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.