Mrs.Dalloway

Although the format of my map cannot be shared through this medium, I’d like to give a brief description of its context and how it represents the narrative technique of Free Indirect Discourse which constructs Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway.” What I find most intriguing and unique about this piece is the way format by which it was written. Not only do I admire Mrs. Woolf’s talent needed to formulate the words on these pages in such a way that it is appropriately challenging but also ingestible for the observant reader, but I also admire her courage as an author to release something so experimental, knowing well that it may not receive such critical acclaim as her other works. I myself admittedly choose to stray away from texts not written in plain language that require too much intellectual processing, however after our discussion on Free Indirect Discourse in class on Tuesday, I’ve completely changed my thoughts on “Mrs. Dalloway.”

For my project, I am constructing a physically visual representation of the stream of consciousness between characters in the story. I will be focusing on how these streams often interrupt each other, cross paths, and support each other through the distractions of everyday life.

By: Mariana Gurevich

“What a small world,” people remark after we begin speaking and find that we have many mutual friends. It is not unusual to talk someone and realize that they know someone who you do, for in some way we are all connected. In Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, we are presented with a connectedness between characters of a more subtle, yet similar variety. Although Clarissa and Septimus never meet, they reflect each other through their thoughts and actions. They are two characters who are confounded by society, though for different reasons. Clarissa is quite sickly and spends a lot of time reflecting on the world. She is pensive and meditative, absorbed in her own world of thoughts wherever she goes. Septimus, although not a friend of Clarissa’s, is similar to her in his way of thinking. He is a war veteran who suffers from shell shock, which means that he experiences intrusive thoughts or memories from fighting that don’t allow him to function normally. Similar to Clarissa, he struggles to find the good and happiness in society. In certain respects, Septimus is a more assured, resolved version of Clarissa; While Clarissa questions the world, Septimus has already experienced what he believes to be the worst of all evils and ultimately takes the plunge to his death for he sees no reason to continue living in this cruel world.

From the moment we are first introduced to Clarissa, we find her questioning her life. She wonders if she made the right decision by marrying Richard, and we observe as flashbacks consume her being. She wonders what life would be like if she married her young love, Peter, “Suddenly it would cover over her, If he were with me now what would he say?” (7). Although it is interesting to follow Clarissa’s story as a reader, it is agonizing to watch her stress over all the details of life. What is true love? What does it mean to live? Why is the sky blue? Clarissa thinks and thinks, as we painstakingly try to follow her thought process. It thus becomes evident that this woman is not entirely healthy or content with her life and one cannot help but sympathize with her. We follow her as she prepares to throw a party, only to find her remark, “It was too much of an effort. She was not enjoying it” (166). Even this party is like an out of body experience for our narrator, and there is little that brings her true joy.

Upon meeting Septimus we realize that, similar to Clarissa, he is not really living. He is a paranoid man, consumed by thoughts about the evil in the world around him. His marriage is not a happy one any longer, for as his wife remarks as she steps away from him at the park, “having left Septimus, who wasn’t Septimus any longer” (64). Septimus had great friends killed in the war, and he cannot stop suffering, now that the war is over. Unlike Clarissa who questions, he is more assured in his thoughts convinced that the world is evil, that he knows everyone’s thoughts and that he knows the meaning of the world. Due to the bombardment of all these negative thoughts and moments in his head, Septimus cries often.  Although part of the world, Septimus is clearly not quite present.

Due to the similarities in their mannerisms and thoughts, we realize the interconnectivity between Clarissa and Septimus.  Both of these characters are absorbed in their thoughts, Clarissa’s mind bombarded with questions, while Septimus’ head is full of wicked answers.  Interestingly, we realize that these two protagonists are bringing these miserable existences upon themselves, for we, as outsiders looking in, know that they can change their mindsets if they really tried. “But Septimus let himself think about horrible things, as she could too, if she tried” Lucrezia Warren Smith, Septimus’ wife remarks (65). Thus, we realize that these two characters are plagued with sickly existences, for they cannot seem to turn these bad thoughts off. We witness though that Septimus’ is quite resolved in his choice to die because he finds this alternative much more comforting, as compared to living in this cruel world. Meanwhile, from the beginning of the novel, we know that Clarissa is scared of many things, including the outside world and death. Therefore, even though she questions, she is not a direct parallel of Septimus because he is already assured in his take on the world. Upon learning about Septimus’ death at her party, Clarissa comes to an important realization, “She felt somehow very like him- the young man who had killed himself. She felt glad that he had done it; thrown it away…He made her feel the beauty; made her feel the fun” (182). In this manner, Clarissa and Septimus are not quite reflections of each other, but rather Septimus’ character represents one of the choices that Clarissa could have taken, if she did not snap out of her overly pensive behavior; in an odd way, Septimus’ death brings peace to Clarissa.

Please, click on the link to view my work common-thread-of-connection.

Even though Clarissa and Septimus never meet throughout the novel, they are such different characters but yet so alike. They seem to be the gender opposites of one another. Death is the center thought of both characters. Septimus lives in this mental state where he speaks to his dead friend and Clarissa often imagines hers. When Clarissa hears of Septimus’ death, she doesn’t believe his death is tragedy. In contrary, she believes his death is a blessing. She sees it as an act of freedom from his oppressive thoughts caused by the war.

Both these individuals are intertwined to each other through the way in which they observe the world. People can have a relationship with one another without ever really being involved by the way they think and live their lives. Both Clarissa and Septimus are under the pressures of society and how they should behave. Throughout the text they both experience their life’s memories. Just like many people in the world, they experience the regrets they have with marriage, nostalgia and all the other humane emotions we pass through life with.

Are we all a work of Art connected to each other?

Is there a path which links us all to one another?

We,

As human of this Earth,

Clarrissa and Septimus ,

As pieces of a puzzle,

Are all intertwined

In this ever changing universe.

Who see the past and present

In their frame work of life.
And although may never utter a word to each other

Are still so connected,

In the experiences they face,

The expectations to meet

Of a high society girl

And the patriotic soldier.

Here is my response in a form of PDF.
christine mrs. dalloway