LEXICAL AND SEMANTIC MEANS OF REPRESENTING ANDROGYNY IN LITERARY TEXTS

Abstract

The article offers a comprehensive linguistic analysis of androgyny as represented in Orlando by Virginia Woolf. It situates the novel within the anthropocentric paradigm of modern linguistics and gender studies, emphasizing that gender in Woolf’s prose is constructed not only narratively but lexically and grammatically. Drawing on the theoretical framework of A Room of One's Own, the study highlights Woolf’s concept of the “androgynous mind,” where masculine and feminine principles coexist harmoniously.

The article argues that androgyny in Orlando is achieved through specific lexical-semantic strategies: ambivalent nominations, oxymoronic constructions (e.g., “He was a woman”), and deliberate manipulation of gendered pronouns. Particular attention is given to the symbolic function of clothing vocabulary, which operates as a semiotic system shaping gender perception. Masculine and feminine lexical fields (breeches vs. crinolines) reflect shifting social roles and constraints.

The system of mirror characters—Sasha, Archduke Harry, and Shelmerdin – illustrates stages of gender awareness: fascination with ambiguity, parody of rigid roles, and harmonious synthesis. Through irony, allegory, and lexical repetition (vacillation, ambiguity, multiplicity), Woolf constructs gender as fluid process rather than fixed category.

The article concludes that Woolf deconstructs binary gender oppositions at the level of language itself, demonstrating that identity is dynamic and linguistically mediated.