International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160   •   Impact Factor: 9.24

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Volume 8 Issue 4
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The Materiality of Identity Environmental Forces and Bodily Negotiation in Virginia Woolf's Orlando

Author(s) Vigyani Gupta
Country India
Abstract This study proposes a materialist analysis of how Virginia Woolf in her novel Orlando (1928), approaches identity as well as constructions of gender transgression. Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity has been discussed by many literary scholars for years to argue that the book separates an individual from their external biology and internal mind. Existing studies focus on almost exclusively on personal choices or simply cross dressing. This paper introduces a distinct perspective based on models of social construction, arguing that Orlando’s shifting gender roles over the four centuries are not simply a performances you might think of from the past. Instead, they are drawn into being by an “Atmospheric Matrix” composed of the play of light in each age and historical weather, along with the strict pressure of clothing upon flesh. Through a close reading of this text, this study proposes how outside environmental imperatives nudge the physical body to fit into gender norms. By tracking Orlando’s movement moving from the bright, open skies of the 18th century into the gloomy, claustrophobic fogs associated with 19th century Victorian London, this paper demonstrates how the environment functions as social force. In addition, the thesis also looks at how clothing from different historical wardrobes works like a kind of script. It’s as if these types of clothes are training the body to act like a masculine and feminine habit, shaping how people perform gender. This study simplifies and elevated the modern literature in meaningful may. It shows that Orlando’s identity is not something that is simply fixed by a biological box. Instead, it is an ongoing process that is shaped by the world around him, meaning it can be constantly changed rewritten and set free.
Keywords Keywords:-Virginia Woolf, Orlando, materialist criticism, environmental determinism, bodily agency
Published In Volume 8, Issue 3, May-June 2026
Published On 2026-06-04
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i03.80418
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CrossRef DOI prefix of IJFMR is 10.36948/ijfmr

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