1. INVESTIGATING THE STRUCTURE OF “THE HOURS” Liceo Scientifico “A. Einstein”A.S. 2011/2012Classe 5^C PNI Donat Maya, Feresin Agnese

2. LAYOUT Dedication: Ken Corbett (the writer’s beloved) Epigraph: J. L. Borges, The Other Tiger 1960 - Continuity of research - Gap: vision & production V. Woolf, Diary, 1923 - literary discoveries - writing method - sources TITLE – INTERTEXTUALITY AMBIGUITY and INTERPRETATION

3. Prologue Beginning  in medias res Context  Time: 1941 FOCUS on  narration, descriptions and the psychological dimension of characters Different perspectives on Virginia Woolf’s suicide  Narrator: personal failure, description of death (decision; act; result)  Virginia’s letter: impossibility to live anylonger  Philosophical relevance of Death

4. ORGANIZATION OF CONTENT Three women’s lives connected to Mrs. Dalloway: WritingActingReading and content the organization Mrs. Woolf: prologue + 7 chapters Mrs. Dalloway: 8 chapters Mrs. Brown: 7 chapters  Parallelism  Distinction

5. CHAPTERS Functions of each chapter: - Characterization  showing technique - Individualism and relativism in: -Idea of time: - perception; - effects; - Relevance of psychological time: - coexistence of past, present and future; - association; - Discussion of a problem: - Sense of existence; - Developing reflections; - Possibility to die or to live; - Presentation of different perspectives on themes: - Approach to existence; - valuation of failure; - Definition of happiness;  Representation of inner realities

6. IN THE MORNING …can a single day in the life of an ordinary woman be made into enough for a novel? Time and setting: 1923, Suburb of London The end of 20 th century, New York city 1949, Los Angeles Waking up and planning of the future: WRITING: Process of creation of Mrs. Dalloway: dream; decision; the first sentence Infinite possibility for developing parallel lives ACTING:Buying the flowers Preparation of Richard’s party READING: Loss in reading Preparation of her husband’s party

7. DURING THE DAY The sense of time:  Dislocation: Headaches Desire of going back to London Recollection of the past Panic during the trip  Loss of awareness identity  Memories: Life; London Richard’s love story  Happiness:Failure and Delusion: Write successfully She is not brilliant Richard’s kissShe does not live with Richard Fulfilling her expectationsShe is not satisfied with her cakes  Meaning of existence

8. MAKING DECISIONS Life London; writing Clarissa Vitality in everyday’s life Being mother Death Richmond; headache and voices personal and Richard’s suicide Richard’s illness and suicide Possibility of suicide Dead bird Ordinary Visionary Reading; dreaming

9. THE END OF THE DAY Suicide in the prologue Life goes on Escape and life She is … just waiting for this hour to end  Discontinuity and instability of time

10. CONSIDERATIONS  The title − the dimension of the hours  The characters The present: expression of mind’s contents The past: recollection of memories The future: hope for a change Revision of unity of time Complexity in the perception of time