Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
Home> Volumes> Volume CHR Vol.96> Article
Research Article

Rich Metaphors in a Bird's Funeral: An Analysis of a Segment from The Hours

Bei ZhangTianjin Normal University*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

This study examines the richly symbolic "bird's funeral" sequence from the film The Hours, a brief yet thematically pivotal scene that encapsulates Virginia Woolf’s philosophical meditations on life, death, and freedom. Through a detailed analysis of visual symbols, character actions, camera movement, and compositional symmetry, this paper explores how the director translates Woolf’s inner world into a cinematic language that actively engages the audience. The scene’s central motifs, the yellow roses and the dead sparrow, function as dualistic symbols of vitality and mortality, while Virginia’s intimate gestures and the camera’s gradual close-up actively transition the viewer from detached observation to empathetic participation. The symmetrical framing of Virginia’s face and the bird’s body further reinforces themes of equality and foreshadows her tragic fate. This study integrates semiotic and cinematographic analysis to demonstrate that the sequence not only visualizes Woolf’s existential reflections but also invites—even demands—the audience’s emotional and intellectual involvement. Ultimately, the scene functions as a microcosm of the film’s broader concerns; by leveraging concentrated imagery and interactive narration, it transforms personal tragedy into universal philosophical inquiry.

Keywords: The Hours; Funeral; Metaphor; Imagery; Cinematography; Film Analysis
Published: November 11, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.BJ29290
Volume: CHR Vol.96
pp. 105-110
Download PDF

References

  1. Zhang, W., & Wang, Y. (2021). A brief analysis of the feminist direction of imagery in the film The Hours. Journal of Hebei Normal University for Nationalities, 41(1), 68–73. https: //doi.org/10.16729/j.cnki.jhnun.2021.01.011
  2. Wang, Y., & Di, L. (2016). The interpretation of thematic imagery in Mrs. Dalloway and The Hours . Journal of Ankang University, 28(2), 46–51. https: //doi.org/10.16858/j.issn.1674-0092.2016.02.011
  3. Woolf, V. (1927). To the lighthouse. London: Hogarth Press.
  4. Woolf, V. (1941). Between the acts. London: Hogarth Press.
  5. Guedes, A. C. de A. (2021). An elegy to imagery: Fiction and metaphor from Virginia Woolf’s literary essays and writings (1911–1941) [Doctoral dissertation, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro]. Maxwell. https: //doi.org/10.17771/PUCRio.acad.52455
  6. Lyu, B. (2016). A study of imagery in Woolf's novels [Master's thesis, Heilongjiang University]. China Master's Theses Full-text Database. https: //kns.cnki.net/kcms2/article/abstract?v=Ss1McYY34CdvmUGTy_tejujb6xdSyVF4UcfqvmqG3RvWYiFj7CfABCLfDab7bsEXbTyzH3H3W8Abtrb1Lmfsh3IPY3Q8nn9K37xKVPTxlJKGo7QNdFp3rMDEvTpyVISzFX_jkEPT2q3cOfO10O5CdcpjxoQolxaFUC9L0iAMHl7rg2BsAKHQ==& uniplatform=NZKPT& language=CHS
  7. Woolf, V. (1925). Mrs Dalloway. Hogarth Press.
  8. Ma, X. (2021). Gender Equality in New Public Management Movement Practice Based on the Perspective from Feminism of Virginia Woolf. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 4(12), 10-14.
  9. Wen, J. (2023). A study of gendered space in the works of Virginia Woolf [Master's thesis, Jilin University]. China Master's Theses Full-text Database. https: //doi.org/10.27162/d.cnki.gjlin.2023.002166
  10. Wang, J. (2013). The chant of the British lily under the "Sword of Dionysus" [Master's thesis, Nanjing Normal University]. China Master's Theses Full-text Database.
  11. Spirituality & Practice. (n.d.). The Hours: Film review. Retrieved September 30, 2025, from https: //www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/reviews/view/5466/the-hours
  12. Bazin, A. (1967). What Is Cinema? (Vol. 1). Berkeley: University of California Press.
  13. Response Journal. (2020). An ethics of simultaneity in The Hours: Bergson, Cunningham, Daldry. Response: The Seattle Pacific University Undergraduate
  14. Arnheim, R. (1957). Film as art. Berkeley: University of California Press.
  15. Aumont, J., Bergala, A., Marie, M., & Vernet, M. (1983). L’Esthétique du film. Paris: Nathan. https: //kns.cnki.net/kcms2/article/abstract?v=Ss1McYY34CcKLY_4VHMPZHgEYBUkv3UU1lgD7dDZQZKMwW_Sg6k0_IlMma8GlLNvryjtC5Gqo9l64WWmWfs4Or8fDITC2M2IgUVVHhiYwQHQhLk1ko2WfrgX9GY18tlNGhS4kZmFDpmC1vy5aIEjjRoWvBviL7xdKRaTxAfVWFvZ8Wjr1g==& uniplatform=NZKPT& language=CHS
  16. Yang, L., & Jiao, H. (2020). Fuyiniya·Wuerfu: Yongheng de Yinglun Baihe [Virginia Woolf: The eternal English lily]. Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press.