Mapping the Unstable Self in Virginia Woolf's Memoir "A Sketch of the Past"
| dc.contributor.advisor | Ophir , Ella | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Martin, Ann | |
| dc.creator | Miller, Jenna Michelle | |
| dc.creator.orcid | 0009-0005-7078-5979 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-01-08T16:55:09Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-01-08T16:55:09Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2024 | |
| dc.date.created | 2024-09 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-01-08 | |
| dc.date.submitted | September 2024 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2025-01-08T16:55:09Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | In her memoir “A Sketch of the Past,” Virginia Woolf takes a different approach from traditional life writing norms by offering a more philosophical exploration of the self. In this unfinished work, Woolf criticizes conventional life writing for focusing too much on public achievements and socially significant events. She argues that many memoirs are “failures” because “they leave out the person to whom things happened” (65). In her own memoir, Woolf strives for a deeper engagement with private introspection and lived experience, asserting the significance of both aspects of identity. She suggests that the self is composed of moments of being, non-being, and shocks in equal measure. In this paper, I engage with all three types of moments to illustrate how Woolf represents the self as unstable, always in relation and in flux. Additionally, I identify three key aspects of those moments that are crucial for understanding the dynamics of selfhood: mystical, temporal, and intersubjective. My analysis of these dimensions is central to understanding how Woolf situates the self within a larger experience that encompasses but also transcends the immediate material world. This paper is organized into three sections: the first explores Woolf’s mystical experiences and her view of the self as interconnected with a larger reality; the second addresses the temporal aspects of selfhood, highlighting its fluidity across time; and the third investigates the intersubjective nature of the self, which is influenced by societal and historical forces. Woolf’s representation of the self as a composite of mystical, temporal, and intersubjective experiences challenges traditional biographical and autobiographical norms, pioneering a new approach to representing a life. | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10388/16402 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | Virginia Woolf, Life Writing, Memoir | |
| dc.title | Mapping the Unstable Self in Virginia Woolf's Memoir "A Sketch of the Past" | |
| dc.type | Thesis | |
| dc.type.material | text | |
| thesis.degree.department | English | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | English | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Saskatchewan | |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters | |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Arts (M.A.) |