Mrs. Dalloway 17

• "But she's extraordinarily attractive, he thought, as, walking across Trafalgar Square ... Straightening himself and stealthily fingering his pocket knife he started after her to follow this woman, this excitement." (p. 52-53)
  

During this excerpt, Peter Walsh follows a woman who is a complete stranger. Within this scene, Peter creates a made-up relationship between him and this anonymous woman, often comparing her to Clarissa. Obviously Peter is still in love with Clarissa because even now, after all these years, is dwelling on her rejection. Woolf displays the major themes of communication and privacy within this scene as Peter obtains private thoughts, rather than communicating actual conversation and emotion.

Mrs. Dalloway 16

• "Death was defiance. Death was an attempt to communicate; people feeling the impossibility of reaching the centre which, mystically, evaded them; closeness drew apart; rapture faded, one was alone. There was an embrace in death." (p. 184)

Throughout Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf enhances this piece of literature by incorporating significant themes within the text. Communication and the fear of death define this novel's main messages. In this excerpt, Clarissa is preaching her view on death; expressing that she thinks death is bold, suicide was a way to escape/go against society. Death was a way to try to get your point across, a call for help, or an opinion to be heard. This clearly was difficult for many of the characters in the novel. However, there was an acceptance in death; even though the concept scared Clarissa, it was one that she had to overcome and knew would eventually happen. The suicide of Septimus was a turning point in the novel for Clarissa; this incident helped her become more at ease with the idea of death.

Mrs. Dalloway 15

• "How extraordinary it was, strange, yes, touching, to see the old lady ... that old lady, she meant, whom she could see going from chest of drawers to dressing-table. She could still see her." (p. 127)
  

Throughout the novel, Virginia Woolf creates a minor character, the old lady, who, despite her role has a significant impact on Clarissa. Clarissa thought it "was fascinating to watch her, moving about, that old lady, crossing the room, coming to the window." (p. 186) Clarissa respected the woman for her independence, but also felt sympathetic as she believed the old lady was very lonely. During various scenes in the novel, Clarissa intently watches the old woman and notices the privacy of her character. While Clarissa is hosting an extravagant party, the old woman is tinkering around her house all by herself. The old lady has significance in the novel as Virgina Woolf intends for Clarissa's character to picture herself in the future. Although Clarissa claims she is fascinated, deep inside she is most likely very frightened of the concept of getting older (eventual death) and the loneliness that accompanies age.

Photo Credit:
Old Woman by the Window. Photograph. Flickr. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/136/375075892_f285827fdf.jpg?v=0.

Mrs. Dalloway 14

• "For in those days she was completely reckless; did the most idiotic things out of bravado; bicycled round the parapet on the terrace; smoked cigars. Absurd, she was - very absurd." (p. 34)

One of the major themes throughout the novel Woolf addresses is feminism and women contribution to society. This description of Sally Seton reveals her un-lady-like manners and her attitude towards society. Clarissa clearly admires her for being an independent, carefree woman. Sally Seton did not care what she did in public; she smoked cigars and once ran naked - certainly actions that a stereotypical woman during this time period would not commit. One could argue that Sally Seton was seeking negative attention or just plainly leading an independent woman's lifestyle.

Mrs. Dalloway 13

• "She had gone. Mrs. Kilman sat at the marble table among the eclairs, stricken once, twice, thrice, by shocks of suffering. She had gone. Mrs. Dalloway had triumphed. Elizabeth had gone. Beauty had gone, youth had gone." (p. 133)
  

At this point in the novel, Mrs. Kilman and Elizabeth sit down to have tea, but eventually Elizabeth gets up and leaves. The relationship between Mrs. Kilman and Elizabeth is rather strange, as it appears Mrs. Kilman has a lesbian attraction to the young girl. Obviously Mrs. Dalloway isn't comfortable knowing this, hence the reason why Woolf describes Clarissa's enjoyment ("Mrs. Dalloway had triumphed") knowing Elizabeth feels discomfort too. Mrs. Kilman is very upset because Elizabeth's sudden decision of leaving shows rejection or disapproval of Mrs. Kilman's feelings towards her. It is ironic that Woolf writes the line "beauty had gone" because the rest of the characters in the novel are suddenly noticing Elizabeth's beauty and beginning to notice how attractive she is. Mrs. Kilman also experiences a sense of defeat as she feels that Elizabeth leaving is a direct indication that she has chosen to follow the lifestyle her mother leads, rather than her own.

Mrs. Dalloway 12

• "Big Ben was beginning to strike, first the warning, musical; then the hour, irrevocable ... The sound of Big Ben flooded Clarissa's drawing-room, where she sat, ever so annoyed." (p. 117)
  

Big Ben is the nick name for the bell on the clock at the Palace of Westminster in London. Big Ben is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third tallest free standing clock tower in the world. Virginia Woolf intends for the concept of time to be a very significant theme throughout the novel. One of the unique features of this novel is that it takes place over a period of one day, and not several. The short time period in Mrs. Dalloway suggest all that has taken place throughout Clarissa's life. The passing of time is frightening to Clarissa; once time has passed, everything is final and cannot be changed. Woolf shows all the possibilities that can happen in a short time-frame; by doing so, readers feel overwhelmed by all the chaotic experiences the characters reveal in one day.

Work Cited:
"Big Ben." Wikipedia. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Ben.

Photo Credit:
Palace of Westminster, London - Feb 2007. Photograph. Wikipedia. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Palace_of_Westminster,_London_-_Feb_2007.jpg.

Mrs. Dalloway 11

• "But he wanted to come in holding something. Flowers? Yes, flowers, since he did not trust his taste in gold; any number of flowers, roses, orchids, to celebrate what was, reckoning things as you will, an event." (p. 115)
  

In the novel, Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf uses flowers as a symbol to express emotion, or the diversity in shades or colors. Usually these positive feelings are associated with Clarissa, who comes across as feeling comfortable whenever flowers are present. However, here Woolf associates flowers with Richard Dalloway, and it is very apparent that he feels uneasy. Upon making his purchase, Richard doesn't feel confident choosing something for his wife, so he resorts to what the general public might buy for a woman; flowers. Woolf also describes his discomfort with the flowers; "bearing his flowers like a weapon, Richard Dalloway approached her." Instead of expressing love and delicacy, Richard appears awkward.

Photo Credit:

Photograph. Blogger.com. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0XQB5t5onj8/RjgL4Tp7fVI/AAAAAAAAAJU/CQ4NYFRDDRg/s400/woman%2Bholding%2Bflowers.

Mrs. Dalloway 10

• "Here he opened Shakespeare once more. That boy's business of the intoxication of language - Antony and Cleopatra - had shrivelled utterly. How Shakespeare loathed humanity - the putting on of clothes, the getting of children, the sordidity of the mouth and the belly! This is now revealed to Septimus; the message hidden in the beauty of words." (p. 88)

Virginia Woolf alludes to many Shakespeare pieces throughout the novel, and here Septimus is referencing Antony and Cleopatra. This tragedy describes the relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony between the Parthian War and Cleopatra's suicide. Woolf alludes to Shakespeare's work so frequently because it is known for expressing deep emotions and feelings. The characters Woolf create in Mrs. Dalloway, such as Clarissa and Septimus, are extremely sensitive, just like the work Shakespeare produced. The multiple references to Shakespeare suggest the characters' desire to be remembered/noticed; like Shakespeare was, and it reveals the respect they had for him as a writer.

Work Cited:
"Antony and Cleopatra." Wikipedia. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antony_and_Cleopatra.

Photo Credit:
Lawrence Alma - Tadema - Anthony and Cleopatra. Photograph. Wikipedia. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lawrence_Alma-Tadema-_Anthony_and_Cleopatra.JPG.

Mrs. Dalloway 9

• "There remained only the window, the large Bloomsbury-lodging house window, the tiresome, the troublesome, and rather melodramatic business of opening the window and throwing himself out." (p. 149)

Throughout the story, Septimus has been mentally ill and once Dr. Holmes arrives, Septimus is forced to make the decision of either committing suicide or killing his soul. Septimus has experienced emotional damage ever since the war, constantly fights insanity, and ultimately, has given into the pressure of society. It is interesting that Virginia Woolf writes about the topic of suicide because later on in her life, she takes her own. Claiming to hear voices and the inability to concentrate, Woolf becomes depressed and eventually kills herself by walking into a river with her coat pockets filled with stones. Septimus' character shows multiple similarities that Woolf is said to have experienced.

Works Cited:
"Virginia Woolf." Wikipedia. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Woolf.

Photo Credit:

George Charles Beresford. Photograph. Wikipedia. Web. 28 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:George_Charles_Beresford10.jpg.

Mrs. Dalloway 8

• "He could reason; he could read, Dante for example, quite easily ("Septimus, do put down your book," said Rezia, gently shutting the Inferno)." (p. 88)

Inferno is Italian for “Hell” and here, Virginia Woolf is alluding to Dante’s poem Divine Comedy. The poem is divided into three parts, Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise. The first part of the poem, Inferno, describes the acknowledgment and rejection of sin. In summary, the poem describes the journey of Dante through his medieval perception of Hell which is portrayed as nine circles of misery within the Earth. To develop his character, Woolf has Septimus, who shows signs of insanity, read something with deep meaning rather than a book which discusses a lighter subject.

Works Cited:
"Inferno (Dante)." Wikipedia. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferno_(Dante).

Photo Credit:
Photograph. Word Search with Adair Jones. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://adairjones.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/william_blake_dantes_inferno_whirlwind_of_lovers.jpg.

Mrs. Dalloway 7

• "She could see Peter out of the tail of her eye, criticising her, there, in that corner. Why, after all, did she do these things? Why seek pinnacles and stand drenched in fire? Might it consume her anyhow! Burn her to cinders! Better anything, better brandish one's torch and hurl it to earth than taper and dwindle away like some Ellie Henderson!" (p. 167-168)

Clarissa Dalloway has an emotional breakdown during her party even though she has carried these inner feelings throughout the entire novel. Clarissa cares way too much about what people think of her, is deathly afraid of failure, and hates to be criticized. She feels that she constantly needs to be impressing people, and if she hasn't reached the top, she feels extremely unsuccessful. Virginia Woolf relates Clarissa's feeling of failure to the character Ellie Henderson. Ellie is Clarissa's dreary cousin who doesn't really fit into the crowd, thought of as plain, and doesn't have many qualifications. Clarissa imagines her hypothetical downfall to be much like the life Ellie Henderson leads.

Mrs. Dalloway 6

• "A sound interrupted him; a frail quivering sound, a voice bubbling up without direction, vigour, beginning or end, running weakly and shrilly and with an absence of all human meaning into ee um fah um so foo swee too eem oo." (p. 80)

Opposite Regent's Park Tube station, an old woman is carelessly singing an old song. Regardless of the people around her, the old woman is content singing. Throughout the entire novel, the characters are very critical of each other and often care what society thinks of them. However, Virginia Woolf makes a point to include this free spirited woman into Mrs. Dalloway. Upon leaving the station, Peter Walsh pities the old woman, perhaps feeling embarrassed for her, while this is an eye-opener for Rezia; causing her to appreciate the old woman's carefree attitude and assures her that "everything was going to be right." (p. 83)

Mrs. Dalloway 5

• "Kilman her enemy. That was satisfying; that was real. Ah, how she hated her - hot, hypocritical, corrupt; with all that power; Elizabeth's seducer; the woman who had crept in to steal and defile." (p. 174-175)

Clarissa has built up anger towards Mrs. Kilman, as Clarissa feels that the relationship between her and her daughter, Elizabeth, is rather questionable. Virginia Woolf creates an intimate relationship between Mrs. Kilman and Elizabeth as Mrs. Kilman adores the young girl. To the reader, the relationship appears very innappropriate, yet it seems strange that Clarissa has never tried to end her daughters communication with Mrs. Kilman. Virginia Woolf creates this ironic intimacy for Elizabeth (although she shows no signs of attraction towards Mrs. Kilman), as her mother experienced similar relations with Sally Seton.

Mrs. Dalloway 4

• "Poor Peter, thought Sally. Why did not Clarissa come and talk to them? That was what he was longing for. She knew it. All the time he was thinking only of Clarissa, and was fidgeting with his knife." (p. 191-192)
  

Throughout the novel, Peter Walsh carries a pocket knife and it always appears in the presence of Clarissa. The knife is a very significant symbol showing Peter's discomfort in certain situations regarding Clarissa. The constant fidgeting shows his insecurities and lack of confidence, as well as his inability to make commitments. Virginia Woolf creates this symbol for Peter's character as it shows he needs a security item in order to endure Clarissa's presence.

Photo Credit:
Photograph. Blogger.com. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://www.skybluesoccer.com/var/ezwebin_site/storage/images/media/images/nervous/30677-1-eng-US/nervous_large.gif.

Mrs. Dalloway 3

• "The ideas were Sally's, of course - but very soon she was just as excited - read Plato in bed before breakfast, read Morris, read Shelley by the hour." (p. 33)
  

Virginia Woolf introduces the writer Plato, the Greek philosopher, mathematician, and writer of his well known Socratic dialogues in her novel. William Morris, an English writer and socialist who was a very active figure of socialism in Britain is also mentioned in this excerpt, as well as Percy Shelley, a major English romantic poet. Each of these men had a dramatic influence on society and were very successful during their careers. Clarissa thinks very highly of Sally Seton, as she wishes to "reform the world and to find a society to abolish private property." These intellectual men are associated with Sally Seton's power and determination to change society.

Works Cited:
"Percy Bysshe Shelley." Wikipedia. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percy_Bysshe_Shelley.
"William Morris." Wikipedia. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_morris.
"Plato." Wikipedia. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato.

Mrs. Dalloway 2

• ""If it were now to die 'twere now to be more happy." That was her feeling - Othello's feeling, and she felt it, she was convinced, as strongly as Shakespeare meant Othello to feel it, all because she was coming down to dinner in a white frock to meet Sally Seton!" (p. 35)

Virginia Woolf alludes to Shakespeare's Othello, a tragedy which deals with various themes such as love, betrayal, and jealousy. In the play, the main character, Othello, kills his wife out of immense jealousy. After killing her, he commits suicide realizing that his envy was unnecessary. Clarissa relates her feelings regarding Sally Seton to Othello's story as she remembers how she loved Sally long ago. Like Othello, Clarissa use to feel excitement, anxiety, and strong emotion towards Sally when love powered her decisions and controlled her feelings.

Works Cited:
"Othello." SparkNotes. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/othello/summary.html.

Photo Credit:
Othello Bouchet and Gonzalez. Photograph. Wikipedia. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Othello_Bouchet_and_Gonzalez.jpg.

Mrs. Dalloway 1

• "Fear no more the heat o' the sun Nor the furious winter's rages." (p. 9)

Virginia Woolf alludes to Shakespeare's play, Cymbeline, as Clarissa looks into Hatchards' flower shop window. This excerpt is a line from a funeral song in the play which celebrates death after a complex life. Death is constantly on Clarissa's mind throughout the novel; she is very frightened by the concept. These lines appear further into the story as a reminder that Clarissa should not necessarily consider death a scary concept, just one that should be accepted and realized it exists. As the song preaches, death should be a celebration of one's life and show signs for a peaceful future.

Works Cited:
"Cymbeline." Wikipedia. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbeline.

Photo Credit:

Imogen Discovered in the Cave of Belarius. Photograph. Wikipedia. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Imogen_Discovered_in_the_Cave_of_Belarius_-_George_Dawe.jpg.