VIRGINIA WOOLF AND EARLY CHILDHOOD MandyLloyd Thesis submitted towards the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics at Newcastle University. September 2008 NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 207 32698 7 Supervisor: Professor Linda Anderson ABSTRACT The chapters of this thesis analyse Virginia Woolrs novels and private writing, concentrating largely on the representation of early childhood symbols and language in her work. The aim of this thesis was to try to discover why Woolfused the perambulator motif so frequently in her novels. Counting the frequency of images in literary texts is usually one aspect of scholarship which can be fruitless but there are occasions when the results can be startling; for example the fact that the motif of the perambulator dominates almost all of her novels. In her novels, there is generally a surface narrative but I have looked beneath the surface at the multitude of symbols and language from early childhood that she uses. Underpinning all of this is the fact that Woolfnever had children of her own. Chapter one begins with a description of Woolr s own early childhood, which she wrote extensively about, using various sources, most notably Hyde Park Gate News. An indispensable reference for trying to glean an understanding of Woolfs early development is 'A Sketch of the Past' which can be found within the collection entitled Moments of Being. Memoirs such as this, her diaries and letters, also provided useful evidence to assist me in the analysis of her childhood. Moments of Being was central to Woolfs fiction and experience and it is within her memoirs, in particular that we discover the remembered world of childhood, both in 22 Hyde Park Gate, London and Talland House, St. Ives. Woolfs relationship with her father and mother will be examined and a separate discussion will explore the effect her parents had on her writing, focusing mainly on The Years and To the Lighthouse. Interwoven with this will be an examination of the concept of memory; the fallibility of memory, current psychological theories of memory as well as Freud's notion of screen memories and their importance in relation to Woolfs own childhood memories. Chapter two focuses exclusively on childhood language and Woolfs use of pre-verbal language and nursery rhymes in her fiction. Three of her later novels show the prominence ofpre-verballanguage and provide the best examples of the nursery rhyme motif. The Waves is considered as it was this novel that Woolf used to break free from the constraints of plot and characterisation: she began to experiment with pre-verbal rhythms. Two other novels The Years and Between the Acts are analysed in relation to the nursery rhyme motif. Chapter three begins with an examination of the reasoning behind Leonard Woolfs decision for the couple not to have children. Reading Virginia Woo If's work alongside her letters and diaries reveals how closely related the theme of children/childhood was in her own life. This is an area of her writing which warrants investigation in relation to the prominence of the perambulator motif and which advances our understanding of Woolf's own experience as a writer, sister, wife, aunt, daughter and childless woman. The final chapter is divided into two sections allowing discussion of the nursemaid and the perambulator: both significant motifs from early childhood that Woolf utilises in her novels. The two fictional nursemaids focused on in this section are Mrs Constable in The Waves and the figure of the nurse in Mrs Dalloway who is found on a bench in Regent's Park. The short story 'Nurse Lugton's Golden Thimble' will also be examined. Chapter four looks in closer details at the technologies of childhood and the reoccurrence of the perambulator motif in her novels. Starting with Night and Day this section considers, in chronological order, each reference to the perambulator and suggests why Woolf has given prominence to this particular symbol. There will also be a brief discussion of The Voyage Out and why this is the only book that has no perambulator motif. My thesis presents a new way of approaching Woo If' s work and a small glimpse into the wishes and regrets of this renowned literary figure. Abbreviations and notes on referencing Due to the frequency with which examples of Woo If's work appear in the text of this thesis, the following abbreviations are used to indicate the relevant source: A Passionate Apprentice APA A Room of One's Own AROO Between the Acts BTA Hyde Park Gate News HPGN Jacob's Room JR Moments of Being OB 'A Sketch of the Past' ASOP 'Reminiscences' R '22 Hyde Park Gate' 22HPG 'Old Bloomsbury' OB Mrs Dalloway MD Night and Day ND OrIando 0 'Street Haunting' SH Three Guineas TG To the Lighthouse TTL The Voyage Out TVO The Waves TW The Years TY A NOTE ON THE TEXT: Virginia Woolf's punctuation, spelling and grammar have been followed in all quotations from her diaries, letters and manuscripts. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 1. TUNNELLING BACK TO CHILDHOOD 28 2. THE INTERRUPTED LULLABY 63 3. LABOUR AND CREATIVITY 91 4. THE NURSEMAID AND THE PERAMBULATOR 123 CONUlliIDN 1~ NOTES 188 BIBLIOGRAPHY 196 Acknowledgments This thesis is dedicated to my uncle, Donald Denegri. Your criticism and continual encouragement has been greatly appreciated. Your own creative writing has been a source of inspiration to me as has your positive attitude to life. Thank you to my husband Mark, who has lived under a mountain of books for the past five years and has provided constant support throughout the process. You have been sympathetic and understanding about my determination to finish this thesis. Thank you to all my family who have helped me throughout this long course especially my parents, lorna and David. I enjoyed the trip to Monk's House and also the numerous visits to the University of Sussex library. You have all shown patience with my continuous reading, listened to my ideas and supported the developments to my thesis. Your belief in me was invaluable. My supervisor linda Anderson has demonstrated continued patience with my endless queries and questions. Thank you again and I will miss our meetings. 1 INTRODUCTION What a disservice we do her when we impose upon Virginia Woolf any template at all, whether it be Marxist revolutionary, Feminist, lesbian, madwoman, suicide victim or whatever. For Woolf had dozens of selves in her person and in her work. I Virginia Woolfbecame a compulsive writer from early childhood and she possessed a passionate interest in the art and craft of writing throughout her life. Woolfs first novel The Voyage OuP was published in 1915 and her last, Between the Acts3 posthumously in 1941. Her writings included reviews, critical essays, short stories, biographies, longer fiction, and critical articles: it can be argued that she even embarked on poetry with her novel The Waves4 in 1931, which is often referred to as a play-poem. She not only expanded the conception of the novel, but she also left nearly 4,000 letters5 and 30 volumes of a diary.6 These private letters and diary entries provide fascinating insights into the mind of the artist. Although her life has become one of the most thoroughly documented of any twentieth century author, she still remains an enigma. Her public life in the Bloomsbury group of intellectuals and her marriage in 1912 to Leonard Woolf are seen as central to her literary development. 7 There are also the invisible, yet well documented events, which shaped her work: the memories of her childhood; her unusual education; the numerous deaths of crucial family members; mental health problems and her childless marriage. The nursemaid and the perambulator The perambulator was going through the little gate in the railing. She kissed her hand; directed by the nurse, Jimmy waved his. (JR, p166) 2 This thesis explores the way Virginia Woolf uses symbols and language derived from early childhood in her writing. It developed because I wanted to understand the significance of her pervasive use of the symbol of the perambulator. I believe this is the first time that critical analysis has focused on this symbol and it is through identifying and trying to understand the significance of this symbol that the thesis evolved. Analysis of the perambulator motif leads in a historical direction: it introduces historical resonances into her novels. It was the first truly mass-produced vehicle for the transport of a child. The first record of a child's carriage dates to the 5th or 6th century; however, proper 'perambulators' did not appear until the mid 1800s. One of the most well-known brands in England is Silver Cross which was first manufactured in Leeds in 1877; this factory has now closed. Before its invention middle-class babies or young infants were carried by their servants on their daily walk. The arrival of the perambulator onto the market had a profound effect on the Victorian culture or motherhood. It is an ambiguous symbol that represents freedom yet also constraint. The perambulator enabled mothers, nursemaids and babies to leave the patriarchal home and perambulate freely in the parks and the streets. The journey could be extended as it was more comfortable and safe for both parties since the baby could now be pushed. Yet this object also demonstrated how central childbearing was to the women and the extent to which women were dependent on men. The production of children was women's primary means of being creative. By using this motif Woo If provides an insight into the Victorian society and this era's views on motherhood.