With Virginia Woolf being well known as a war novelist, it is only fitting that five major battles occur in the lives of five of the major characters. Other than World War I, Clarissa, Septimus, Peter, Richard and Sally all fight battles and obtain different results by the book’s ending. These battles sometimes intertwine and may factor into the battles of other characters.

First we have Clarissa, who is questioning her surroundings and the position she holds as Richard’s wife. She constantly questions her place in society and life’s greater meanings. Ultimately her battle ends in a draw between her external and internal struggle.

Next we have Septimus who after coming back from the battles of World War I is struggling in a battle between what is real and what he perceives as real. His psyche has been greatly affected by “shell shock” and warps his thinking and perception of life. His battle is lost when he commits suicide.

Sally’s battle is between her fight for advancing women’s rights and the patriarchy that dominates England at this time. She is forced to take solace in the small victories in life, due to the dominate force of the male focused world around her.

Paul’s battle is related to time. Past versus present collide and Paul is forced to confront his own feelings about Clarissa and how he fits into her life. He tries to overtake his emotions but in the end loses to them and can only weep.

Finally we have Richard. A man so enthralled in the idea of male dominance and female subservience that he can’t imagine any other scenario. There is a brief spark that leads the reader to believe that maybe Richard can change, but ultimately he never tells Clarissa that he loves her and surrenders to what he knows is right.