There are different levels of connections depicted in Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. While some characters are interconnected through explicit relationships such as friends or spouses, others are just mere strangers who still share in the novel’s important moments. According to Woolf, the world is a work of art and we are all pieces of the tapestry. The shifting point of view in Mrs. Dalloway shows how all these different pieces work. Clarissa Dalloway is the center of the novel and from her the web extends to characters such as Peter Walsh, an old friend whose proposal she had rejected, Sally Setton, a girl she had known in her youth, and Elizabeth and Richard, her daughter and husband. With people close to her, Woolf relies on memory and introspection to tether them to Clarissa’s story. She recalls Peter’s proposal and, following her rejections, his subsequent remarks about how she would become a rich man’s wife. This affects her present day outlook on herself and how others see her as just an extension of Richard Dalloway. In this way, Woolf utilizes people from the past to inform Clarissa’s present and show their part in her weaving together a larger story.

The next level involves minor characters who have brief appearances in Clarissa’s story but make an powerful impact. Lady Bexborough brings up feelings of inadequacy for Clarissa, who is hidden in her husband’s shadow and envies the other woman’s autonomy. Hugh Whitbread also evokes this feeling in Clarissa when she becomes self conscious of her appearance beside him. These characters act as people who revolve in close circles to Clarissa and influence her narrative indirectly by acting as mirrors. On another level are strangers Clarissa meets on her day out. Septimus Smith is introduced when a car backfires on a street both he and Clarissa are on. This shared moment cements Woolf’s idea that everyone plays intertwining roles in the world: the narrative shifts among several people’s perspectives in this scene, showing their inner thoughts and how this event links them together. Septimus’ story then becomes another focus of the novel, even though he is not directly connected to Clarissa.

Woolf does not highlight the degrees of separation between the characters, but instead chooses to focus on how these characters are brought together by circumstance and chance. The connections become more intertwined as Woolf moves into the point of view of different characters. One section focuses on Peter Walsh after he leaves Clarissa’s house. He heads to the park she was in earlier and sees Septimus and his wife Lucrezia, and comments on how Clarissa would most likely start a conversation with the couple. This moment ties these characters to both each other and back to Clarissa through memory and present day action, this melding Woolf’s literary techniques together. In the next part, scenes of Clarissa preparing for her party are interspersed with Septimus visiting a doctor, showing how their lives may not be tangential but that there still exists juxtaposition between them. Scenes such as this one help form a more intricate chain of connection between the characters as well as helps the draw the reader deeper into the artistry of the novel.

“Behind the cotton wool [of daily life] is
hidden a pattern; that we—I mean all human
beings—are connected with this; that the
whole world is a work of art; that we are
parts of the work of art. Hamlet or a
Beethoven quartet is the truth about this
vast mass that we call the world. But there is
no Shakespeare, there is no Beethoven;
certainly and emphatically there is no God;
we are the words; we are the music; we are
the thing itself.”

― Virginia Woolf, “A Sketch of the Past”

For this assignment, due Monday, use any media you would like to map the connections between characters throughout Woolf’s novel. Pay attention to echoes, repetitions, places, thoughts, feelings, and images that help to cohere the diverse lives Woolf represents.

Marcela left her building and walked to the Fulton Street subway station. It was warmer than she thought it would be. She felt more energetic and in a better mood than usual, must have slept enough last night, for once. As she walked into the station, she saw police set up at a table checking bags again today. A section of the platform was cordoned off for minor maintenance so Marcela walked to the front of the train. She got off at Union Square to transfer to the 6 train, I might actually be on time today! A platform controller began screaming about delays, just kidding. A woman on the platform started yelling about how she was going to be late for work and how the MTA always makes her late. We’re all thinking the same thing but why do you have to yell about it. Marcela took out her phone to change the song and noticed the time, I might not be that late actually. She got on the 6 train for one stop and got off at 23^rd Street. I’m not doing too bad on time she thought as she walked up the stairs onto the street. Marcela regretted having not brought her sunglasses as the sun greeted her eyes on her walk over to Lexington. Marcela walked up and into her business policy class at Baruch, late but I haven’t missed anything yet.

After the fifth snooze of her alarm, Sarah wakes up. Fuddling around in the bathroom for half an hour she decides, it was time to leave! What a discombobulated young lady, Officer Janelle Charleston thought; always rushing, dangerously crossing, toast in one hand and homework in the other. What a mess! Dry and clean, yet rather warm for a morning in the middle of March. Marching down the street, the morning traffic awakens her fully, “Oh no!”  her glasses were still sitting on her dresser, begging not to be forgotten, she felt too sated to turn back. The day wouldn’t be a normal day if Sarah hadn’t forgotten the most important pieces to complete it, be it, her glasses, a pen or her laptop. The rest of the walk felt depressing, what could possible add to the day? The train! The sudden burst of energy had everyone running to catch the train. She had caught her train! Looking down at her notes, she attempts to memorizing her french vocabulary “Je peux passer?” she says out loud. There must have been French people on the train because heads turned instantaneously. The transfer from the G was not too bad, despite the state of Sarah’s journey so far she was on time. Like clockwork every three minutes the L train rushes around the bend, it’s getting better isn’t it? “I am going to make it” she said. She had a 9:05 class and the time was 8:50, it would be close but she had successfully made it before. The train doors opened and she was the first to climb the stairs. She squeezes herself onto the 6 train and after just the one stop she weaves her way around the crowd of pedestrians also walking in the same direction but much slower. Here she was, she had made it.

Why you gotta be so rude? Don’t you know I’m human too? Concert is over, back to real life. Siri, turn off all alarms. Morris stares into the closet, what to wear? Tight on time, city bus pulls up to save some of it. Morris sees David from the neighborhood on the bus. Doubtful if they’re on a hello basis, both decide to keep quiet. The Q train meets Morris as he arrives to the tracks. Luck is with him today. Please let there be a seat today. Luck continues. After a series of sleeping and waking up.. This is 14th street union square. On your marks, get set, go. Are they giving a prize to the first person that makes it to the 6 train? Still have to be quick, that train fills up fast. Luck continues to have its way. Until he comes off the 6 train. Was it something he ate the night before? The fast pace gets even faster, stomach is not cooperating. Left on Lexington, jaywalk across. Enters Baruch college from 24th street. How many times will it take for the card to successfully swipe today? Two. Morris runs up the stairs and slides into the elevator before the door closes. Of course his 9:05 class professor has to be strictest one on attendance. He gets to the classroom with a few seconds to spare. But he beats the professor by a few minutes since he is late to class. All that running for nothing.

It was Tuesday morning. Danny sprinted out the front door of his house and ran down the driveway to his car, running late, per usual. As he opened the door, the aroma of smooth leather seats and new car smell consumed him. He rushed down the street, up and down the hills of his suburban New Jersey neighborhood, passing herds of children waiting for school buses along the way. He hoped he wouldn’t get stuck behind a school bus, otherwise he would miss the train. Then, he drove down Park Avenue (in Morristown, NJ – not NYC), miraculously catching a green light at the intersection of Columbia Turnpike. Soon after, he veered right onto Punch Bowl Road, surrounded by trees and catching the glimpse of the Morris County Golf Course. After making a left onto Convent Road, he soon approached the Convent Station NJ Transit train station. After pulling into one of the last open parking spaces, he heard the whistle of the approaching train as he turned off his car. He walked onto the station platform, just in time to board the 7:26am train bound for Penn Station New York. After an hour of listening to his music and staring at his iPhone, and looking around at other weary-eyed commuters doing the same, the train pulled into Penn Station. After making a quick stop at Starbucks on the LIRR concourse, and being consumed by the aroma of fresh coffee, he exited Penn Station beneath Madison Square Garden, while being yelled at by people giving away free newspapers. Danny then made his way across 32^nd Stret, down Broadway, over 26^th Street, through Madison Square Park, and finally ending his journey at the 25^th Street entrance to Baruch College. The day was just beginning.

It was a tiring morning for her. Hannah arose from her bed and slumped her way over to the bathroom. She thought about how she wanted to go back to bed, and stay there until 12 in the afternoon. Traffic was moving slow on the Whitestone Expressway that morning as she drove forty minutes to Astoria from Whitestone. She thought again about sleeping as she drove in. Hannah passed by several accidents on the way in and thought to herself about the feelings of the drivers at that moment in time. They probably felt frustrated. Finally, she arrives in Astoria and starts her five minute walk to the train up 23rd avenue. She passes by a lot of young people with backpacks. They’re all probably going to school too, she thinks. She stops in her favorite coffee shop in Astoria- the coffee pot. The owner greets her with a smile as he is probably grateful for all of the business she does at the coffee pot. On the N train now and she gets a seat. Score! She looks around for elderly people and secretly hopes there aren’t any so she doesn’t have to give up her seat. No elderly people in sight.  She falls asleep on the train and wakes up just in time to transfer to the 6 at Lexington Avenue. Five minutes until a 6 train comes- not too bad. The same MTA employee is here this morning that is here every morning. He always looks unhappy. She gets on a 6 and makes it to 23rd street. Walks down to Baruch college and enter through the Newman campus, just making her 9:05 class. Still exhausted.

Its Tuesday, he was supposed to be out the door by 8:45 but was running late. Exhausted from a late night of work. The elevator is taking forever because everyone is on their way to work. Finally he got to ground floor. Where is the bus going? It was supposed to wait for him. Had to go back up to the apartment because he forgot his computer charger. Finally, the journey to school begins. Why is it so loud? Why is the construction going on this early in the morning? The workers said they’d be finished with the project by now why is it not finished? The Citibike’s are all gone except for one that is out of order. Is it worth waiting at the bus for the next one to arrive? Its way to bright out after just awaking an hour ago. Annoyed at the idea of tardiness. Is it worth getting an iced coffee and extend the journey? Rob was also in the coffee shop. He was happy to see me because we just hung out the night before and were in good spirits. He said he was late for class as well. We were in the same class so we discussed the work we had completed at home. Exhausted and delirious. The cars are roaring by as if they are escaping something in the other direction. Finally he got inside the school but was abruptly stopped by the poor technology of the turnstiles. After 6 swipes, he was granted access. The rest of the way, from the escalators to the classroom, was smooth.