Essay Sample on The Hour: Trapped Lives of Women in a Patriarchal Society

Introduction

Michael Cunningham's, The Hour novel is an excellent literary work depicting the quotidian lives of three women trapped by societal gender norms and expectations. The book is an adaptation of Woolf's novel, Mrs. Dalloway that reveals the struggles of women in a patriarchal society that leads them to commit suicide. By creating parallel lives distinguished by time, class, domestic roles, space and occupation, the novel introduces three typical scenarios of women experiences based on women's universal suffering caused by the constraints of societal gender expectations. Notably, Virginia Woolf tries to negotiate her daily domestic role as a wife with her sense of self and personal aspirations. The societal expectations of a perfect Victorian-family in the 1940s make her live a split life. In this case, she is not able to draw the lines between living her private life and living up to societal expectations. Sexual identity plays a vital role in Virginia's mental health in such a way that she decides to write a book, which is a reflection of her desired life. Because of the gender expectations and limitations placed upon women in her era, Virginia's efforts to be a perfect wife and unleash her sexual desires forces her to live a split life that deteriorates her mental health leading to suicidal ideation.

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Firstly, Virginia's efforts to conform to the Virginian era's expectations of a woman deteriorate her mental health. During this period, individuals searched for perfect relationships based on demanding societal expectations. In this case, if a woman did not possess the required traits by the community, the husband may have termed the individual as an unsuitable spouse. As a result, the unrealistic expectations of an ideal character and spouse in the Virginian society contributed to depression and stress towards persons, especially women. The community also defined domestic roles for women, which was to get married, assume domestic tasks, and take care of their husband's interests. Women were expected to learn various tasks such as weaving, cleaning, washing, and cooking before getting married. However, those from affluent families did not always determine the housewife skills as it is in the case of Virginia Woolf. She lived a privileged life in London with her family, where she acquired education, an opportunity that was rare for most women. Moreover, society expected women to be inferior to men, and their designated place was at home. As a result, the unrealistic expectations most patriarchal societies had from women hardly gave them any freedom

In the case of Virginia, she feels inferior compared to her mother and sister Vanessa. She does not have essential domestic skills in such a way that she does not command respect from her servants. Nelly, her servant, disapproves her because of her incompetence as a mistress. Additionally, when Vanessa visits her, Virginia's failure is magnified since her sister fits in the role of a matron and wife flawlessly. The author notes, "Vanessa manages beautifully" (Cunningham 87). According to Schiff, Virginia's character does not satisfy the traditional role of a housemaker (368). As a result, she opts to stay in her room and write to escape her reality as opposed to performing her domestic chores. She creates Mrs. Dalloway as a perfect domestic figure, which she desires.

Moreover, she does not have control over her life and thoughts, which worsen her mental health. Virginia decides that her fictional character, Clarissa, will possess "great skill with servants, a manner that is intricately kind and commanding. Her servants will love her. They will do more than she asks" (Cunningham, 81). She grew up in a wealthy family in London, which may have contributed to her lack of domestic skills, making her believe she is an inferior wife. Additionally, Virginia Woolf was depressed by the fact that she could not have children, which denies her of motherhood. She believes that children are an accomplishment in marriage.

Virginia Woolf is forced to repress her desires and identity because of the moral and social limitation of late-Victorian England. She struggles to adapt to the persona of Virginia Woolf in her relationships and social life and does not reveal her true self. She plans and rehearses her acts amicably to ensure that she only shows the expected character of a wife. For example, readers can also identify her split identity in the scene where she watches Nelly, her servant. "Virginia walks through the door. She feels fully in command of the character who is Virginia Woolf, and as that character, she removes her cloak, hangs it up, and goes downstairs to the kitchen to speak to Nelly about lunch" (Cunningham 84). In the above excerpt, it is evident that the protagonist controlled her persona to reflect that which she wanted other people to view. Additionally, Virginia would get lost in her memories and would take time to identify her real self.

Virginia's secret life contributed to her mental illness evident in headaches, suicidal thoughts, and voices in her head. She feared to be herself in such a way that she was afraid to look at the mirror. The mirror reflected her true self, one that she did not want to reveal to the society. Cunningham notes, "The mirror is dangerous, it sometimes shows her dark manifestation of air that matches her body, takes her form, but stands behind, watching her, with porcine eyes and wet, hushed breathing" (Cunningham 30-31). As a result, she directs her energy to not being herself by distracting herself with writing a novel. Virginia also feels trapped in Richmond and often feels out of place despite having a caring husband. She also had desires to go back to London and live her previous privileged life as opposed to the quiet life of Richmond, which was killing her. In the light of Virginia's experiences, it is evident that living a double life can lead to emotional and psychological problems. The situation is common among women who live within the confinements of social norms. Conway 65 notes that during the Victorian era, men and women tried to live based on the expectations of their demanding environments, a situation that forced many to have different identities (166).

Furthermore, Virginia's complicated identity can be identified through her queer sexual orientation, which she tried to keep hidden. The Victorian-England era was filled with strict social conduct, gender, and sexual restraints (Conway 165). According to Schiff, the author, Cunningham elucidates on the challenges of individuals having suppressed desires making them live a split life (364). On the other hand, Schiff notes that gender is fluid and is never a fixed entity (365). Conway adds that human sexuality cannot be classified into specific categories such as heterosexual or homosexual, since it is polymorphous (165). In this case, Virginia reveals her homoerotic desires through her novel works. For instance, she believes that Clarissa Vaughn, her fictional character, must have loved a woman in her life. She is attracted to women despite being married to man, which makes her queer. However, Virginia Woolf lived in a time where the society only accepted heterosexuality and perceived any alterations as deviance from the norms. Moreover, she feels satisfied by manipulating her fictional character's life to express her emotions and feelings in a way that she cannot live in real life due to the numerous social restrictions present at the period. Schiff claims that the cultural climate Compelled Virginia to lead a relatively private and encoded sexual life through her character, Mrs. Dalloway (368).

Sexual orientation is a critical topic in the society given that most traditional setups only recognize heterosexuality. According to a feminist perspective, women ought to have the right to explore their sexuality and feelings. Nevertheless, this was not the case in the early twentieth century. Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) continue to face discrimination and prejudice from most societies that do not accept sexual diversity. According to Conway, the dominance of heterosexuality can also be identified in the structure and definition of a nuclear family, which is perceived to consist of a father, mother, and children (164). Queer theorists and feminists have attacked the structure due to its narrow sexual and gender roles it permits. They perceive that naturalization of heterosexuality is meant to rob of lesbians their essential female experiences. Lesbian theorists also believe that lesbianism is more natural for women as opposed to the forced heterosexuality supported by patriarchal societies.

Moreover, Virginia felt trapped in a social system that despises transgression. Her character throughout the novel disrupts socially constricted and defined identity categories. For example, she kisses her sister passionately, which Cunningham describes as "the most delicious and forbidden of pleasures" (Cunningham 154). In this case, her psychological state concerning sexual orientation and gender is revealed as constantly fluctuating and uncertain. The kiss signified a moment of possibility, where the protagonist believes that she will have what she wants and lead the life she desires. Additionally, it can be perceived as the last call for help for emotional support.

Conclusion

Overall, Virginia Woolf succumbs to societal expectations of an ideal wife and limitations concerning sexual identity. Her obsession with becoming a perfect homemaker depresses her since she lacks the essential skills required for the role. Her health status also denies her the privilege of motherhood, where she cannot have children. On the other hand, her queer sexual orientation is suppressed by the compulsory heterosexual culture of her Victorian society. She decides to be a writer since it is the only means activity giving her life meaning; therefore, living a dual life. She creates a fictional character, Clarissa Vaughn, who is a reflection of her desired self. Notably, when her mental health deteriorates, she chooses suicide as a means to escape her reality. She acknowledges that she is living a fake life opposite from her desires. Therefore, drowning herself in a river gives her freedom from her stigmatized life. Cunningham's representation of Virginia Woolf reveals the adverse effects of women living a suppressed life due to restrictive sexual and social norms and exposes the plight of women in a patriarchal society. One can conclude that Virginia's suicide is a protest to compulsory heterosexuality and masculine nature of most cultures around the world.

Works Cited

Conway, Jill. "Women reformers and American culture, 1870-1930." Journal of Social History, vol. 5, no. 2, (1971): 164. https://search.proquest.com/openview/6e9f0286b5531f58f38de07f16f1ef88/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=1818318

Cunningham, Michael. The Hour. Farrar, Straus & Giroux. 1998.

Schiff, James. "Rewriting Woolf@ quot; s Mrs. Dalloway: Homage, Sexual Identity, and the Single-Day Novel by Cunningham, Lippincott, and Lanchester." Critique: Studies in Contemporary Fiction 45.4 (2004): 363-382. DOI: 10.1080/00111619.2004.11644152