Mrs. Dalloway
The opening line of Mrs. Dalloway tells the reader a lot about the title character: "Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself." Woolf immediately wants to portray Clarissa Dalloway as an independent woman, but one who relishes participation in life. The mention of flowers in the first sentence foreshadows some kind of event or party, as buying flowers is a symbolic act. From the opening sentence, the rest of the book pans out to reveal Clarissa Dalloway's participation in parties and social events and hints at her role as a hostess.
Following the one-sentence paragraph that opens the novel is a brief paragraph illustrating Clarissa Dalloway's spirited nature and love of life. The sentences itself are abuzz with activity, as Woolf attempts to parallel her characterization with diction and tone. Phrases are brief and fast-paced, reflecting the hurried activity of preparing for a party. "Rumplemayer's men were coming," indicating clearly that some kind of gathering will be taking place. Mundane preparations must be made: doors being taken off their hinges. Additionally, Woolf may want her readers to sense Clarissa Dalloway's social class. "Lucy had her work cut out for her" indeed alludes to Lucy, her servant. The fact that Mrs. Dalloway has to assert that she "would buy the flowers herself" shows that it is Lucy who might otherwise do the shopping. Clarissa Dalloway is immediately revealed as a high society woman who enjoys entertaining.
The third paragraph of Mrs. Dalloway commences with two exclamations: "What a lark! What a plunge!" By repeating the word "plunge" later in the paragraph ("plunged at Bourton into the open air"), Woolf directs the reader's attention to Dalloway's spontaneous, youthful, and vibrant character. Woolf also makes sure to begin with a flashback to Clarissa being 18, which has a direct bearing on how the reader will perceive Mrs. Dalloway. Her perception of the opposite sex and her desire to please others by entertaining and hosting are both influenced...
" Both Clarissa and Septimus think about the same quotes. "Fear no more the heat o' the sun / Nor the furious winter rages." This phrase first comes to Clarissa's mind when she sees it in a book. It "appears twice before it becomes a part of Septimus's thought, where it ironically reassures him just before his death." Clarissa and Septimus are both sensitive individuals with deep emotional issues. While Clarissa
Mrs. Dalloway When discussing Virginia Woolf's fictitious character's in the novel Mrs. Dalloway, one can ultimately decide that these characters are filled with diversity and dimensional character. As the reader, I wholeheartedly disagree that the characters "are not perfect illustrations either of virtue or of vice." They are quite the contrary! These characters are perfect illustrations of virtue and high merit. Their lives are filled with commonalities that all humans can
Mrs. Dalloway's Release Hard to believe it had been a whole year; the party seemed just yesterday and yet, so long ago; she was new person since then; well, not so very different; only in some ways, of course; she was less dependant than she had been, more easy with only herself to consult; when she woke in the morning the day didn't loom quite so dangerously. She did miss him,
Her remembrances of Peter, though, are different because they have the effect of affirming for her that she made the right decision in rejecting him. As she thinks of him, her conflict is not that she regrets not marrying him. Instead, the conflict for her is that it underscores how it is hard to actually know oneself and others. She calls him "her dear Peter" and says "he could
These elements of suffering and true friendship contribute to Clarissa's ultimate spiritual survival, despite her society and her own tendency towards flippancy. Clarissa's illness brings with it a number of results. Her personality and outlook become altogether deeper than might be expected. She for example surprises the reader with her awareness of her own flawed nature. Perhaps her illness has brought her into contact with the flaws of the society
He talks to his dead war buddy Evans, and fears he cannot feel anything at all (Woolf 86). In comparison, Clarissa is extremely interested in what people feel, and she is not afraid to show her own feelings toward her friends and guests, even if they are "effusive" and overly enthusiastic (Woolf 167). Septimus enters Clarissa's life in many ways, even though she never meets him. He is in the
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