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.