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.