Mrs.

Dalloway
Modernism:

 It represents the artistic upheaval/literary experiments that began in the late nineteenth
century and ended in the middle years of the twentieth century. (1890-1950)
 Because of World War I & II everything disintegrated- social structure, family
structure, religion/ belief system (also because of the scientific developments,
Darwin’s theory of evolution, Freud’s idea about human relationship, to name a few),
economy and most importantly the social life/fabric.
 The city got dehumanized-the individual was lost in the crowd and he/she existed in
isolation rather than as a part of a community.
 People could respond to this dehumanized condition by:
1. Becoming indifferent and considering everything as meaningless (for instance
Septimus considers everything as meaningless)
2. Wearing a mask as a means of disguise (Clarissa throws parties to disguise her
real self because she doesn’t want to confront the absurdity of life)
3. Standing out of the crowd to get oneself noticed (author herself because through
the novel Woolf is critically analyzing her characters thought process and also the
trajectory of her own imagination.)
 Modernist writers were experimenting with language, style and form of literature in
order ‘to represent life as it is’. For instance, in this novel Woolf avoids quotation
marks to indicate dialogue—it symbolically represents the fluidity of human
consciousness—mixing of the external and internal self.
 Lady Bradshaw—no identity of her own, she has completely subjugated her identity
in the patriarchal identity of her husband (who views marriage as an arrangement).
 Septimus Warren Smith—He is a war veteran and suffering from shell shock—
desperately in need of help—Dr. Holmes and Dr. William Bradshaw refusal to hear
what the patient has to say highlights the hypocrisy of the doctors, who of course
refuses to use the word ‘madness’.
 In the novel Rezia, his wife is the only person who is sympathetic towards him—her
natural instinct enables her to perceive that the doctors are, as Clarissa puts in the end,
“obscurely evil.” –She left her country, language and throughout the novel she aspires
for a normal life.
 Jay Winter in his book Remembering War, writes about the civilians who encountered
shell-shocked soldiers, ‘their illness were so odd, so frightening . . . to see such men
was to encounter a side of war no one wanted to confront.” –Walter Benjamin’s essay
“The Storyteller” (1936)—the character of a mute soldier returned from war stands as
a poignant example of the incommunicable nature of modern experience.

 Stream of Consciousness:
1. On Monday 26 January 1920, Virginia Woolf recorded in her diary that she had
‘arrived at some idea of a new form for a new novel’. The ‘theme’ was ‘a blank’
to her, but the form had immense potential: ‘Suppose one thing should open out of
 another’ –one can observe that Woolf conceived the technique for her
psychological novel much before the story itself.
2. Different impressions that mind receive when exposed to the ordinary course of
life—in the novel characters may not be connected in the time and space but
psychologically they are interconnected. For instance, Septimus and Peter while
sitting in the same park view the world from a completely different perspective—
In Septimus, Woolf creates a foil for Clarissa.
3. According to Terry Eagleton, the external gestures are secondary for Woolf and
what is most important for her is the inner-consciousness/inner reality of her
characters.
4. In order to represent the fragmentary structure of mind Woolf expounds on
modernist literary techniques (like stream of consciousness, syntactic structure
[excessive use of commas, colon, single inverted commas etc.]) for the
literary/artistic expression of the predicament of her times.
5. Woolf portrays the characters from psychological perspective. She develops her
characters through their thought process and their memory.
6. We as readers come to know about a character through someone else’s
consciousness/perspective.
7. In the novel characters need a catalyst to think something from the past or distant
past (symbol, image, event, situation, or even a word).
8. Point of view shifts throughout the novel.
9. Interior Monologue: The process of thought in its chaotic stage before it finds
verbal expression. There are two types of Interior Monologue—direct and
Indirect—(e.g. when Clarissa comes to know about Septimus’s death she goes
into a small to contemplate).
10. In her essay “Modern Fiction” Woolf writes, “Life is not a series of gig lamps
symmetrically arranged; but a luminous halo, a semi-transparent envelope
surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end. Is it not the task of
the novelist to convey this varying, this unknown and uncircumscribed spirit,
whatever aberration or complexity it may display, with as little mixture of the
alien and external as possible?”

 Time:

Deeply influenced by the modernist philosophers, Virginia Woolf supported Henri

Bergson’s concept of dureé, the flowing of life that never subsists . . . In “Time and
Free Will” (1888) he had dealt with two different concepts of time. Historical time,
which is external and linear, was measured in terms of the spatial distance travelled
by a pendulum or the hands of a clock. And Psychological time, which is internal and
subjective, was measured by the relative emotional intensity of a moment. (Concept of
Time in Virginia Woolf by Nataliya Gudz)
 Big Ben—symbolises the external/physical/Historical time whereas the idea of the
time as linear diminishes while her characters move from the past to the present and
vice-versa.
 T.S. Eliot beautifully depicts his desire for an order out of chaos in his poem “Four
Quarters”:
“Time present and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future,
And time future contained in time past.
If all time is eternally present
All time is unredeemable.
What might have been is an abstraction
Remaining a perpetual possibility
Only in a world of speculation.” (Burnt Norton, First Stanza of
Four Quarters)

Novel:

“Every face, every shop, bedroom window, public-house, and dark square is a picture feverishly
turned - in search of what? It is the same with books. What do we seek through millions of
pages?” —Virginia Woolf, Jacob’s Room

“I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It
expands later, and thus we don't have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.”
― Virginia Woolf

 “Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself” –starting line
 Like James Joyce’s Ulysses, Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway portrays the events of a day.
 The protagonist of the novel Clarissa decides to buy flowers for the part she is hosting
that evening—she is married to a member of parliament (Richard Dalloway).
 Description about the post-war London society and a sense of impending danger.
“How fresh, how clam, stiller than this of course, the air was in the early morning . . .
that something awful was about to happen . . . .”
 She recalls her childhood. “Window” symbolises the gaps in the memory through
which one can visualize the events of the past.
 Then she starts thinking about Peter Walsh—who has returned from India and was
into a relationship with Clarissa—she didn’t accept his marriage proposal.
 Then she specifically discuses Big Ben, Aeroplane, and War—connecting dots of
consciousness through which the entire plot of the novel is developed.
 Clarissa admires Lady Bexborough because she is a living example of life has to go
on.
 “For it was the middle of the June. The war was over, except for someone like Mrs.
Foxcroft at the Embassy last night eating her heart out because that nice boy was
killed and now the old Manor House must go to a cousin . . . .” (Page 5)
 It is evident that the novel is about the aftermath of W W-I and its
effect on the lives of people (both civilians and those who participated
in it).
  Because of war everything changed—social, political and economic
life—emotional degradation— Marital relationship (Septimus and
Rezia)—post -war trauma envisaged through Septimu’s character.
 Clarissa meets her friend Hug Whitbreads—His wife Evelyn suffering from an
unknown disease—even the cause of Shell Shock is unknown, so every character in
the novel struggles with the ‘unknown’.
 She thinks about how Peter disapproved of Hugh and suddenly readers are reminded
that she is still in the florist’s shop. Past and present intermingle and shapes and
reshapes the plot of the novel.
 “For in marriage a little licence, a little independence there must be between people
living together day in and day out in the same house; which Richard gave her and
she him.” (page 6)
 Clarissa turned down Peter’s marriage proposal because she didn’t
want to share her private space, “[B]ut with Peter everything had
to be shared; everything gone into.”
 There is a possibility that because of her intimate relationship with
Sally Saton it was difficult for her to accept Peter, “she had to
break with him or they would have been destroyed, both of them
ruined, she was convinced.”
 While walking through the street she starts thinking about death, “did it not become
consoling to believe that death ended absolutely. . . .” After this she quotes
Shakespeare, “Fear no more the heat o’ the sun / Not the furious winter’s rages.” In
response to a feeling of disenchantment and rejection.
 “Much rather would she have been one of those people like Richard who did things
for themselves, whereas, she thought, waiting to cross, half the time she did things not
simply, not for themselves; but to make people think this or that.” (page, 8)
 Clarissa is well aware of the fact people know her as Mr. Dalloway
and not as Clarissa. Woolf critiques the patriarchal notions and the
way women are treated in a male-dominated society.
 From the above quotation it’s evident that she does things in order
to maintain her public persona.
 She regrets her bodily features, “a narrow peak-stick figure . . .a
ridiculous little face, beaked like bird’s”—Woolf also ponders
over the fact that one must take control of one life and not judge it
from someone else’s perspective or yardstick.
 Elizabeth and Miss Kilman: In contrast to Clarissa, her daughter is not interested in
fashion and love to spend her time with her dog and her teacher Miss Kilman—Unlike
Clarissa she doesn’t run away from her solitariness. On the other hand, this
solitariness is alienation for Clarissa and she throws parties in order to get away from
it. Clarissa thinks that Elizabeth is infatuated with Miss Kilman but Richard believes
that, “it might be a phase . . . all girls go through.”
 A Car Backfires: Shift from the private space to the public space—a shift also occurs
in the chain of thoughts—from the individual consciousness to the collective
 consciousness because suddenly everyone starts speculating about the car and people
behind the blinds.
 After this we are introduced to the character of Septimus Warren Smith.
 Septimus’ story runs parallel to Clarissa. He is on the verge of mental break down
because of hallucination.
 Through the relationship of Rezia and Septimus, Woolf raises questions related to
marital relationship, post-war trauma, indifferent authority, and most importantly the
insensitivity that developed in the society because of modern advancement and war.
 Spetimus threatens to kill himself—Woolf gives us a hint about the ending of the
novel.
 Suddenly an aeroplane appears in the sky and Septimus thinks that somebody is trying
to contact him in a coded language.
 Rezia cannot stand to see him broken and she is also unable to understand his
language—Woolf raises a pertinent issue of relationship between language and
thought, language and experience.
 Dr. Holmes declares that Septimus has nothing at all.
 Clarissa returns from the Florist’s Shop.
 When Clarissa returns home from the florist’s shop, “the hall of the
house” being “cool as a vault,” she exhibits this sense of herself as a nun,
as a middle-aged, sexless woman.
 Clarissa is here compared to a nun withdrawing into a familiar world, her
house, which is like a retreat, a refuge.
 This imagery of Clarissa being compared to a nun, also foregrounds her
loneliness, her sexually incompatible relationship with her husband,
Richard Dalloway.
 Before Clarissa retires to her attic, where she sets sail on a voyage of
introspection and self-analysis, we readers get a glimpse of Clarissa’s
psyche, her sense that she is disadvantaged—her identity submerged in
marriage.
 Social fabric of Clarissa Dalloway’s London is understood as a power
system. Clarissa, rich and well-connected, living in the heart of
Westminster and inviting the Prime Minister to her party, is in one sense
a part of this system but in another sense she is marginalised by it (for
instance, Lady Burton does not invite her to her private part).
 Elaine Showalter links Clarissa’s sexuality getting muted and her feeling
of melancholy to the menopause was linked to the menopause state. As
Showalter says, “according to the medical opinion of Woolf’s day,
menopause was a condition to be dreaded and feared, as much as
insanity, and indeed closely allied with it.”
 In literature by women and literature about women, attic acts as a
significant trope—private space—a place to move into the past—space
for self-analysis and self-assessment.
 Clarissa remembers her friend Sally Saton—an epiphanic moment in Clarissa’s life—
Peter interrupts.
 Thomas Peele “Queering Mrs. Dalloway” “Two of the characters in Mrs. Dalloway,
Clarissa and Septimus Smith, experience homosexual desire and bothe of these
characters to a great or lesser degree, feel alienated from the culture in which they live.
While homosexual desire is not the sole cause of their alienation, it plays a larger role
than many critics are willing to acknowledge . . . Clarrissa’s sexual infatuation with
Sally is frequently read as a symbol of her withdrawal from the patriarchal order, and
not as a cause of her alienation from it.”
 Clarissa-Sally Saton, Septimus-Evans, Elizabeth-Miss Kilman (readers come to know
about this through Clarissa)
 During the modernist period writers were not free to write about homosexual
relationships—because of censorships—Therefore, in the novel there are only indirect
references.
 Elizabeth interrupts Peter and Clarissa’s conversation when he was about ask her
questions related to her personal life—Woolf gives her readers a message that in real
life there are a lot things that remain answered.
 Peter goes the Regent’s park—waiting for his lawyer—who can arrange Daisy’s
divorce—in the same park Septimus is waiting for his doctor.
 Unlike Septimus he feels proud of the modern civilization.
 Peter’s Dream-dreams about a traveller who sees different images of women—imagine
a woman made of sky and branches who bestows compassion—one who is trying lure
him to his death with her beauty—finally imagines a mother figure who seems to wait
for his return—landlady-if she can get the solitary traveller anything and he realizes he
does not know he can reply. Peter wakes up saying “The Death of the Soul.”
 Peter’s vision of the ‘Solitary traveller’ shows the extent to which he searches, in
waking life, for a perfect relationship with a woman . . . as, in the past, he has sought
one with Clarissa—His dream points to the gap between ideal and actual.
 Tree: Miss Kilman wanted to fell Clarissa like a tree—Clarissa, as a child saw a falling
tree killed her sister—Septimus before his death visualizes Rezia as a flowering tree.
 Peter contemplates about his relationship with Daisy—He wants to marry her mainly
because he doesn’t want her marry anyone else.
 Septimus’s past-- Before the war, he was an aspiring poet and fell in love with Miss
Isabel Pole, who gave lectures on Shakespeare. On the other hand, Richard Dalloway
says, “no descent man ought to read Shakespeare’s Sonnets because it was like
listening at keyholes.”
 When Septimus went to fight in World War I, he became inseparable from his officer,
Evans. Evans died in the war and Septimus felt nothing. He became disenchanted
and started thinking about the world as a meaningless place. Scared by his own lack of
emotion, he married Rezia.
 Septimus goes to meet the celebrated doctor Sir William Bradshaw—he suggests that
Septimus lacks proportion and prescribe rest in isolation. He will have to be separated
from his wife Rezia.
  This reflects the adverse effects of scientific development on human psyche—no place
for human emotions and feeling and the attitude of judging and analysing different
aspects of human existence from logical perspective.
 Description about Miss Kilman—her misconception that she is poor and being
discriminated because of her German identity—Clarissa is shocked with the hateful
look in Miss Kilman’s eyes—She wants to separate Elizabeth and Clarissa out of
jealousy and revenge, “Are you going to the party tonight? Miss Kilman said. Elizabeth
supposed she was going; her mother wanted her to go. She must not let parties absorb
her, Miss Kilman said . . . I never go to parties, said Miss Kilman Just to keep Elizabeth
from going.”
 For the first time in the novel Septimus shows his interest in the worldly things—Razia
prepares a hat for Mrs. Peter—Septimus, who has good eye for colour starts decorating
the cap—he is really proud of his work and for Rezia it’s the most memorable
moment—Rezia is fretfully waiting for Sir William Bradshaw, who is coming to take
Septimus.
“Bradshaw said he must separated.
‘Must’, ‘must’, why ‘must’? What power had Bradshaw over him? ‘What right has
Bradshaw to say “must” to me? He [Septimus] demanded.
 Rezia goes to pack their things. She hears voices downstairs and worries that Dr.
Holmes is calling. She runs down to prevent the doctor from coming upstairs. Septimus
quickly considers killing himself by various methods and decides he must throw
himself from the window.
 ‘I’ll give it you!’ he [Septimus] cried, and flung himself vigorously violently down on
to Mrs. Filmer’s area railings.
 “Who could have foretold it? A sudden impulse, no one was in the least to be blame (he
[Dr. Holmes] told Mrs. Filmer). And why the devil he did it. Dr. Homes could not
conceive.”—One who is responsible for the plight of Septimus is not ready to take the
responsibility and despite being a doctor (psychiatrist) he is unable to decipher out the
reason of Septimus’s suicide.
 Standing across from the British Museum, Peter Walsh hears the ambulance rush to
pick up Septimus’s body. He views the ambulance as one of the triumphs of
civilization.
 Ironically it shows the dehumanized aspect of the modern society. It has lost human
values.
 Peter thinks that the ambulance shows, “one of the triumphs of civilization.”
 Clarissa fears that her party, “was going to be a failure; a complete failure.”
 Clarissa meets her old friend Sally Saton, who has completely transformed her life.
 Prime Minister arrives and interrupts Clarissa and Sally’s reunion.
 Lady Bradsaw bringing the news of Septimus’ death and Clarissa is angry that the
Bradshaws brought death to her party.
 “The clock began striking. The young man killed himself: but she did not pity him;
with the clock striking the hour, one, two, three, she did not pity him, with all this going
on . . . ‘fear no more the heat of the sun’ . . .She must go back. She must assemble.”
 Again the plot shift from the private space to the public space.
 David Daiches points out, “instead of allowing the various aspects of a character to
come together in the course of the book, so that only at the end is the meaning of the
character clear and the integration complete, Virginia Woolf has here selected and
organised in advance all the thoughts, images, memories which she wants to come
together in the mind of each character, and she makes the characters come at intervals
on the centre of the stage and deliver in a set speech a collection of these carefully
chosen thoughts, images and memories.” (Virginia Woolf, 110)
 According to J. Hillis Miller, “storytelling, for Woolf, is the repetition of the past in
memory, both in the memory of the characters and in the memory of the narrator. Mrs.
Dalloway (1925) is a brilliant exploration of the functioning of memory as a form of
repetition.”