Virginia Woolf e o espaço autobiográfico em Os anos

Abstract

The aim of this study is to discuss the connection between the private life of the British writer Virginia Woolf and her fictional work The years, pointing out which of her private experiences were used as a creative source in the autobiographical space present at the aforementioned title. The book, which is the object of this study, tells the story of a Victorian family that clearly resembles Woolf's own family. It is set from 1880 to 1930, thus depicting not only the changes in the families, but also in the British society as a whole. Having this study's purpose as basis, a biography of the writer was firstly presented, followed by a brief women's writing overview and by an analysis of Woolf's literary criticism, establishing a connection between her theory and the practice concerning the usage of private experiences. Secondly, theories on self-writing are discussed, aiming to find one which can define the writing practice used in The years. As a consequence for not finding a suitable concept for the object of this study, an expansion of the idea of autobiographical romance was introduced, taking all the information obtained during the research process into account. Finally, an examination of the book The years was carried out, analyzing its plot, symbolism and female characters, resulting in a cross-check of biographical data - which was obtained from biographies and autobiographies - and the story told.