For many years, when talking about stream of consciousness, many people seem to think that it is purely a matter of artistic skills or creative techniques, and that such novels have little ideological and social significance.In the West, some people hold similar views.For example, Professor Lewis, an influential contemporary British literary critic, criticized the works of Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) as meaningless and of low value because her novels did not fully reflect reality, although she was an artist with excellent skills and said that the Bloomsbury Group with Woolf as the core is a group of literati who admire themselves, despise tradition and other schools, have a narrow mind and a narrow vision.Some critics in our country also have similar arguments. For example, someone accused Woolf of "one-sided views on life and reality, she ignored the social nature of people, and put interpersonal relationships and subjective feelings in a social vacuum to observe and understand." description".

Another important point of view on stream-of-consciousness writers and their works involves tradition and innovation.A quite popular view is that in those days (1920s and 1930s), stream of consciousness was a brand-new and original literary theory and creative method, completely breaking away from tradition and doing the opposite. All of the above have some basis and reason, but not all.Because stream-of-consciousness novels do not focus solely on skills, but are closely related to the writer's outlook on life and the ideological content of the work; some chapters are quite social and even sharply critical; perhaps it can be said that in this It's no less than a realistic novel.Virginia Woolf and some literati with similar tastes are not pure spiritual aristocrats in the ivory tower, but to a certain extent, intellectuals with social awareness and democratic tendencies, sometimes quite fierce, even extreme.However, in the final analysis, Woolf and his generation use bourgeois individualism, liberalism, humanitarianism and irrationalism to expose and criticize hypocritical and spiritually stifling bourgeois ethics, customs, prejudices and rationalism. It hits the nail on the head, but in fact it's just a glimpse.

In short, this female writer and the object of her criticism are like the flowers, branches and leaves of a tree, with thick or light color, big or small, intertwined roots, strange postures, different appearance but the same root. As far as social consciousness and democratic thought are concerned, Virginia Woolf has expressed her experience in several treatises.For example, in her essay "The Leaning Tower" (The Leaning Tower), she used a figurative metaphor to describe: before 1914, most of the outstanding modern British writers came from the upper class (except De H. Lawrence), Studying in an institution of higher learning, he can be called "the proud son of heaven", sitting on the top of the golden pagoda, he doesn't understand and doesn't want to get close to the public.However, after 1914, the pagoda gradually tilted, and writers could no longer "close the pagoda" and gradually realized that the pagoda was originally built on the basis of injustice. His family background, wealth, and upbringing all come from an unjust system.Even the son of a miner like Lawrence will not remain a miner after becoming famous.

Woolf especially sympathized with ordinary women and the poor, appealed for them in various occasions and writings, and became the pioneer of modern Western feminism.She emphasized that the rights of these two groups should be preserved and their social status improved.For example, in the famous book "A Room of One's Own" (A Room of One's Own, 1929), she advocated that every woman who is interested in literature and art should have her own study and create without interference.At the beginning of this booklet, she first described the feeling of visiting "Oxbridge".It is said that because she is a woman, she is forbidden to walk on a lawn used by male researchers in the dignified institution.Also, isn't it unfair that in libraries such as the British Museum, there are so many books about women written by men, and so few books about men written by women?

After the end of World War II, Woolf expressed sincere hope in articles and speeches that a classless society could be established after the war, in which all people, whether male or female, rich or poor, had the right to enjoy education and culture.In addition, in her letter, she hoped to eliminate the gap between the haves and the have-nots, and let workers become writers, so that life would become more colorful and literature and art more diverse.Under the British social conditions at that time, these ideals were close to "utopia", but after all, they expressed the democratic tendency of this female writer.

Because of Woolf's thinking, she satirizes, exposes and criticizes the dark side and stubborn forces of British capitalist society in her works; at the same time, she expresses deep sympathy and pity for the bullied and repressed "little people".As an example, Woolf once clearly stated the theme and social significance of this novel in his diary: "In this book, I want to express a lot of ideas, which can be described as a spring of writing. I want to describe life and death. , rationality and madness; I want to criticize the current social system and reveal its dynamics, and it is the most essential dynamics..." The author carefully created two tit-for-tat models in the novel: one is the "big man" who represents the upper class and the forces of habit. The Physician, Sir William Bradshaw; the other, Septimus Warren Smith, a commoner, who, irritated by his service in the European War and insane with cynicism, finally killed himself.The author strongly condemns the former with a sharp pen, and describes the suffering of the latter with sincere sympathy.She concentrated her critical edge on the doctor, pointing out that he and the conservative forces he symbolized were the executioners who stifled the personality of victims like Septimus and forced him to a dead end.

Dr. Bradshaw has a proud mantra, which is often used to warn patients: there must be a "sense of stability", that is, to behave in a stable and orderly manner, not to be different and whimsical, but to always be stable for the welfare of society.In this regard, the author sneered: "Sir William worshiped stability, so he not only made himself prosperous, but also made Britain prosperous; their point of view until they obey his teachings of 'sense of stability'..." In short, everyone is expected to conform to the customs, institutions and order of bourgeois society, and must not deviate from it. In fact, everyone is required to become soulless puppet.In this atmosphere, Septimus is driven mad, but he refuses to submit, does not want to follow the crowd, and would rather commit suicide to maintain his individuality and independent spirit.

Regarding this point, there is an interesting section in the novel: when the key point of the plot (the dinner party held by Mrs. Dalloway) reached its climax, when the distinguished guests were drinking and having fun, suddenly the Bradshaws passed on Here comes the news that Septimus committed suicide by jumping off a building.Mrs. Dalloway had a sympathetic heart, and immediately imagined that the young man's body and soul were strangled by the doctor: "If the young man had gone to Sir William's clinic for medical treatment, and Sir, by his power, used his usual method to force the patient If he submits, the young man will probably say: "I can't go on living." In fact, he died to protest the oppression and persecution, and to maintain a free heart and human qualities.Mrs. Dalloway expressed deep sympathy for the dead, and a sympathetic resonance surged in her heart.However, she is a lady after all, and the shackles of the world are unbreakable. She cannot and is unwilling to break with the force of habit. On the contrary, she has a deep-rooted vanity and an instinct to cater to the upper class; In the banquet, he quietly hides in a small room and defends the pure and lonely soul in a negative way, which essentially reflects the contradictory character of the heroine.

The independent and unruly side of her character is also reflected in her deep hatred of the governess Kilman, mainly because the gloomy woman tried to convert her student (Mrs. She converted to Kilman's own religion.Regarding this point, the author sums it up: "There is a sister in Jianjian, who is not so hidden in a smile, but is stronger and more terrifying... She is called Transformation, and she is used to ravaging the will of the weak, keen to show off herself, impose herself on others, and force herself Mrs. Dalloway resented this domineering style because she "never wanted to convert anyone, but only wanted everyone to be what they were".However, Kilman tried his best to transform Elizabeth by any means.This strong desire is on full display in the scene where Kilman takes Elizabeth to the department store.The girl was in the shop with the nagging female teacher, she was really impatient and longed to leave, but Kilman thought to himself: "If I can catch her, hold her tight, and make her obey me absolutely, then I will die willingly." It's gone." Finally, Elizabeth couldn't take it anymore, and ran out of the shop, leaving the female teacher inside.On the street, the girl "feels free, so happy! The fresh air is so refreshing, but in the department store, it's almost suffocating."

The above two sections are the focus of this novel's exposure and criticism.By contrast, the author's caricature of the Dalloway cleanser—the court valet Hugh Whitbread, a vulgar snob—is an understatement, but it also speaks for itself: "He No heart, no brains, just the appearance and upbringing of an English gentleman.” Very concise, but penetrating. As for the other key point raised at the beginning of this article—tradition and innovation, it can also be used as an example.As one of the masterpieces of stream-of-consciousness novels, this work is naturally full of the characteristics of stream-of-consciousness techniques, and it is the main body; at that time, this kind of experimentation in another way was called innovation.However, Woolf does not cut off history and abandon traditions; on the contrary, in shaping typical characters, depicting contradictory characters, carefully layout, narrating plots, and gradually pushing to a climax, using contrasting techniques and distinct dialogues, alternately interspersed with sharp irony , strong condemnation, humorous tone and poetic lyricism, etc., all have similarities with traditional novels, and can even be said to be in the same strain.

For example, the plot of the article only describes the activities of the congressman's wife in London for a day in the summer of 1919; from leaving home in the early morning to buy flowers for the upcoming banquet, until the banquet is over in the middle of the night.It seems very simple, but it has been deliberately conceived.The whole book takes the heroine as the core and the dinner party as the hub, prominently portrays two extreme opposite models, Septimus and Bradshaw, and at the same time depicts various characters of the upper and middle classes as a foil.Through the activities (including inner fluctuations and daily behaviors), entanglements and conflicts of all these characters, the thoughts and feelings of the central characters are especially closely linked, making various details and events ups and downs, deepening step by step, reaching a climax, stopping abruptly, but The lingering sound lingered.In short, in terms of theme, content and structure, this stream-of-consciousness novel is basically similar to a realistic novel that reflects the state of the world and depicts human feelings, unlike many unconventional novelists who disdain to deliberately depict images or painstakingly conceive plots. In fact, Virginia Woolf combined the old and the new not only in her creation but also in her comments, striving for innovation on the basis of inheriting the tradition.In her representative treatise "Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Brown", she declared: "Fiction is first of all about people;" and said, "All novels are about characters, and at the same time describe characters, not for didactic or Praise..." This is consistent with the traditional view that "literature is human studies".As an original literary critic, Woolf did not completely deny the tradition, but rather appreciated the realistic novels of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, such as Defoe, Austin, Lawrence Stern and George Eliot, etc. works, especially Hardy's novels.When commenting on French literature, the Renaissance humanist essayist Montaigne, the modern realist novelist Flaubert, and Proust, another giant who advocated the stream of consciousness, are also praised.In addition, the British female writer particularly admires Russian literature represented by Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekhov, and calls Toon a "true master" who "describes all human experiences and Feelings”; and her and Joyce’s writings are only “scattered notes”. Virginia Woolf's ability to synthesize tradition and innovation was due to family upbringing and personal origin, among other factors.She was born in a scholarly family, and her ancestors have been high-ranking officials for several generations.His father, Leslie Stephen, was a highly respected scholar, an ethicist advocating rationalism and liberalism, a literary critic and biographer (who once compiled the great book "National Dictionary of Celebrities"), and a "patriarch" of Cambridge University one.His original partner was the daughter of the great writer Thackeray, and his second wife was Julia Duckworth, Virginia's biological mother.This future female writer was deeply influenced by her parents. She inherited her father's superb intelligence, unique understanding and insight (but gradually became suspicious and even deviated from her father's strict moral concepts); at the same time, she inherited her mother's instinct to love life and life (Although there is still a pessimistic side). Most of her father's contacts during his lifetime were celebrities in the cultural circles, such as novelists Hardy, Meredith, Henry James, art historian and critic Ruskin, etc., and he was often a guest of Stephen's family.In addition, he has a large collection of books, so Virginia read a lot of books when he was young, and read all the classics, history, and philosophy written by Plato, Sophocles, Plutarch, and Spinoza, which laid a profound foundation. Cultural basis.Because she was weak since she was a child, she did not go to school to receive formal education. Instead, she was taught by her father and focused on self-study.This made her get rid of the rules and pedantry in her later creations and comments, and also cultivated unorthodox ideas, doing her own way, and writing freely. On the other hand, she has a deep connection with Cambridge University, because her father and brother had studied or taught in that ancient institution.It was through the introduction of her brother Sharpay that she met many teachers and students in Cambridge, including Leonard Woolf, her future husband, a political commentator and economist with socialist tendencies, Also a literary critic.After marriage, in 1917, the couple founded Hogarth Publishing House, which successively published the "rookies" of the year, such as novelist Emer Foster, Katherine Mansfield, historian and biographer The works of writer Leighton Strycki (the author of Queen Victoria etc.) and poet T. S. Eliot played a pioneering role in the development of modern British literature.Soon, the Woolf family in Bloomsbury became the center of a small group; in addition to the above-mentioned people, there were also art critic Roger Frye (the British who first commented on French Post-Impressionism), painter Duncan Grant, the philosopher Russell and the economist Keynes were all "new stars" at that time. This small circle is a far-reaching early British avant-garde, characterized by its uniqueness, elegant taste, extremely keen aesthetic sense and appreciation, high standards of literary and artistic creation, and a strong academic atmosphere; it also despises religious traditions and social customs. Inspired by Cambridge Philosophy Professor G.E. Moore (centre-left agnostic). Virginia Woolf lived and created in this era of transition from old to new, social environment and cultural thought.In her life, she wrote nine novels, several short stories, a play and a biography, more than 350 literary reviews and essays, and translated Tolstoy's conversations and love letters (1923).After her death, her diaries (1953), letters (1956) and autobiography (1976) were compiled and published by her husband and friends.Important works within the novel are: (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927), Orlando (1928), The Waves (1931) and Years (1937).Western critics generally believe that the most stream-of-consciousness feature is "To the Lighthouse", which is the most appreciated by readers so far, and "Wave" is the work that has reached perfection in unique art. Most of the literary criticism written by Woolf was first published in newspapers such as "Times Literary Supplement" and "New York Herald Tribune" because she was a staff writer.It will be collected later and entitled "Common Readers" (two volumes, 1925, 1932).This is the author's self-effacement, which means that these articles are written by an ordinary reader, who appreciate them at will, and write them casually, not serious papers.In fact, these are the characteristics of female writers' comments: expressing their own opinions freely, narrating and discussing, witty and eloquent, without any suspicion of preaching or dry talk.Among all the reviews, there are four representative masterpieces: in addition to the above-mentioned "Mr. Bennett and Mrs. Brown" and "A Room of One's Own", they are "Modern Fiction" and "The Art of a Single-plank Bridge".These few essays, and most of the reviews, were compiled by Leonard after her death in The Collected Works of Virginia Woolf (four volumes, 1966–1967). During the more than 30 years of the female writer's writing career, there was a tragedy that exhausted her physically and mentally and damaged her creation; that is, she was repeatedly attacked by depression, was on the verge of schizophrenia, and finally despaired and committed suicide by throwing herself into the river. In fact, whenever Woolf finished a novel, the illness would haunt her, causing her to be so troubled that she almost had a nervous breakdown; but every time she tried her best to hold on, struggled with the illness, and after recovering, she devoted herself to writing with greater enthusiasm .This kind of resilience dedicated to art is comparable to Joyce's perseverance in creation when he was on the verge of blindness in his later years.From another point of view, it can also be said that she devoted herself to creation in order to overcome the serious illness and seek relief. Although Woolf was sane when she wrote, the shadow of chronic disease is bound to loom in her novels and articles, even quite heavily.For example, in the novel, when the heroine Clarissa heard the bad news of Septimus's suicide at the end of the dinner, she immediately felt that she was "like that strange young man... so strange, I don't know anything about him." Yet so familiar."At the same time, she guessed that the young man had jumped to his death, and it was Bradshaw and his like who forced him to commit suicide.All these feelings and imaginations reflect the author's state of mind to a certain extent. The novel is not an autobiography, and the characters in it are not equal to the author. However, the author's experience, thoughts and feelings will be transplanted into certain images and details in an indirect and tortuous way.At this point, Clarissa and Septimus allude to the complex character and inner conflict of the female writer.Specifically speaking, Clarissa represents the author's cheerful, rational and conventional nature, which is especially reflected in her "triangular" entanglement with her husband Richard Dalloway and lover Peter Walsh; after many twists and turns After weighing and weighing repeatedly, Clarissa finally married the mediocre and reliable MP Dalloway, and abandoned the "prodigal son" Walsh, who was simple-hearted, fantasized and unsophisticated. When wandering around the world (India), I never forget it. On the other hand, Septimus symbolizes the feelings of loneliness, nobility and world-weariness in the heart of the female writer.In fact, Woolf once revealed in her diary that she wanted to "explore the origins of madness and suicide, and compare the state of the world in the minds of ordinary people and madmen".According to the original plan of this novel, there was no role of Septimus, and it was Clarissa who committed suicide in the end; later, the author changed his original intention and added the young "madman" in order to let him embody the "madman's character". Truth”, and Clarissa becomes the personification of “normal truth”.In fact, the former more truly reflects the deep psychology of the author.She also confided in her diary that she had heard birds chirping in Greek, as in Septimus' hallucinations.In addition, in her second spiritual crisis, like the ending of the madman in the novel, she longed to jump off the building and die. The negative impact of the disease is not only manifested in the content, but also can be seen from the style.Whether in novels or treatises, Woolf's writing is often improvised and leaping, as if whim, one go, or upside down, contradictory; Inaccurate.Of course, this style can be described as a characteristic of stream of consciousness, but it is also a defect of neuroticism. Long-term mental depression and almost derangement are an important factor for Woolf's world-weariness.Of course there are other reasons, especially turbulent times, disordered society, and ideological trends rooted in alienation, which also played a big negative role.Woolf experienced two world wars, and she was shocked by the cruel war, especially the repeated bombing of London by fascists. She even imagined that Hitler might win, and then she could only commit suicide.This gloomy situation, coupled with the impact of various alienation phenomena, further urges female writers to tend to be born and detached.She is deeply aware of the fragility of ancient European civilization, the crumbling empires where the sun never sets in the past, and the estrangement between people and the confusion of life, sinking in disillusionment.In terms of thought, she was deeply infected by Freud's theory of repressed subconsciousness and "natural evil", which contributed to the feeling of loneliness and gloomy psychology. These mentalities are often revealed in Woolf's prose. She once lamented in an essay: "The hallucinations in the world of mortals echo the groans of all living beings...", "We are all at a loss for our own hearts, let alone penetrate others. It is more comfortable for us to walk alone in the world." Another example, she wrote anxiously in her diary: "Life is like a small path on the edge of an abyss..." These words not only reveal pessimistic thoughts, but also show that this stream of consciousness writer is accustomed to analyzing the deep state of mind and digging out self-awareness.However, if you blindly stare at your heart and dissect yourself like a cocoon, you may exaggerate the doubts, fears and fears in your heart, and feel that life is like a dream and nothingness, and you will see the vast world intertwined with light and darkness as gray , and even pitch black.This may be one of the reasons why most stream-of-consciousness works are full of pessimism. The disconnection of the times and the turmoil of the society intensified Woolf's tendency to avoid the world. On the other hand, in the field of creation and criticism, it was the driving force that stimulated her to strive for innovation.Why innovation?In short, times have changed.Woolf believes: "Obviously, in our age, people have lost their firm foothold, everything around them has changed, and people themselves have also changed." All aspects of life, including cultural, political, religious consciousness and interpersonal relationships Relationships, etc., were changing drastically; intellectuals (especially writers and artists) were no longer in the same stable position as before, but were struggling in the vortex of life, especially under the shadow of war.Regarding this new situation, Woolf once explained: "All human relationships, such as the relationship between father and son, husband and wife, and master and servant, have changed. With this change, religious beliefs, human behavior, politics and literature and art have all changed. Waiting is bound to change. Let us say that this change began in 1911." She also stated: "Around the end of December 191, human nature began to change." It became more humble and uglier. : "People nowadays, whether British, German or French, look so stupid, so ugly." In addition, because modern life has become more chaotic and faster-paced, people's consciousness is also flowing faster and changing , is unpredictable. The various changes mentioned above will inevitably lead to corresponding changes in aesthetic standards and the content and form of literature and art.Writers in the new era should surpass their predecessors in the old era and shoulder the mission of innovation.As for how to divide the old and new eras, Woolf clearly said: "I suggest that the writers of the Edwardian era and the Georgian era be divided into two camps. I advocate that Wells, Bennett, and Galsworthy should be included in the Edwardian era, and include Forster, Lawrence, Strycki, Joyce and Eliot into the Georgian era." For the former, that is, the old writers who represent tradition, Woolf once derogatoryly called them "materialistic ", think that "they always describe trivial matters, painstakingly, painstakingly, but they write trivial and ethereal things as real and lasting." with essence.What is the essence?Woolf thinks it is the human spirit or spiritual world.In the same article, she uses a subtle metaphor to illustrate: "Life is not a set of well-proportioned headlights, but a radiant halo, a kind of translucent veil, which surrounds the consciousness and runs through it. Is it not the novelist's task, then, to convey the ever-changing No matter how deformed or complex it appears, is it not to mix the external and external things as little as possible?" Then he emphasized: "The most important thing is the spirit, including passion, turmoil, And the astonishing mixture of beauty and ugliness.” These remarks not only summarize the female writer’s own views, but also express the characteristics of the stream of consciousness. In another review, Woolf more explicitly criticizes the shortcomings of the traditional novel and lays out her own strong point: "The novel is treated as a parasitic animal that feeds on life and must repay it by portraying life as it should.  … ...Words must be confined to the service of life, to describe the teapot and the pug... Perhaps the English novelist would have been braver if they had not been so tireless in asserting the right they call life. He would have left the eternity The tea table and those seemingly reasonable but absurd daily routines..." If we can break through the traditional barriers and open up new paths, "the story may be shaken, the plot may be wrinkled, and the characters may be destroyed. In short, the novel It can become a work of art."In addition, Woolf once described the theme and state of mind of his late masterpiece "The Wave" in "A Writer's Diary": "Everything flashes in my mind...all life, all art...all is erratic Changing, changing, yet integrated... At this moment, my state of mind is in a process of constant change, tension or relaxation..." Based on the above quotations and other related discussions, it can be said that Woolf and his colleagues opposed the use of the old naturalistic framework to describe the appearance of life, but emphasized people's inner activities, the ever-changing emotions, momentary feelings and triggered associations; we must try our best Unearth the subconscious and deep psychology, trust instinct, intuition, fantasy and kaleidoscope-like impressions, doubt and even deny rationality.In order to express all these, most stream-of-consciousness novels use techniques such as inner monologue, lyrical narration, free association, interlacing or fusion of time and space, three-dimensional intersection of branches and tendrils, and multi-dimensional structure. For example, in the opening section, the author describes the heroine's purchase of flowers to spice up the dinner party. Along the way, "Clarissa's mind ingested an endless stream of impressions--trivial, fantastic, fleeting, or as sharp as Steel, engraved in the heart".The first impression was the refreshing air in the early morning of June, and she immediately thought of spending the same fresh summer morning in the former residence of Bourton Manor when she was a girl, thus evoking the memory of her former lover Peter Walsh, And compare him with his current husband, Richard; then think of the young soldiers who died in the Great War, which triggers meditation on life and death; and then thinks of daughter Elizabeth (who will appear at the banquet), then thinks of imperious governess Kilman, and can't help burning with anger, and so on and so on.The ever-changing and interconnected impressions and emotions floated and fluctuated within Clarissa as she went shopping for flowers along the streets of London. This episode can be described as a typical stream of consciousness, in which impressions dominate.This is not only a characteristic of Woolf's personal creation, but also closely related to the trend of the times, because it was the era of Impressionism (mainly the later period) prevailing at that time.It first originated in painting, represented by Monet and Cézanne; then it expanded in the music world, with Debussy and Ravel as the backbone; in the field of literature, Proust, Wilde, Woolf and others Joyce and others have advocated it one after another, and it has become the fashion of a generation.In this sense, it may be said that stream of consciousness, as an innovative technique, was inspired by schools such as Impressionism (and Symbolism).More broadly speaking, most of the above-mentioned pioneers of new literature and art belonged to the early avant-garde.There are many names, but the essence is similar. As for the specific techniques commonly used by stream-of-consciousness writers, there are roughly the following: See the big from the small—that is, to express (or imply) the general with the special (or partial), to reflect the group with the individual, and to imply the macro in the micro.For example, it only describes the actions and psychology of the heroine and the characters around her in one day, but actually includes the experience, thoughts, feelings and interpersonal relationships of most of her life, showing her character in multiple layers. "To the Lighthouse" only depicts the activities (behavior and consciousness) of the Ramsay family and related characters in two half-days separated by ten years, but the extension of time and space is much grander and has profound connotations. Epiphany - closely related to the techniques above.Joyce gave a pertinent definition of this: "A kind of sudden understanding... There is only one fragment, but it contains the whole meaning of life." Or as the French biographer and literary critic Moloya praised Proust for being good at Make "an instant reveal eternity".In the movie, when Clarissa heard the news of Septimus' suicide, she was full of thoughts, realizing the profound meanings of life such as life and death, loneliness and gregariousness, refinement and kitsch, birth and the world.At the same time, this detailed and psychological description reveals the theme, summarizes the whole book, and conveys the deep consciousness of the author. Symbolic imagery—the use of concrete objects to symbolize or suggest abstract ideas, or as a means of artistic expression.The Big Ben in London is repeatedly described in the book, on the one hand, it exaggerates the local color and atmosphere, and more importantly, it symbolizes the reality in front of it, awakening the characters from contemplation or fantasy, so it is the medium between consciousness and reality; at the same time, in the narrative process The middle acts as a turning point, so that the consciousness of one character flows into the inner activities of another character.Another example is when Peter Walsh returned from India and reunited with Clarissa after a long absence.When the two met as in the old days, they pretended to be calm with each other, Clarissa was especially reserved, holding the scissors in her hand; Peter, according to the old habit, took out his pocketknife from time to time and fiddled with it restlessly.These two small knives symbolize separation and separation, implying that the pair of lovers cannot finally become a family.Another example is that the heroine repeatedly recalls the idyllic former residence of Bulton, especially her best friend Sally who is a guest at the manor, the hearty, bold and unrestrained girl; these images allude to the purity, enthusiasm and youthful vitality of the girlhood. In addition, the "lighthouse" itself, the subject of the image in "To the Lighthouse", may be a metaphor for solid matter, that is, objective reality, while the flashing light on the top of the tower has the meaning of spiritual light, which symbolizes subjective reality, especially implying Mrs. Ramsay The light of the soul.The same technique is also used in "Waves": when six young people gather in a restaurant to celebrate their friend Percy's voyage to India, a carnation flower is placed in a vase on the table, showing different colors in the eyes of the six people and form, because of the different perspectives.This image satirizes the single yet diverse real life, as well as the subjective state of mind that varies from person to person. Contrast—this is a rhetorical device used by many poets and literati throughout the ages. It is not innovative, but writers like Woolf use it more subtly.In it, life and death, soul and flesh, love and hatred, snobbish vulgarity and lonely freak, "smooth" and "crazy", "celebrity" and "prodigal", social customs and self-awareness, mediocre Richard and the out-of-date Peter, Elizabeth who longs for freedom and Kilman who stifles the soul, especially the contradictions and inner conflicts in Clarissa's character, form a series of sharp contrasts, one after another, reflecting each other, or interlacing For example, the Internet, in terms of deepening themes, shaping personality, narrating plots, and exaggerating the atmosphere, has the beauty of exaggerating the moon. The above-mentioned various techniques are all expressed with clear and delicate, strong and smooth words, and a poetic and leisurely style. Some lyrical interludes and philosophical artistic conceptions are particularly exquisite, like flowing clouds and flowing water, with a strong sense of rhythm. To sum up, Virginia Woolf is worthy of being an original novelist and a literary critic with keen understanding and insights.Admittedly, her writing and commentary are not flawless, but have flaws.In addition to the negative effects of decadence mentioned above, in general, due to factors such as family, life experience and social environment, Woolf's vision is narrow, the pattern is small, the depth is more than enough but the breadth is not enough, and it is quite powerful. However, it lacks grandeur, and pays more attention to the exploration of subjective consciousness and deep psychology, while the description of objective reality and social life is still too superficial.Therefore, its creative achievements can be called a wonderful flower in the garden of literature and art, not a peak in the history of literature development. Woolf's comments are also mixed, and some views appear biased.她在《贝奈特先生和布朗太太》等论著内批评阿诺德·贝奈特、赫·乔·威尔斯与高尔斯华绥的作品“不完整”，他们只观察与描绘人及事物的外貌，如癌的症状、印花布图案、车厢的装饰之类，而“不观察生活”，“不观察人性”。实际上，那些老作家很讲究结构，其作品大都是完整的有机体。他们不仅刻划似乎琐碎的细节，并且相当敏锐地观察生活，洞悉人性，刻意再现世态，并描述细致的心理和强烈的感情。譬如在贝奈特的代表作《老妇常谈》中，结尾时女主人公同穷愁潦倒而奄奄一息的丈夫诀别的场景，震撼心灵，催人泪下。在高尔斯华绥的名著《福尔赛世家》第一卷《有产者》内，女主人公伊琳同丈夫索姆斯及情人波西奈之间的“三角”纠葛，引起了激烈的感情冲突和内心矛盾；对这一关键情节，作者描绘得扣人心弦，塑造的三个人物也个性分明。至于威尔斯，则在创作中熔历史、哲学和社会学于一炉，想象力丰富，视野广阔，洞察西方社会危机而憧憬理想的大同世界，并以生动的艺术形象来表现，如、《盲人乡》等。 伍尔夫不但批判老一辈作家，也批评同代的创新的作家。她曾在《现代小说》等论著内，赞扬乔伊斯的创作“光彩夺目”，却又说其作品的内容以至文笔相当“猥琐”；她赞赏托·斯·艾略特的诗富有“魅人的美感”，但流于“晦涩”。其实，乔伊斯是存心以“卑琐”的笔调描写卑琐的、精神麻痹的现代人。况且，他的作品乍看似乎怪诞而支离破碎，实则具有史诗般的气魄与精致的内涵，如和《芬尼根守灵夜》。至于艾略特的某些诗篇，确有晦涩之弊；然而并非一概如此，主要是广泛引用典故或奇特的意象，来触发联想，引起思考，探讨和描摹现代人迷惘与失落之感，并通过精微的形象思维，反映了“荒原”似的现代西方社会。总之，从主流来看，伍尔夫对两位“新星”的批评未免主观或片面。 尽管如此，就整体而言，弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫的创作和评论是瑕不掩瑜的。因而莫洛亚在评传里赞美伍尔夫“在艺术技巧上的探索使她成为当代法国新小说的开拓者”；“她是继承英国散文传统的巨匠，又是开创新文体的奠基者”。 这位女作家备受病魔的摧残而笔耕不辍，数十年如一日，终于获得了丰硕的果实。她不仅在欧美文坛上赢得显著的一席，并且其影响与日俱增。犹如约翰·邓恩（1572—1631）和济慈，她受到当今西方学者与评论家愈来愈高的评价，或被“重新发现”。同时，英美高等院校文学专业的师生对伍尔夫的兴趣愈来愈浓（据说超过对戴·赫·劳伦斯的热衷），从而对其创作和论著的研究也日益深化。至于我们的态度，当然不可一味赞赏，也不宜一笔抹杀，而要实事求是地剖析和鉴别，撷取养料而扬弃糟粕。 为了介绍这位特立独行的作家，我们不揣谫陋，迻译她的力作，以供借鉴和评议，并祈读者匡正。