This thesis explores the transformation of the protagonist, Orlando, from a modern subject to a posthuman subject in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando. Building upon the insights of previous studies on Orlando’s subjectivity, this study seeks to expand the...
This thesis explores the transformation of the protagonist, Orlando, from a modern subject to a posthuman subject in Virginia Woolf’s Orlando. Building upon the insights of previous studies on Orlando’s subjectivity, this study seeks to expand the scope of discussion beyond anthropocentric perspectives. By examining Orlando’s life through the lenses of posthumanism and new materialism, the thesis argues that Orlando is not a singular, fixed subject but a subject-in-becoming that emerges at every moment through the entanglements with others, including non-human beings and the material world itself.
The first chapter discusses Orlando's transformation through the act of writing. Although Orlando, who aspired to be a poet as a boy, finally achieves his dream, the process brings a fundamental shift in him as a cognitive subject. This chapter examines the transformation from a subject who attempts to linguistically represent others to the one who fully perceives, accepts, and wonders at the existence of the other.
The second chapter focuses on Orlando’s body, investigating the moments of its interaction with other beings, including objects and non-human beings. By integrating sensory experiences of the body that transcend the binary concepts imposed by society with the historical and political thoughts accumulated over centuries, Orlando emerges as a posthuman subject who acquires new knowledge of both the self and the other.
The third chapter explores Orlando’s ecstasy. In the final chapter of the novel, ecstasy serves as a major force that enables Orlando’s encounter with others. This ecstasy occurs when Orlando moves beyond the boundaries of the ego to encounter a multitude of selves and others, constantly becoming a new subject through those relationships.
In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates that the posthuman subjectivity attained by Orlando manifests as a new ethical capacity, characterized by an openness toward others and continuous interaction with them.