Mrs. Dalloway
Summary
Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf's groundbreaking 1925 novel, explores the inner life of Clarissa Dalloway over the course of a single day in post-World War I London. Using stream-of-consciousness narration and shifting perspectives, Woolf delves into themes of mental illness, feminism, and existentialism. The novel's innovative style and complex characterization established it as a seminal work of modernist literature. In 1997, Marleen Gorris directed a film adaptation starring Vanessa Redgrave, bringing Woolf's prose to the screen for a new generation of audiences.
Plot
Set on a single day in June 1923, Mrs. Dalloway follows Clarissa Dalloway as she prepares to host an evening party in London. As Clarissa goes about her day, she reflects on her past, particularly her youth at Bourton and her decision to marry Richard Dalloway instead of Peter Walsh. Meanwhile, Septimus Warren Smith, a World War I veteran suffering from shell shock, spends the day in the park with his wife Lucrezia, struggling with hallucinations and mental illness.
The narrative weaves between Clarissa's and Septimus's experiences, connecting their stories through shared themes and chance encounters with mutual acquaintances. As the day progresses, Peter Walsh, recently returned from India, visits Clarissa, stirring up old feelings and memories. Septimus, unable to cope with his mental state and the prospect of being institutionalized, tragically takes his own life by jumping out of a window.
The novel culminates with Clarissa's party in the evening. As guests arrive, including figures from her past like Sally Seton, Clarissa learns of Septimus's suicide. Though she never met him, Clarissa feels a connection to Septimus and reflects on the nature of life and death. The party continues, bringing together the various characters and threads of the story as Clarissa contemplates the complexities of existence and human connections.
Themes
• Passage of time and mortality
• Mental illness and its treatment
• Class structure in post-war British society
• Sexuality and repression
• Memory and the past's influence on the present
• Social expectations for women
• Existential questions of meaning and purpose
Setting
Set in London on a single day in June 1923, Mrs. Dalloway paints a vivid portrait of post-World War I English society. The novel takes place in the bustling metropolis, with characters traversing iconic locations like Bond Street, Regent's Park, and Westminster. Woolf's stream-of-consciousness narration allows readers to experience the city through the eyes and thoughts of various characters as they move through its streets and landmarks.
The story unfolds against the backdrop of a rapidly changing world. The aftermath of the Great War looms large, influencing the characters' thoughts and actions. London itself becomes a character, its rhythms marked by the chimes of Big Ben and the ebb and flow of city life. Woolf captures the tension between tradition and modernity, as characters grapple with evolving social norms and the lingering effects of the war.
While much of the action occurs in public spaces, significant portions of the novel delve into private realms. Clarissa Dalloway's Westminster home serves as a central location, particularly as she prepares for her evening party. Other key settings include Regent's Park, where Septimus and Rezia Warren Smith spend time, and various London residences that reflect the characters' social standings.
Characters
• Clarissa Dalloway: The 51-year-old protagonist who is planning a party. She is upper-class, self-conscious about her role in society, and often reminisces about her past.
• Septimus Warren Smith: A World War I veteran suffering from shell shock. He struggles with hallucinations and mental illness, feeling detached from society.
• Richard Dalloway: Clarissa's husband, a practical and somewhat distant man who works in government.
• Peter Walsh: Clarissa's old friend and former suitor who has recently returned from India. He still harbors feelings for Clarissa.
• Sally Seton: Clarissa's old friend with whom she shared a kiss in her youth. Now married with children, she attends Clarissa's party.
• Elizabeth Dalloway: Clarissa and Richard's 17-year-old daughter who is more interested in politics and history than social affairs.
• Lucrezia Warren Smith: Septimus's Italian wife who feels burdened by his mental illness and isolated in England.
• Miss Kilman: Elizabeth's history tutor, a born-again Christian who dislikes Clarissa but enjoys spending time with Elizabeth.
• Hugh Whitbread: A pompous friend of the Dalloways who holds an unspecified position in the British Royal household.
• Sir William Bradshaw: A prominent psychiatrist who treats Septimus and recommends he be institutionalized.
Quick facts
• The working title of the book was The Hours, which later became the title of Michael Cunningham's novel inspired by Mrs. Dalloway.
• The character of Septimus Smith was not in Woolf's original plan for the novel - she added him later as a “double” for Clarissa Dalloway.
• Woolf was inspired to use the stream-of-consciousness style after reading James Joyce's Ulysses, though she denied any deliberate imitation.
• The novel explores themes of mental illness, feminism, existentialism, and bisexuality/homosexuality.
• Woolf based the character of Clarissa Dalloway partly on her friend Kitty Maxse.
• Big Ben serves as an important symbol and motif in the novel, marking the passage of time throughout the day.
• Woolf wrote most of the novel at her country home in Sussex, England.
• The book was published on May 14, 1925 by Hogarth Press, run by Virginia and Leonard Woolf.
• In 2005, TIME magazine included Mrs. Dalloway on its list of the 100 best English-language novels since 1923.
About the author
Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was one of the foremost modernist writers of the 20th century. Born into an affluent intellectual family in London, Woolf suffered from mental health issues throughout her life but managed to produce groundbreaking novels, essays, and criticism. Her most famous works include the novels Mrs. Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927), and Orlando (1928), as well as the feminist essays A Room of One's Own (1929) and Three Guineas (1938).
Woolf was a pioneer in using stream of consciousness as a narrative technique, capturing the flow of thoughts and impressions in her characters' minds. Her writing style was lyrical and experimental, often focusing on the inner lives of her characters rather than external events. Along with her husband Leonard, Woolf founded the Hogarth Press in 1917, which published works by T.S. Eliot, Katherine Mansfield, and Woolf herself.
As a central figure in the Bloomsbury Group of artists and intellectuals, Woolf was part of the British cultural vanguard in the early 20th century. She explored themes of gender, class, and creativity in her work, and her writings have been influential in feminist literary criticism. However, Woolf has also been criticized for some of her views on class and race expressed in her private writings.
Woolf's mental health deteriorated during World War II, and she took her own life in 1941 by drowning herself in the River Ouse. Despite her tragic end, Woolf's literary legacy has endured. Her novels and essays continue to be widely read and studied, and she remains an iconic figure in modernist literature and feminist thought.