, bodily awareness, and multiplicity of voices, Woolf offers a
feminist literary form that challenges traditional narrative structures and celebrates female
experience.

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