Reconstructing Female Identity: A Feminist Analysis of Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway through Liberal and Existentialist Perspectives

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the feminist aspects reflected in Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. The study focuses on how the novel portrays women’s struggle for identity, freedom, and equality within a patriarchal society. Using a qualitative descriptive method and the frameworks of liberal feminism (Virginia Woolf) and existentialist feminism (Simone de Beauvoir), this research examines the characterization, narrative techniques, and social context presented in the novel. Data are collected from textual analysis of the novel and supported by secondary sources such as books, journal articles, and previous feminist studies. The analysis reveals that Virginia Woolf portrays women as complex individuals who resist traditional gender roles and seek autonomy in defining their existence. The protagonist, Clarissa Dalloway, represents the internal conflict between societal expectations and personal desires, reflecting the limitations imposed on women in early 20th-century England. Furthermore, Woolf’s use of the stream of consciousness technique effectively exposes women’s psychological depth and suppressed voices. The findings show that through Mrs. Dalloway, Woolf not only criticizes patriarchal structures but also advocates for female independence, self-awareness, and gender equality.