Orlando by Virginia Woolf

Orlando
Orlando, by Virginia Woolf, is a novel that makes many claims dealing with complicated issues.  In this novel, Woolf presents the reader with many things to think about.  Some of the more apparent concerns that Woolf portrays in Orlando deal with issues of gender, socio-economic status, outside appearances, and the various roles of oneself related to how they affect identity.
Orlando is a novel that can be seen as very complex.  Although the style is fairly easy to understand, the events that occur and how they relate to each other can be intricate.  The novel begins with the introduction of Orlando, a boy who is sixteen and gorgeous, but described with many feminine qualities.  He lives his life similar to any noble man; he is in acquaintance with the Queen, looks for ladies to marry, and has a grand connection to nature from the very beginning.  At some points, he dresses in casual clothes with the intention to explore the life of commoners.  Later, “The Great Frost” comes to London and freezes everything over, leaving Orlando the opportunity to meet Sasha, a Russian whose ship is stuck in the ice.  When he first notices Sasha, he cannot distinguish whether she is male or female until he sees her up close.  He immediately falls in love with her and wishes to run away with her, but she stands him up.  The chapter ends with the ice melting as Orlando sees the Russian ship sail away in the melted water1.
From the very first chapter, Woolf sets up the issues she is going to continue to explore throughout the novel.  First, she uses feminine detail in the first description of Orlando, who is a noble man and would normally be described with manly, macho features.  This portrayal is the first indication to the reader that topics of gender are a central point in her novel.  Also dealing with gender is the character of Sasha, whom Orlando has difficulty in determining whether she is man or woman. 
Another issue that is presented in the first chapter is the role of people based on socio-economic status.  The exploration of the commoner’s life by Orlando immediately creates a claim that life is vastly different based on the money one makes.  This issue, as with the rest is another that is investigated by Woolf throughout the remaining chapters of the novel. 
In addition, Woolf also incorporates many symbols in her writing that is seen in this first chapter.  “The Great Frost”, a period of extreme chaos amongst the city, is representative of Orlando’s life at that moment.  He is not exactly sure of his life at that moment and is confused by the rejection of Sasha2. 
In chapter two, Orlando finds himself in a state of depression and solitude.  In this state, he takes up writing and works on his poem titled “The Oak Tree”.  Orlando gets through this period with the preoccupations of reading and writing.  He decides he wants to show his writing to his friend, Greene, but he becomes frustrated.  After burning most of what he wrote, Orlando reflects on nature and promises to never write for judges, but only for himself.  At the end of the chapter, Orlando notices Harriet, an archduchess, and becomes infatuated with her.  However, he is sent to Constantinople to be an Ambassador Extraordinary, which is his own desire because of the shame he feels over his infatuation, not love, for Harriet3.
This chapter is important because it demonstrates the importance of literature in one’s life.  Through Orlando’s love of writing and reading, Woolf is making the claim that literature is an essential part of life.  Much can be learned about the self through both reading and writing, such as what happens with Orlando.  “The Oak Tree” is the poem that Orlando carries with him throughout his life and he continuously adds and updates it.  This poem, as seen in the end of the book, defines Orlando’s life and he learns much about himself and his progression of life while writing it.  It is also important to note that Orlando decides to write only for himself.  Woolf is arguing that literature is necessary in life even if critics do not like it.  The only thing that matters is that it is satisfies the writer.
Chapter three is one of the most significant chapters in the whole book.  In Constantinople, Orlando greatly fulfills his responsibilities as an Ambassador Extraordinary and later receives his Dukedom.  Although he is busy with the duties of an Ambassador, Orlando still manages to make time to go to the mountains and work on his poems.  After granted his Dukedom, he throws a grand party in which Orlando decided to marry a peasant by the name of Rosina Pepita at the end of the night.  However, Orlando does not wake up the morning after the party but is in a trance.  During his trance, the Lady of Chastity, the Lady of Purity and the Lady of Modesty visit him.  At the end of their visit, they proclaim, “This is no place for us here” (Woolf Ch. 3).  They realized that Orlando does not need them, but he needs “Truth”.  Orlando finally wakes when the trumpeters scream “THE TRUTH” (Woolf Ch. 3).  However, he wakes up in a different state for he is now a woman.  Orlando is entirely the same person, just a woman instead of a man.  Shortly after her transformation, Orlando goes to live with the gypsies on their grounds outside of Broussa.  She quickly begins to see that she is much different from the gypsies, who think she is in love with nature.   For example, Orlando thinks, “Four hundred and seventy-six bedrooms mean nothing to them” (Woolf Ch. 3).  The gypsies do not think it is important that Orlando has that big of a house.  After noticing these differences, she decides to return back to England and not stay with them4. 
This chapter contains many fundamental ideas and issues.  First, the transformation of Orlando from a man to a woman makes a very strong claim that one is not made up of their sexual identity.  Woolf writes that Orlando was exactly the same person, just a different sex.  The personality, characteristics, strengths, etcetera, did not change at all when he changed to a she.  This is suggesting that sex has nothing to do with identity.  Who a person is does not matter on what sex they are.  However, later in the book, it becomes prevalent that gender does hold a big part to one’s identity, while their sex does not. 
Another argument seen in chapter three is the socio-economic differences between the gypsies and Orlando.  Growing up as a nobleman, Orlando learned that wealth (big houses, nice clothes) mattered in life, which is opposite to the view of the gypsies who live on camp grounds.  This fact is making that claim that money is important in life in determining what one values.  If one is wealthy, they learn to value material things such as big houses and fine clothes, such as Orlando.  On the contrary, if one does not have much money, they learn to find value in other things, such as the gypsies.
Chapter four begins with Orlando sailing back home to England.  On the ship, she begins to notice how people are treating her differently as a woman than as a man.  For example, the Capitan of the ship offers to cut her meat for her (Woolf Ch. 4).  When she returns home, she sees the Archduchess Harriet and invites her in, only to realize that she is a man, Archduke Harry.  Harry explains that he was so in love with Orlando that he pretended to be a woman when Orlando was a man.  Now that Orlando is a woman, Harry reveals that he is a man and wishes to marry her, although she does not want to marry him.  Throughout the chapter, Orlando gathers with the poets and talks with them.  At the end of the chapter, she decides to start switching clothes based on what feels appropriate.  Woolf writes that “the pleasures of life were increased and its experiences multiplied” (Woolf Ch. 4).  Orlando is able to live life as either sex, according to what she wears5.
This chapter explores the idea that gender is socially constructed, not biologically, and that there are different roles that society expects from each gender.  For example, the Capitan sees Orlando as a woman and begins treating her in a way other than if she were a man.  Woolf is making the claim that society forces roles on an individual based on their gender.  Orlando as a man is instructed by society to act a certain way, while acting another way as a woman.  It is very evident that sex and gender are two separate ideas.  Sex does not determine how one acts, gender does, which is constructed through society. 
The beginning of chapter five starts out with the description of a giant, black that covers London.  During this dark time, Orlando works on “The Oak Tree” poem and mediates on it.  She realizes that her poem has changed as her life has.  She carried this poem all through her life and she can see the changes in herself in it.  Later, she decides that she needs a husband and begins the search for one.  On this search, she trails some feathers and twists her ankle while doing it.  However, she is very content because she thinks that she is supposed to be married to nature.  Just then, Marmaduke Bonthrop Shelmerdine, Esquire comes up on a horse and they immediately feel a connection and become engaged.  The connection is so strong between them that they know everything about each other without saying it.  Also, Orlando feels that Shel is a woman, while Shel thinks that Orlando is a man.  Shortly after their marriage, Shel has to once again return to the sea to sail6.
This chapter again reflects on the societal roles that are demanding on its citizens.  The fact that Orlando feels the need to find a husband clearly represents this.  At a certain time in a woman’s life, she is expected to find a husband, settle down and have children.  While looking at the world around here, Orlando sees nothing but couples and feels the pressure that society puts on her to find a husband, which leads to her to the search for one.  Shel is an interesting candidate for her husband because he is just like Orlando.  They both appear to be one sex and gender, but the other sees and feels them as something else.  They recognize that there is something more to them than just male or female.  These labels do not matter for Orlando and Shel.  The only thing that matters is that they connect and understand each other, no matter if they are male or female.  Another important component to this chapter is the Orlando’s reflection on “The Oak Tree”.  This poem is beginning to define and explain her life.  It is a record of all the changes that she has undergone.  It is so important for her because it documents her life for her.  This poem acts as a journal for Orlando in which she can look back on past times and remember who she used to be, who she is now and who she is becoming.
The last chapter begins with the culmination of “The Oak Tree”.  She takes her poem to Greene, who reads it and adores it and advises her to get it published.  After her return, she has a son.  Later, Orlando sees a brilliant light and is hit on the head ten times at ten in the morning.  She becomes scared and drives to the store, where she thinks she sees Sasha, but she only smells something that reminders her of Sasha.  When she returns home, there is an explosion at four.  After, she goes out to the oak tree in the garden and lays sets her book on poetry beneath the tree.  At the end of the chapter, Orlando feels that Shel is going to be coming home soon as the clock strikes midnight7.
The end of the book reveals many things to the reader.  First, the conclusion of “The Oak Tree” correlates with the self-identification of Orlando.  Throughout her entire life, she writes that poem and tried to develop a sense of self.  It contains all of her ideas and changes of self.  When she finishes it, she finally comes to the conclusion of who she is.  Another important factor of this chapter is the image of Sasha.  At this moment, Orlando understands how life is connected.  Past, present and future are all connected in one’s life.  Sasha, a figure of the past, still remains in Orlando’s present life, although not in form.  Only the idea of her is there; however, it is still a part of Orlando and her life.  The end of this book notes the importance of living for oneself and not trying to please society.  Orlando realizes this at the end and is happy that she can finally live how she wants without society pressuring her into certain roles.
In addition, nature is a constant figure in this novel.  Orlando is always exploring nature and writing poetry in the presence of nature.  Nature is something that is pure in its form.  It is not decorated, covered up, nor have any roles that it needs to maintain.  Also, it is constantly changing from season to season.  In those terms, nature and Orlando have a direct relationship.  This novel is making the claim that humans and society should be like nature.  Instead of focusing on what one wears or what role they should have in society, the focus should be on who the person is underneath all that stuff.  People should be concerned with their purest form instead of their gender roles in society.  Orlando recognizes this at the end and decides to live for herself and write for herself.
The idea that nature changes seasons is also reflected in Orlando.  She has changed many times throughout her life, but those changes make up who she is at the end.  The combination of all of her “selves” defines her.  In the same way, nature changes seasons year to year, however it is still nature.  All of the different “selves” that Orlando goes through throughout the novel are connected and they create who she is at the end.  All of those connections make up her identity. 
Orlando, by Virginia Woolf, is a very complex novel. It deals with many issues of self, society and nature.  There are many claims that Woolf is making throughout this novel.  It is surely a book worth reading and exploring.  It is not only an interesting story, but it also makes one think about themselves and the roles they fulfill in the society in which they live.

1. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando A Biography. Liberty of Congress

    Cataloging, 1928. Ch. 1. Print.

1. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando A Biography. Liberty of Congress

Cataloging, 1928. Ch. 1. Print.

1. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando A Biography. Liberty of Congress

Cataloging, 1928. Ch. 2. Print.

1. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando A Biography. Liberty of Congress

Cataloging, 1928. Ch. 3. Print.

1. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando A Biography. Liberty of Congress

Cataloging, 1928. Ch. 4. Print.

1. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando A Biography. Liberty of Congress

Cataloging, 1928. Ch. 5. Print.

1. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando A Biography. Liberty of Congress

Cataloging, 1928. Ch. 6. Print.

Works Cited
Thomas, Steve. "Orlando, by Virginia Woolf." Orlando by Virginia Woolf TO V.
SACKVILLE-WEST. eBooks@Adelaide: The University of Adelaide
Library , 12 Jan 2011. Web. 23 Apr 2011. <http://ebooks.adelaide.
edu.au/w/woolf/virginia/w91o/index.html>.