Reconstructing of Gender Roles and the Act of Creating in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando and the Film Adaptation by Sally Potter
Summary
This thesis proposes that Orlando by Virginia Woolf reconstructs the essence of gender and sex as primary mode of identification; instead it is the act of creating, what people put out into the world, that matters most when it comes to identifying and characterising one’s personality. Orlando’s skill in writing is what makes him unique and it highlights his individuality, which shows that sex and gender do not suffice as mode of identification. Through close reading the thesis establishes that sex and gender are certainly themes that the novel covers, but it also provides a counterargument as to why gender and sex are not the most important. The principle idea that through creating identity is formed is focussed on by close reading passages from the novel that show that writing is essential to Orlando’s being. Furthermore, the thesis uses the film adaptation by Sally Potter to once again establish that gender and sex are not vital when it comes to identifying someone, but that the act of creating is the most important aspect.