Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
Summary- The novel Mrs. Dalloway takes place over a one day period of a Clarissa Dalloway’s life. The story starts out with her walking through the neighborhood preparing for her party she is having later that evening. When she returns from flower shopping an old suitor named Peter who is still not fully over not being picked, walks into her house. He asks if she is happy with her current husband, Richard< and before she can say anything her daughter, Elizabeth, walks in. After this little event with Mrs. Dalloway, we than move on to looking at Septimus and his role in the novel. He is a world war one veteran and has lost all his love for his life and country. We find him sitting in Regents Park with his Italian wife Lucrezia. Sir William does not really listen to what Septimus has to say about how he is feeling and plans to separate him and his wife and send him to a mental institute. Richard Dalloway eats lunch with Hugh Whitbread and Lady Bruton. The men are there to help her write a letter to the Times London. After lunch Richard returns home with a bunch of roses to tell his wife how much he loves her, but he doesn’t feel like he has the right to do so because he has not said it in so long. Mrs. Dalloway finds it hard that her husband doesn’t know everything about her, but is dealing with it. Clarissa sees off Elizabeth and her history teacher to go do the shopping even though those two hate each other. While the doctors are trying to take Septimus to the asylum he fears his soul will be destroyed so he jumps and kills himself. When Clarissa hears of this news she thinks to herself how each generation will just keep making the same mistakes over and over again.
Character analysis- Clarissa Dalloway has a really hard time balancing her internal life with the external world in the novel. While she follows the rich lifestyle she also looks past all the fine wine and cheese and looks for the deeper meaning in people and things. Her life is constantly filled with the past mixing with the present. She never really got over the doubt of the choices she made in the past, like the person she chose to marry. She is a very undecided person who doesn’t know truly ever what she wants, yet puts a face on to make it seem as if she has everything under control.
Setting- the novel takes place in a more wealthy part of England in 1923. There is a neighborhood in the area with a park also there that is used for recreation. England is going through a huge social change at the time and this can be seen throughout the story. Many of the men in the area are still war torn from world war one and many of the people are now doubting the true power of the British empire causing many social changes in the country and the empire.
Conflict- man v. self because Clarissa battles all of herself doubt every day, and Septimus has to deal with all the internal problems the war caused him. There is also man v. society when the doctors of the time try to take Septimus to the asylum and he doesn’t want to go.
Major themes- the first major theme that is battled out throughout the novel is communication versus privacy. The main person who deals with this is Mrs. Dalloway whenever she thinks about her husband and wishes he knew everything about her, but at the same time is too afraid of telling him everything. Peter and Septimus also have this problem.
The second major theme in the novel is Disillusionment with the British Empire. This is mainly shown through the character Septimus as his mind was destroyed from the war that for the first time in a long time threatened the homeland of the empire.
The fear of death is another major theme in the novel. Peter Clarissa and Septimus have thoughts of death every day, and this is mainly shown through Septimus who actually goes through with the thoughts and acts upon them.
The threat of oppression is the last major theme in the novel, and this theme is sown through Clarissa, but even more so Septimus when he fears the oppression of the Asylum enough to commit suicide over it.
Major symbols- the prime minister represents the old ways of England and the old values of the country.
Peter Walsh always having to play with a weapon represents the debate in his head weather he is ok with the way England is, or if he needs to fight the change.
The old woman singing an ancient song represents the change of England and the debate in everybody of whether they should embrace the new ways of England or hold on to the old roots.
http://d2oz5j6ef5tbf6.cloudfront.net/movie/large/Mrs_Dalloway.jpg
Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqJKRVZUGg8 1997 film trailer for Mrs. Dalloway
SparkNotes “Mrs. Dalloway” April 1, 2013 web. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/dalloway/summary.html
Summary- The novel Mrs. Dalloway takes place over a one day period of a Clarissa Dalloway’s life. The story starts out with her walking through the neighborhood preparing for her party she is having later that evening. When she returns from flower shopping an old suitor named Peter who is still not fully over not being picked, walks into her house. He asks if she is happy with her current husband, Richard< and before she can say anything her daughter, Elizabeth, walks in. After this little event with Mrs. Dalloway, we than move on to looking at Septimus and his role in the novel. He is a world war one veteran and has lost all his love for his life and country. We find him sitting in Regents Park with his Italian wife Lucrezia. Sir William does not really listen to what Septimus has to say about how he is feeling and plans to separate him and his wife and send him to a mental institute. Richard Dalloway eats lunch with Hugh Whitbread and Lady Bruton. The men are there to help her write a letter to the Times London. After lunch Richard returns home with a bunch of roses to tell his wife how much he loves her, but he doesn’t feel like he has the right to do so because he has not said it in so long. Mrs. Dalloway finds it hard that her husband doesn’t know everything about her, but is dealing with it. Clarissa sees off Elizabeth and her history teacher to go do the shopping even though those two hate each other. While the doctors are trying to take Septimus to the asylum he fears his soul will be destroyed so he jumps and kills himself. When Clarissa hears of this news she thinks to herself how each generation will just keep making the same mistakes over and over again.
Character analysis- Clarissa Dalloway has a really hard time balancing her internal life with the external world in the novel. While she follows the rich lifestyle she also looks past all the fine wine and cheese and looks for the deeper meaning in people and things. Her life is constantly filled with the past mixing with the present. She never really got over the doubt of the choices she made in the past, like the person she chose to marry. She is a very undecided person who doesn’t know truly ever what she wants, yet puts a face on to make it seem as if she has everything under control.
Setting- the novel takes place in a more wealthy part of England in 1923. There is a neighborhood in the area with a park also there that is used for recreation. England is going through a huge social change at the time and this can be seen throughout the story. Many of the men in the area are still war torn from world war one and many of the people are now doubting the true power of the British empire causing many social changes in the country and the empire.
Conflict- man v. self because Clarissa battles all of herself doubt every day, and Septimus has to deal with all the internal problems the war caused him. There is also man v. society when the doctors of the time try to take Septimus to the asylum and he doesn’t want to go.
Major themes- the first major theme that is battled out throughout the novel is communication versus privacy. The main person who deals with this is Mrs. Dalloway whenever she thinks about her husband and wishes he knew everything about her, but at the same time is too afraid of telling him everything. Peter and Septimus also have this problem.
The second major theme in the novel is Disillusionment with the British Empire. This is mainly shown through the character Septimus as his mind was destroyed from the war that for the first time in a long time threatened the homeland of the empire.
The fear of death is another major theme in the novel. Peter Clarissa and Septimus have thoughts of death every day, and this is mainly shown through Septimus who actually goes through with the thoughts and acts upon them.
The threat of oppression is the last major theme in the novel, and this theme is sown through Clarissa, but even more so Septimus when he fears the oppression of the Asylum enough to commit suicide over it.
Major symbols- the prime minister represents the old ways of England and the old values of the country.
Peter Walsh always having to play with a weapon represents the debate in his head weather he is ok with the way England is, or if he needs to fight the change.
The old woman singing an ancient song represents the change of England and the debate in everybody of whether they should embrace the new ways of England or hold on to the old roots.
http://d2oz5j6ef5tbf6.cloudfront.net/movie/large/Mrs_Dalloway.jpg
Video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqJKRVZUGg8 1997 film trailer for Mrs. Dalloway
SparkNotes “Mrs. Dalloway” April 1, 2013 web. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/dalloway/summary.html