Virginia Woolfs book, `Orlando` and the relationship between sex and gender in our society

The Relationship of Virginia Woolf 's Orlando : A Biography

With Sex and Gender in our Society The Relationship of Virginia Woolf 's Orlando : A Biography

With Sex and Gender in our Society

Perhaps there could not be a more suitable author for such a controversial gender-bender than Virginia Woolf . Woolf 's Orlando : A Biography , an apparent poke at biographies and a subversive treatise on gender issues , has not ceased to intrigue critics and literature fans alike . Orlando is one of Woolf 's most memorable and best-remembered masterpieces , not just based on

her innovative mastery of stylistics distorted realities and literary genre-bending , but mostly because of her unique treatment of gender in the semi-biography . Woolf 's own sexuality was not hidden from the public eye , and her own inclinations have found their way into this work of hers as well . This will not delve deeper into the relationship between Woolf and Orlando 's sexuality , but rather seek to expose further on how Woolf portrayed sex and gender and its reflections of society at large

The novel /semi-biography opens with Orlando obviously a boy , yet portrayed as strangely androgynous . Orlando is beautiful . His red cheeks are covered with "peach down " lips drawn back to reveal teeth "of an exquisite and almond whiteness , an "arrowy nose " dark hair , and "eyes drenched like violets " His handsome body is accentuated by his "well-set shoulders " and "shapely legs " Although the narrator states that Orlando is a boy , his is surprisingly feminine . The narrator implies that his appearance crosses gender boundaries . Similar case with the object of Orlando 's affection Princess Sasha 's gender is questionable at first glance . She is of "middle height "very slenderly fashioned " in a tunic and trousers that disguise her sex . Orlando assumes that she must be a boy because she skates with such speed and vigor . The presence of androgynous characters (as later on revealed Orlando is not the only androgynous character in the novel ) foreshadows the gender changes that will occur later in the novel . Such s imply that gender is of little importance to beauty or attraction . This theme reemerges throughout the novel

It is interesting how women in general are portrayed in the first chapter . The narrator goes through each of Orlando 's women that he was considering for marriage (Clorinda , Favilla , and Euphrosyne , describing each one with the typical characteristics of women in the Elizabethan era that certainly would identify a woman of that period as the perfect wife of a nobleman : sweet-mannered and gentle , graceful and much admired , and having a deeply rooted family tree . Equally amusing is how Orlando hurled at the faithless woman all the insults that have ever been the lot of her sex ' when Sasha betrayed him and left him he called her faithless , mutable , fickle . devil , adulteress deceiver ' Contrast this outburst with how Orlando 's own incidence of unfaithfulness was earlier dismissed by the Queen , excusing him because of circumstances of the time "It was Orlando 's fault perhaps...