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Chapter Two  Breaking Free from Heterosexual Matrix

2.1 The Influence of Heterosexual Matrix in Orlando

The tripartite model of sex, gender, and desire defined by heterosexual matrix can be seen from every socialized environment, which is also true for Orlando – even considering him/her being a fictional character. As a member in a society where men are women are treated rather differently, both male Orlando and female Orlando cannot escape the influence of heterosexual matrix, only these two experiences somewhat differ. 

In the very beginning of the novel, the narrator of the book has point out in a decisive way that Orlando is without doubt a man: “He — for there could be no doubt of his sex, though the fashion of the time did something to disguise it. (Woolf, 2020:74)” the narrator used the pronoun “he” to refer to Orlando. And what follows this description is Orlando’s first ever act in the book, who “was in the act of slicing at the head of a Moor which swung from the rafters” (Woolf, 2020:74). This forms a connection between the sex and gender of Orlando, a young man who is trying to look like his brave ancestors. The depiction on his body, “the shapely legs, the handsome body, and the well-set shoulders” (Woolf, 2020:75) is one of the few descriptions on Orlando’s bodily appearance in the book, and it indeed portrays Orlando with a solid, strong, and beautiful body, which matches the blue blood status of Orlando’s position. Orlando’s masculinity is another aspect that was thoroughly demonstrated in the novel. Here, masculinity is not limited to the chivalric deed that Orlando does, like playing with a sword in the attic, but also means the social status, the privilege that comes along the male body, whether this is passively or actively done. The social status being a blue-blooded noble, and the achievements that Orlando’s ancestors had done, plus the uncountable wealth and the huge mansion are all examples of Orlando’s manhood. 

2.2 Orlando’s Transition to Queer Time

In the novel Orlando, Woolf takes an unusual approach to write a biography. When most biography writers strive to provide their readers with as many details as possible, it seems that Woolf is intentionally blurring the image when it comes to Orlando’s personal details, particularly Orlando’s gender identity, providing narrations which are out of the boundary of the heterosexual matrix. Woolf has made certain that the sex of Orlando’s sex is a “male,” but this very first sentence of the book raises more questions than it answers. This statement has set a tone for the rest of the book, yet it creates a contrast with the description on Orlando’s appearance. As previously mentioned, Orlando owns a set of strong, solid body, however when it comes to describe Orlando’s outfit, Woolf uses language that could be interpreted as both masculine and feminine. It remains unclear to readers whether Orlando’s outfit is merely a reflection of the fashion of the time, or it serves as a disguise to hide his true identity. This ambiguity continues when the author begins to describe Orlando’s facial appearance. Woolf’s word selection on Orlando displays the characteristics of full tenderness and beauty, which stands in contrast to the typical male characters of the time who were often portrayed as powe本论文由英语论文网提供整理，提供论文代写，英语论文代写，代写论文，代写英语论文，代写留学生论文，代写英文论文，留学生论文代写相关核心关键词搜索。