Homosexuality, Suicide and Feminism in Cunningham's, The Hours

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Homosexuality, Suicide and Feminism in Cunningham's, The Hours

In "Man of The Hours", an interview published in People magazine, Michael Cunningham describes The Hours as "essentially an optimistic book that deals with the terrible things that happen to people"(105). More precisely, the book is about three women living in different eras and addresses several issues, among them homosexuality, suicide, and feminism.

Much Cunningham's portrayal of Virginia, who is working on her famous novel "Mrs. Dalloway" as the story opens, deals with her feelings about life in the suburbs, a life in which her husband dictates such small details of her everyday life as bedtime, how long she will be allowed to work, and even whether or not going for a walk is appropriate. Her decisions are made for her even in the matter of meals; she is told by Leonard at one point: "You will have lunch...a true lunch...even by force, if it comes to that" (33). Virginia finds suburban life stifling and longs for London but this is denied her because of a history of mental breakdowns. She has learned to "play...

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