| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立高雄師範大學 === 英語學系 === 104 === This thesis aims to focus on the male characters Richard and Smith in The Hours and Mrs. Dalloway. These two males occupy relatively long paragraphs in novels; however, there are only a few critics mentioning them. It seems that the female characters are more popular and gain more attention. A hero returns from battlefield should lead a smooth life, but Smith in Mrs. Dalloway chooses to kill himself in the end. His death indicates not only a society undergoing serious trauma but also the great alienation of most people. Richard in The Hours, a talented writer winning a reward, finally jumps out of a window to end his life. He has an unhappy childhood due to his mother’s abandonment and suffers from AIDS in middle-age. Some critics attribute his death to AIDS; however, it seems too simple. To be more precise, Richard’s and Smith’s death is somehow caused by society’s failure. Besides, they both bestow a profound meaning on their deaths. One can say that their suicides are to be regarded as positive since the world and people surrounding them are transformed into a new development with hopes and possibilities.
The thesis is divided into four chapters. Chapter One will briefly introduce authors, novels and themes discussed in the thesis. Chapter Two is to discuss Mrs. Dalloway. Smith is the main focus in this chapter. Also, how trauma and alienation influence him and others will be described. The motive and affect of his suicide will be elaborated in this chapter. Chapter Three concentrates on Richard in The Hours. His childhood and family will be talked about in the first section. Then, his disease and relationship with Clarissa will be examined. His motive for suicide and what influence his death brings will be examined in this chapter. Chapter Four talks about the intertextuality of these two novels as the conclusion. The thesis will examine how The Hours is influenced by Mrs. Dalloway. Lastly, the motif of the thesis will be concluded.
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