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zaisgraph's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This reminded me why I don't like hosting dinner parties.... well hosting anything really lol
That being said this has got to be one of the most melancholy enducing books I have ever read... i mean second guessing a long term relationship, reflections and visiting alternate realities in the mind... all set in london after WWI.
In the end, everything is just status quo... like is it a personal gaslight or an actual epiphany? Who knows?
That being said this has got to be one of the most melancholy enducing books I have ever read... i mean second guessing a long term relationship, reflections and visiting alternate realities in the mind... all set in london after WWI.
In the end, everything is just status quo... like is it a personal gaslight or an actual epiphany? Who knows?
bailey11's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
abbykwiverton's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
thaurisil's review against another edition
4.0
I'm surprised that so many people like this book, for it is really about a boring woman going through a not-too-exciting day in her life. There is not much action. But I enjoyed the story, and I am delighted by its acclaim.
The book is set in the 1920s. It is about Clarissa Dalloway, an upper class London lady in her fifties, preparing for a party that she is going to host that night. The narration follows her thoughts as she thinks about her past when she was 18 and loved but rejected Peter Walsh, and befriended and maybe even had a crush on wild Sally Seton. She thinks about her mortality, and how she has failed her devoted husband sexually. We see Peter's thoughts as he returns from India to arrange the divorce of Daisy, a woman young enough to be his daughter that he wants to marry. He resents Clarissa for having thrown away her youth to become a mere upper class hostess, but recognizes his own unfulfilled life. We see Clarissa's daughter Elizabeth, a girl of 18 who loves the country and dislikes parties, but is destined for the same life as her mother. Behind her is Doris Kilman, a poor pious teacher, who jealously hates Clarissa, and tries but fails to influence Elizabeth to adopt a simple, religious, lower class life. Also in London is Septimus Warren Smith, a man who fought in the War, gained honour, but now suffers from "shell shock", or what we now know as post-traumatic stress disorder. His distressed Italian wife Rezia, who really just wants society to see them as as normal happy couple, brings him to Dr Holmes, a middle class doctor, then Sir William Bradshaw, an unempathetic upper class doctor who threatens to isolate Septimus. Septimus experiences a brief return to sanity before committing suicide. There are other characters whose thoughts we are briefly, before everything culminates in the party at night.
This story is a critique on London social life in the 1920s. There is a contrast between the upper and lower class characters, with people like Sir William Bradshaw and Clarissa appearing cold and snobbish to others, while the lower class characters like Septimus and Miss Kilman are seen as victims, forced to their actions by societal oppression. This is brought out especially by the relationship between Bradshaw and Septimus. Bradshaw is a capable and seemingly kind doctor, but Septimus and Rezia sense that he does not care, that his goal is to manipulate them to fit his wishes. Septimus, made powerless by his diagnosis, jumps. Dr Holmes pronounces him a coward, but in Septimus' suicide we recognise his last assertion of independence, his one means of escaping the intolerant hypocrisy of the doctors. In the background is the royal family, who, in an early scene, are seen to have gained the admiration and adoration of the masses, but without reciprocal feelings as they remain distant from the people.
But Woolf makes this more than a mundane criticism of societal classes through her style of writing, which weaves through the consciousness of the characters and allows us to see not only who appear to be but also who they really are. Clarissa, for example, is not just the upper class snob that Sally observes her to have become. She remembers Peter's criticism of her settling for a comfortable life, and it disturbs her. She seems cold and unaware, but inside, there is an abundance of self-reflection, nostalgia and regret. She bottles these up and hides them, showing only a hard, proud facade, thus enabling herself to go through life with composure and dignity. Miss Kilman, too, is similar to Sir Bradshaw in her desire to assert dominance over another person. For the moment she fails, but not before we see her hatred and pride.
In all the characters, there is a sense of unfulfilled ambition. Clarissa has lost her passionate youth, and settled for a conventional marriage and life. Peter did not become the writer he wanted to be or found the love he yearns for. Sally, once so rebellious, is married to a bald mill-owner with five boys. Pompous Hugh Whitman who craves only the company of the rich and famous gains his wish but not status as an odd job worker in the royal court. Lady Bruton is heavily involved in politics, yet cannot play a significant role in it on account of her gender and her inability to write letters. Septimus has fought for the values of a nation which ends up condemning him. Rezia wants only to be seen as happy, but she imagines people judging her with her schizophrenic husband and lack of children. Elizabeth, who just wants to be surrounded by animals in the country, has little chance of being anything but an upper class hostess. There are many more examples of unfulfilled lives. What Woolf seems to be saying is this: that regardless of social status, gender or age, we are all victims of our circumstances. Because our plans and characters are so rarely in line with our circumstances, we do not get what we strive or yearn for.
Pardon me as I go into religious reflection. I couldn't help but see in the character's lives a reflection of the Christian life. For Jesus calls us to take up our crosses and follow Him, but so often, I do not, pleading the comfort of my present life, and asking why I should give up the things that make me happy and successful. But God has great plans for us that we cannot imagine, and by staying in our comfort zones, we resist His power to create good things for us. And so we go on doing what we think best for ourselves, rejecting his wisdom, and find ourselves in lives and situations that we had never meant to get into.
But back to the story. Despite their disappointments, Septimus and Clarissa find closure. Septimus gets over his insanity, and it is telling that he commits suicide in his one moment of sanity, for it is a bold assertion of autonomy in a society that threatens to take away his freedom. He may have died, but through death he fought against the powers that oppress. Clarissa sees in Septimus' death her disgrace. She, unlike him, has succumbed to the influences in society, and let them bring her to a disappointing life. But she comes to terms with this. In the middle of the party, she goes to a room, and in privacy, discards the "triumphs of youth" and the memories of failure that accompany them. Unlike Peter, who till the end yearns for a memory of Clarissa that may never return, Clarissa accepts her menopausal age and the things she has lost along the way.
The doctors' attitude to Septimus' condition was interesting. Septimus has classic PTSD – he returned from the war with newfound manliness, but has lost all emotion, unable to mourn for Evans or love his wife or share her desire for children. I did some reading up and found out that in those times, PTSD was not well known, and shell shock was condemned as cowardice or malingering. We see the same attitude in Dr Holmes judgment of Septimus' "Cowardice!". How much of his Woolf's experience with mental illness, now suspected to be bipolar disorder, did she incorporate into Septimus' illness? Did Woolf face the same discrimination in her struggles with her illness? If so, it is a tragic reflection on the attitudes of the medical profession that to a certain extent still prevails today.
I like the repeated imagery. The chiming of Big Ben with its "leaden circles" marks the passing of time through the day and the transition between scenes. The opening and closing of doors, windows and curtains marks the boundaries between the public and private life, and although Clarissa put on a bold front in her public life, she, like Septimus and other characters, treasures privacy,
Woolf's ability to go beyond the outward appearance to delve into the minds of characters reflects a capacity for insight into the human nature, and makes Mrs Dalloway refreshing and fascinating.
The book is set in the 1920s. It is about Clarissa Dalloway, an upper class London lady in her fifties, preparing for a party that she is going to host that night. The narration follows her thoughts as she thinks about her past when she was 18 and loved but rejected Peter Walsh, and befriended and maybe even had a crush on wild Sally Seton. She thinks about her mortality, and how she has failed her devoted husband sexually. We see Peter's thoughts as he returns from India to arrange the divorce of Daisy, a woman young enough to be his daughter that he wants to marry. He resents Clarissa for having thrown away her youth to become a mere upper class hostess, but recognizes his own unfulfilled life. We see Clarissa's daughter Elizabeth, a girl of 18 who loves the country and dislikes parties, but is destined for the same life as her mother. Behind her is Doris Kilman, a poor pious teacher, who jealously hates Clarissa, and tries but fails to influence Elizabeth to adopt a simple, religious, lower class life. Also in London is Septimus Warren Smith, a man who fought in the War, gained honour, but now suffers from "shell shock", or what we now know as post-traumatic stress disorder. His distressed Italian wife Rezia, who really just wants society to see them as as normal happy couple, brings him to Dr Holmes, a middle class doctor, then Sir William Bradshaw, an unempathetic upper class doctor who threatens to isolate Septimus. Septimus experiences a brief return to sanity before committing suicide. There are other characters whose thoughts we are briefly, before everything culminates in the party at night.
This story is a critique on London social life in the 1920s. There is a contrast between the upper and lower class characters, with people like Sir William Bradshaw and Clarissa appearing cold and snobbish to others, while the lower class characters like Septimus and Miss Kilman are seen as victims, forced to their actions by societal oppression. This is brought out especially by the relationship between Bradshaw and Septimus. Bradshaw is a capable and seemingly kind doctor, but Septimus and Rezia sense that he does not care, that his goal is to manipulate them to fit his wishes. Septimus, made powerless by his diagnosis, jumps. Dr Holmes pronounces him a coward, but in Septimus' suicide we recognise his last assertion of independence, his one means of escaping the intolerant hypocrisy of the doctors. In the background is the royal family, who, in an early scene, are seen to have gained the admiration and adoration of the masses, but without reciprocal feelings as they remain distant from the people.
But Woolf makes this more than a mundane criticism of societal classes through her style of writing, which weaves through the consciousness of the characters and allows us to see not only who appear to be but also who they really are. Clarissa, for example, is not just the upper class snob that Sally observes her to have become. She remembers Peter's criticism of her settling for a comfortable life, and it disturbs her. She seems cold and unaware, but inside, there is an abundance of self-reflection, nostalgia and regret. She bottles these up and hides them, showing only a hard, proud facade, thus enabling herself to go through life with composure and dignity. Miss Kilman, too, is similar to Sir Bradshaw in her desire to assert dominance over another person. For the moment she fails, but not before we see her hatred and pride.
In all the characters, there is a sense of unfulfilled ambition. Clarissa has lost her passionate youth, and settled for a conventional marriage and life. Peter did not become the writer he wanted to be or found the love he yearns for. Sally, once so rebellious, is married to a bald mill-owner with five boys. Pompous Hugh Whitman who craves only the company of the rich and famous gains his wish but not status as an odd job worker in the royal court. Lady Bruton is heavily involved in politics, yet cannot play a significant role in it on account of her gender and her inability to write letters. Septimus has fought for the values of a nation which ends up condemning him. Rezia wants only to be seen as happy, but she imagines people judging her with her schizophrenic husband and lack of children. Elizabeth, who just wants to be surrounded by animals in the country, has little chance of being anything but an upper class hostess. There are many more examples of unfulfilled lives. What Woolf seems to be saying is this: that regardless of social status, gender or age, we are all victims of our circumstances. Because our plans and characters are so rarely in line with our circumstances, we do not get what we strive or yearn for.
Pardon me as I go into religious reflection. I couldn't help but see in the character's lives a reflection of the Christian life. For Jesus calls us to take up our crosses and follow Him, but so often, I do not, pleading the comfort of my present life, and asking why I should give up the things that make me happy and successful. But God has great plans for us that we cannot imagine, and by staying in our comfort zones, we resist His power to create good things for us. And so we go on doing what we think best for ourselves, rejecting his wisdom, and find ourselves in lives and situations that we had never meant to get into.
But back to the story. Despite their disappointments, Septimus and Clarissa find closure. Septimus gets over his insanity, and it is telling that he commits suicide in his one moment of sanity, for it is a bold assertion of autonomy in a society that threatens to take away his freedom. He may have died, but through death he fought against the powers that oppress. Clarissa sees in Septimus' death her disgrace. She, unlike him, has succumbed to the influences in society, and let them bring her to a disappointing life. But she comes to terms with this. In the middle of the party, she goes to a room, and in privacy, discards the "triumphs of youth" and the memories of failure that accompany them. Unlike Peter, who till the end yearns for a memory of Clarissa that may never return, Clarissa accepts her menopausal age and the things she has lost along the way.
The doctors' attitude to Septimus' condition was interesting. Septimus has classic PTSD – he returned from the war with newfound manliness, but has lost all emotion, unable to mourn for Evans or love his wife or share her desire for children. I did some reading up and found out that in those times, PTSD was not well known, and shell shock was condemned as cowardice or malingering. We see the same attitude in Dr Holmes judgment of Septimus' "Cowardice!". How much of his Woolf's experience with mental illness, now suspected to be bipolar disorder, did she incorporate into Septimus' illness? Did Woolf face the same discrimination in her struggles with her illness? If so, it is a tragic reflection on the attitudes of the medical profession that to a certain extent still prevails today.
I like the repeated imagery. The chiming of Big Ben with its "leaden circles" marks the passing of time through the day and the transition between scenes. The opening and closing of doors, windows and curtains marks the boundaries between the public and private life, and although Clarissa put on a bold front in her public life, she, like Septimus and other characters, treasures privacy,
Woolf's ability to go beyond the outward appearance to delve into the minds of characters reflects a capacity for insight into the human nature, and makes Mrs Dalloway refreshing and fascinating.
malandah's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
acmarinho3's review against another edition
3.0
Virginia Woolf escreve sentimentos. Sabe bem ir ao fundo de cada um, mostrar as fragilidades do ser humano. Tinha expectativa que este livro me dissesse mais, mas não me conseguiu cativar. No entanto, li passagens lindíssimas que geram uma introspecção interessante.
ziraff's review against another edition
Endless fancy words, but way too hard to follow the content.
spenkevich's review against another edition
5.0
‘Moments like this are buds on the tree of life.’
Our lives are an elaborate and exquisite collage of moments. Each moment beautiful and powerful on their own when reflected upon, turned about and examined to breath in the full nostalgia for each glorious moment gone by, yet it is the compendium of moments that truly form our history of individuality. Yet, what is an expression of individuality if it is not taken in relation to all the lives around us, as a moment in history, a drop in a multitude of drops to form an ocean of existence? Virginia Woolf enacts the near impossibility in ‘Mrs Dalloway’ of charting for examination and reflection the whole of a lifeline for multiple characters, all interweaving to proclaim a brilliant portrait of existence itself, all succinctly packaged in the elegant wrappings of a solitary day. Akin to Joyce’s monumental achievement, [b:Ulysses|338798|Ulysses|James Joyce|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1428891345l/338798._SY75_.jpg|2368224], Woolf’s poetic plunge into the minds and hearts of her assorted characters not only dredges up an impressively multi-faceted perspective on their lives as a whole, but delivers a cutting social satire extending far beyond the boundaries of the selective London society that struts and frets their 24 hours upon the stage of Woolf’s words.
‘Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.’
This simple phrase is one any serious student of literature would recognize lest they fear an inadequacy of appearance in the eyes of their collegiate classmates, much in the way a great deal of actions in Mrs Dalloway is a learned behavior for the sake of appearances. ‘Rigid, the skeleton of habit alone upholds the human frame,’ and much of what we do out of habit, out of adherence to social standards, is what upholds the society at hand and shapes the civilization of the times. Woolf’s novel hinges upon manners and social standings, highlighting a withering hegemony during the a period of change and rebirth with society marching forward into an uncertain and unrestrained future following the first World War. However, before getting too far ahead into a broad scope, it is imperative to examine the immediate and singular implications of the novel. Much of Mrs Dalloway is deceptively simplistic, using the singular as a doorway into the collective, and offering a tiny gift of perfect that can be unpacked to expose an infinite depiction of the world. Take the title, for instance. In most cases, the central character is referred to as Clarissa Dalloway, yet it was essential to place Mrs Dalloway first and foremost in the readers mind to forever bind their impression of her as a married woman, an extension of Mr. Richard Dalloway. In comparison, Miss Kilman is never addressed in text without the title ‘Miss’ to emphasize her unmarried—and, in terms of the social standings of the time, inferior—position in society; or even Ellie Henderson whose poverty doesn’t even earn her a title of marital status in the eyes of the Dalloway circle, forever condemned to a singular name inconsequential to anything. Just the indication of Clarissa as the wife of a member of government expands well beyond her status as an individual to open a conversation about social implications.
‘Mrs Dalloway is always giving parties to cover the silence.’
Personal identity plays a major theme within the novel with each character’s entire life on display simply through their actions and reflection within the solitary June day. Clarissa is examined through a weaving of past and present as she tumbles through an existential crises in regards to her position as the wife of a dignitary and as a the perfect party host. ‘Why, after all, did she do these things? Why seek pinnacles and stand drenched in fire? Might it consume her anyhow?’ Through her interactions with Peter, the reader is treated to her romantic lineage, rejecting Peter for the safer, more social circle security of Robert, which gives way to a questioning if she is merely a snob. Furthermore, the reader witnesses Clarissa in her heights of emotion through her friendship with Sally Seton¹, a relationship that seems to transcend the rigid gender roles of the time.
‘Once you fall, Septimus repeated to himself, human nature is on you.’
As a foil to the character of Clarissa, Woolf presents the war-torn Septimus. While Clarissa finds meaning in her merrymaking because ‘what she liked was simply life’, and bringing people together to be always moving towards a warm center of life, Septimus is shown as moving outwards, stolen away from the joys of life through his experiences of bloodshed in battle.
Death becomes an important discussion point of the novel, with each character trying to define themselves in the face of, or in spite of, their impending demise. Peter so fears death that he follows a stranger through town, inventing an elaborate fantasy of romance to blot out the deathly darkness. Yet, it is in contrast to death that we find life. Clarissa’s desire for communication, community and life is only given weight in relation to the news of death that invades her party.
What is most impressive about Mrs Dalloway is the nearly endless array of tones and voices that Woolf is able to so deftly sashay between. While each character is unique, it is the contrast between death and life that she weaves that is staggeringly wonderful. Right from the beginning, Woolf treats us to a feast of contrast.
5/5
It is a thousand pities never to say what one feels.
¹ With regards to the discussion of marital titles, Sally Seton later becomes Lady Rosseter through marriage. This title further emphasizes marriage as a means of climbing the social ladder, with Sally seen in the past as an impoverished, rebellious ragamuffin, yet through marriage gains an aura of dignity. Perhaps Sally becoming a housewife is a statement on the society of the times suffocating feministic freedoms.
² There is an interesting rejection of Shakespeare found most notably in the characters of Richard Dallowlay and Lady Bruton. This emphasized the dying British society as a cold and artless being, devoid of emotion. This is most evident through Richard Dalloway, seen as a symbol of British society, as he fails to express his emotions of love towards his wife.
Our lives are an elaborate and exquisite collage of moments. Each moment beautiful and powerful on their own when reflected upon, turned about and examined to breath in the full nostalgia for each glorious moment gone by, yet it is the compendium of moments that truly form our history of individuality. Yet, what is an expression of individuality if it is not taken in relation to all the lives around us, as a moment in history, a drop in a multitude of drops to form an ocean of existence? Virginia Woolf enacts the near impossibility in ‘Mrs Dalloway’ of charting for examination and reflection the whole of a lifeline for multiple characters, all interweaving to proclaim a brilliant portrait of existence itself, all succinctly packaged in the elegant wrappings of a solitary day. Akin to Joyce’s monumental achievement, [b:Ulysses|338798|Ulysses|James Joyce|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1428891345l/338798._SY75_.jpg|2368224], Woolf’s poetic plunge into the minds and hearts of her assorted characters not only dredges up an impressively multi-faceted perspective on their lives as a whole, but delivers a cutting social satire extending far beyond the boundaries of the selective London society that struts and frets their 24 hours upon the stage of Woolf’s words.
‘Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.’
This simple phrase is one any serious student of literature would recognize lest they fear an inadequacy of appearance in the eyes of their collegiate classmates, much in the way a great deal of actions in Mrs Dalloway is a learned behavior for the sake of appearances. ‘Rigid, the skeleton of habit alone upholds the human frame,’ and much of what we do out of habit, out of adherence to social standards, is what upholds the society at hand and shapes the civilization of the times. Woolf’s novel hinges upon manners and social standings, highlighting a withering hegemony during the a period of change and rebirth with society marching forward into an uncertain and unrestrained future following the first World War. However, before getting too far ahead into a broad scope, it is imperative to examine the immediate and singular implications of the novel. Much of Mrs Dalloway is deceptively simplistic, using the singular as a doorway into the collective, and offering a tiny gift of perfect that can be unpacked to expose an infinite depiction of the world. Take the title, for instance. In most cases, the central character is referred to as Clarissa Dalloway, yet it was essential to place Mrs Dalloway first and foremost in the readers mind to forever bind their impression of her as a married woman, an extension of Mr. Richard Dalloway. In comparison, Miss Kilman is never addressed in text without the title ‘Miss’ to emphasize her unmarried—and, in terms of the social standings of the time, inferior—position in society; or even Ellie Henderson whose poverty doesn’t even earn her a title of marital status in the eyes of the Dalloway circle, forever condemned to a singular name inconsequential to anything. Just the indication of Clarissa as the wife of a member of government expands well beyond her status as an individual to open a conversation about social implications.
‘Mrs Dalloway is always giving parties to cover the silence.’
Personal identity plays a major theme within the novel with each character’s entire life on display simply through their actions and reflection within the solitary June day. Clarissa is examined through a weaving of past and present as she tumbles through an existential crises in regards to her position as the wife of a dignitary and as a the perfect party host. ‘Why, after all, did she do these things? Why seek pinnacles and stand drenched in fire? Might it consume her anyhow?’ Through her interactions with Peter, the reader is treated to her romantic lineage, rejecting Peter for the safer, more social circle security of Robert, which gives way to a questioning if she is merely a snob. Furthermore, the reader witnesses Clarissa in her heights of emotion through her friendship with Sally Seton¹, a relationship that seems to transcend the rigid gender roles of the time.
The strange thing, on looking back, was the purity, the integrity, of her feeling for Sally. It was not like one’s feeling for a man. It was completely disinterested, and besides, it had a quality which could only exist between women.Virginia Woolf’s own sexuality has been a topic of interest over the years, and the relationship between Clarissa and Sally—the kiss shared between them being considered by Clarissa to be a notable peak of happiness in her life—was often written as being “open to interpretation.” Which is funny to me because it feels like the tumblr joke of like “they were just really good friends,” and reading Woolf’s own letters with Vita Sackville-West it all feels very out in the open that there are queer desires in the novel that get packed away due to an unwelcoming society. We see how socially enforced gender norms and heterosexuality become restrictive and Sally is a symbol of rejecting those through examples such as her openly smoking cigars which is said to be a “man’s thing” to do. Through Clarissa we see a desire of life, of not becoming stagnant, of not ‘being herself invisible; unseen; unknown…this being Mrs. Dalloway; not even Clarissa any more; this being Mrs. Richard Dalloway.’ There must be a way to separate from the society, to form an identity beyond social conventions or gender, to find life in a world hurtling towards death.
‘Once you fall, Septimus repeated to himself, human nature is on you.’
As a foil to the character of Clarissa, Woolf presents the war-torn Septimus. While Clarissa finds meaning in her merrymaking because ‘what she liked was simply life’, and bringing people together to be always moving towards a warm center of life, Septimus is shown as moving outwards, stolen away from the joys of life through his experiences of bloodshed in battle.
So there was no excuse, nothing whatever the matter, except the sin for which human nature had condemned him to death; that he did not feel.While Clarissa grapples with her fear of death, ‘that is must end; and no one in the whole world would know how she had loved it all,’ Septimus finds life, a never-ending spiral of guilt for not feeling beset by visions of his fallen comrade, to be a fearsome and loathsome beast. Doctors would have him locked away (a dramatic contrast to the lively parties hosted by Clarissa), and even his own wife forges an identity of guilt and self-conscious sorrow for upholding a clearly disturbed husband. This is a haunting portrait of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, the latter fmuch like Woolf herself suffered. Septimus and Clarissa are like opposite sides to the same coin, however, and many essential parrallels exist between them. Both find solace in the works of Shakespeare², both obsess over a lonely figure in an opposing window (one of Septimus’ last impressions in the land of the living), and both trying to express themselves in the world yet fearing the solitude that their failures will form for them. Even his inability to feel is similar to the love felt by Clarissa: 'But nothing is so strange when one is in love (and what was this except being in love?) as the complete indifference of other people.'
Death becomes an important discussion point of the novel, with each character trying to define themselves in the face of, or in spite of, their impending demise. Peter so fears death that he follows a stranger through town, inventing an elaborate fantasy of romance to blot out the deathly darkness. Yet, it is in contrast to death that we find life. Clarissa’s desire for communication, community and life is only given weight in relation to the news of death that invades her party.
Death was defiance. Death was an attempt to communicate; people feeling the impossibility of reaching the centre which, mystically, evaded them; closeness drew apart; repute faded, one was alone. There was an embrace in death.
What is most impressive about Mrs Dalloway is the nearly endless array of tones and voices that Woolf is able to so deftly sashay between. While each character is unique, it is the contrast between death and life that she weaves that is staggeringly wonderful. Right from the beginning, Woolf treats us to a feast of contrast.
For it was the middle of June. The War was over, except for some one like Mrs. Foxcroft at the Embassy last night eating her heart out because that nice boy was killed…but it was over; thank Heaven – over. It was June…and everywhere, thought it was still early, there was a beating, a stirring of galloping ponies, tapping of cricket bats…Cold death and warm life on a sunny June day all mingle together here, and throughout the novel. And we are constantly reminded of our lives marching towards death like a battalion of soldiers, each hour pounded away by the ringing of Big Ben. This motif is two-fold, both representing the lives passing from present to past, but also using the image of Big Ben as a symbol of British society. The war has ended and a new era is dawning, one where the obdurate and stuffy society of old has been shown to be withered and wilting, like Clarissa’s elderly aunt with the glass eye. Not only are the lifelines of each character put under examination, but the history of the English empire as well, highlighting the ages of imperialism that have spread the sons of England across the map and over bloody battlefields. Clarissa is a prime example of the Euro-centrism found in society, frequently confusing the Albanians and Armenians, and assuming that her love of England and her contributions to society must in some way benefit them. ‘But she loved her roses (didn’t that help the Armenians?)’ In contrast is Peter, constantly toying with his knife—a symbol of masculinity imposed by an ideal enforced by bloodshed and military might—to evince not only his fears of inadequacy as a Man (fostered by Clarissa’s rejection for him and his possibly shady marriage plans), but his wishy-washy feelings of imperialism after spending time in India.
Beauty, the world seemed to say. And as if to prove it (scientifically) wherever he looked at the houses, at the railings, at the antelopes stretching over the palings, beauty sprang instantly. To watch a leaf quivering in the rush of air was an exquisite joy. Up in the sky swallows swooping, swerving, flinging themselves in and out, round and round, yet always with perfect control as if elastics held them; and the flies rising and falling; and the sun spotting now this leaf, now that, in mockery, dazzling it with soft gold in pure good temper; and now again some chime (it might be a motor horn) tinkling divinely on the grass stalks—all of this, calm and reasonable as it was, made out of ordinary things as it was, was the truth now; beauty, that was the truth now. Beauty was everywhere.Mrs Dalloway is nearly overwhelming in scope despite the tiny package and seemingly singular advancements of plot. Seamlessly moving between the minds and hearts of each character with a prose that soars to the stratosphere, Woolf presents an intensely detailed portrait of post-war Europe and the struggles of identity found within us all. While it can be demanding at times, asking for your full cooperation and attention, but only because to miss a single second would be a tragic loss to the reader, this is one of the most impressive and inspiring novels I have ever read. Woolf manages to take the scale of Ulysses and the poetic prowess of the finest poets, and condense it all in 200pgs of pure literary excellence. Simple yet sprawling, this is one of the finest novels of the 20th century and an outstanding achievement that stands high even among Woolf's other literary giants. This novel has a bit more of a raw feel when compared to To the Lighthouse, yet that work is nothing short of pure perfection, a novel so highly tuned that one worries that even breathing on it will tarnish it's sleek and shiny luster. Dalloway stands just as tall, however, both as a satire on society and a powerful statement of feminism. A civilization is made up of the many lives within, and each life is made up of many moments, all of which culminating to a portrait of human beauty. Though at the end of life we must meet death, it is through death we find life.
5/5
It is a thousand pities never to say what one feels.
¹ With regards to the discussion of marital titles, Sally Seton later becomes Lady Rosseter through marriage. This title further emphasizes marriage as a means of climbing the social ladder, with Sally seen in the past as an impoverished, rebellious ragamuffin, yet through marriage gains an aura of dignity. Perhaps Sally becoming a housewife is a statement on the society of the times suffocating feministic freedoms.
² There is an interesting rejection of Shakespeare found most notably in the characters of Richard Dallowlay and Lady Bruton. This emphasized the dying British society as a cold and artless being, devoid of emotion. This is most evident through Richard Dalloway, seen as a symbol of British society, as he fails to express his emotions of love towards his wife.