Abstract:As a novel written in Woof’s flourishing period, Mrs. Dalloway has drawn wide attention since its publication in 1925. The novel is an experiment in literary techniques. Woolf tries to make interpretations the meaning of binary opposition by illustrating many pairs of oppositions such as men and women，life and death, external self and internal self, the sane world and insane world. She has profound knowledge and original understanding about the complicated relationships among these opposite or complementary dualities. This thesis aims to explore thematic meanings of men and women, life and death, physical time and psychological time from the perspective of binary opposition so as to show the great achievements of Woolf in novel writing techniques and innovations.  

Key Words: Mrs. Dalloway; binary opposition; theme

CONTENTS

摘要

Abstract

1. Introduction1

  1.1 Introduction to Virginia Woolf and Mrs. Dalloway

  1.2 Introduction to Binary Opposition Theory

2. An Analysis of Binary Opposition Themes in the Novel3

  2.1 Men and Women

   2.1.1 Men as the Dominators

   2.1.2 Women as the “Shadow” in the house

   2.1.3 Dynamic Balance between Men and Women

  2.2 Life and Death

   2.2.1 Life as Alienation and Struggling for Meaning

   2.2.2 Death as Resistance 

   2.2.3 Communication between Life and Death

2.3 Physical Time and Psychological Time

    2.3.1 Physical Time as Ephemeral World

    2.3.2 Psychological Time as Eternal World 

    2.3.3 Combination of Physical Time and Psychological Time

3. Conclusion.10

Bibliography12

Acknowledgments.13