Comprehensive Study Notes on Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway Part 1
Biography of Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group
Adeline Virginia Stephen, later known as Virginia Woolf, was a foundational figure in English Modernism, living from to . She was the daughter of Leslie Stephen and Julia Jackson, and her upbringing in an intellectual environment laid the groundwork for her literary career. Woolf was a prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group, an influential circle of associated writers, intellectuals, philosophers, and artists who lived and worked in or near London during the first half of the century. The group included her husband Leonard Woolf, who was himself a writer, her sister Vanessa Bell, who was a painter, and Vanessa’s husband, the art critic Clive Bell. Other notable members included the novelist E. M. Forster, the biographer Lytton Strachey, the economist John Maynard Keynes, the artist and critic Roger Fry, and various other thinkers who challenged Victorian traditionalism. Woolf’s life was marked by significant literary achievement but also by profound personal struggles with mental illness. Ultimately, she chose to end her life by drowning at the age of .
Introduction to Mrs. Dalloway: Publication and Modernist Style
Woolf’s novel Mrs. Dalloway was published in and stands as a landmark of Modernist literature. Initially, the novel was envisioned under the working title "The Hours," and it was significantly inspired by James Joyce’s groundbreaking work, Ulysses. The narrative is set on a single day in June in London, approximately years after Armistice Day, which marked the end of the First World War. The novel explores themes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the societal shifts following the war, and the individual’s experience of time and consciousness. Stylistically, Woolf employs a "stream of consciousness" technique, characterized by a fluidity of thoughts where the narrative moves seamlessly between the external environment and the internal monologues of the characters. This approach captures the subjective nature of reality and the intricate ways in which memories intersect with the present moment.
The Characters of Mrs. Dalloway
The novel features a complex ensemble of characters whose lives intersect throughout the day in London. The protagonist is Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class woman of years, married to Richard Dalloway, a conservative politician. Their daughter, Elizabeth Dalloway, represents a younger generation with different sensibilities. Parallel to Clarissa’s story is that of Septimus Warren Smith, a -year-old veteran of World War I suffering from shell shock, and his Italian wife, Lucrezia (Rezia) Smith. Other central figures include Peter Walsh, Clarissa’s former suitor who has returned from India; Sally Seton, an old friend from Clarissa’s youth; and Hugh Whitbread, a traditional English gentleman married to Evelyn Whitbread. The social and medical world of the novel is further populated by Sir William Bradshaw, a celebrated psychiatrist; Dr. Holmes, a general practitioner; and figures like the servant Lucy, the florist Miss Pym, the history teacher Miss Kilman, and the aristocratic Lady Bruton and Lady Bexborough.
Morning in London: Clarissa Dalloway’s Journey and Reflections
The narrative begins on a fresh Wednesday morning in June as Clarissa Dalloway prepares to host a party that evening. Instead of sending her servant Lucy, Clarissa decides to purchase the flowers for the event herself. As she steps out into the bustling, noisy streets of London, the sound of Big Ben striking AM underscores the passage of time. The atmosphere is vibrant, with the King and Queen residing at the palace, but Clarissa’s internal experience is more somber. The morning air reminds her of a summer she spent at her father’s estate, Bourton, when she was . At that age, she recall standing by a window and feeling an ominous sensation—a sense that "something awful was about to happen"—despite the freshness of the day. Clarissa identifies her primary talent as an instinctive ability to know and understand people.
Social Observations and Internal Conflicts
As she walks, Clarissa reflects on her love for life and her desire to "kindle and illuminate" that love in others through her parties. She encounters Hugh Whitbread, who embodies the traditional "manners and breeding of an English gentleman" but who Clarissa acknowledges lacks real heart or intellect. Her husband Richard and her old friend Peter Walsh share this disdain for Hugh. Clarissa remains stung by Peter’s past criticisms; he famously remarked that she would marry a prime minister and become a mere hostess. She feels a mixture of resentment and pity for Peter, noting that he never achieved his youthful dreams. Her thoughts frequently turn to mortality, as she feels it is "dangerous to live even one day." She finds comfort in lines from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline: "Fear no more the heat o’ the sun / Nor the furious winter’s rages."
Identity, Resentment, and the "Monster" in the Soul
Clarissa experiences a conflict regarding her public and private identities. Looking at books in a shop window, she realizes she often acts to influence others' opinions rather than for the sake of the actions themselves. She contrasts her small, birdlike stature with her idol, Lady Bexborough, a large, dark woman of action who opened a bazaar. Clarissa is acutely aware that the world often perceives her as an extension of her husband, referring to her as "Mrs. Richard Dalloway" rather than by her own name. Her internal world is also plagued by a deep-seated hatred for Miss Kilman, her daughter Elizabeth’s history teacher. Miss Kilman is a religious woman who Clarissa believes is stealing Elizabeth’s affection. This hatred is described by Woolf as a "nameless monster" lurking in the woods of Clarissa’s soul, a darkness that contrasts with her outward joy. Clarissa seeks temporary solace in Miss Pym’s flower shop, hoping the beauty of the blossoms will wash away her bitterness.
The Parallel Experience of Septimus Warren Smith and the Royal Car
While Clarissa is in the flower shop, a car backfires in the street, which she initially mistakes for a pistol shot. This sound is also heard by Septimus Warren Smith, whose mental state is fragile due to his experiences in the war. Septimus believes he is responsible for the traffic congestion caused by the car, while his wife Rezia feels embarrassed by his behavior and leads him toward Regent’s Park. Onlookers feel a surge of patriotism, believing the car may contain the Queen or the King, granting them a sense of proximity to the majesty of England. Clarissa associates this regal presence with social climbers like Hugh Whitbread and feels a pang of guilt that she is fulfilling Peter’s prediction of her life as a socialite.
Symbolic Events: The Skywriting Plane and the Loss of Sanity
As the royal car moves toward the palace gates, the attention of the London crowd is diverted by an airplane flying overhead. The plane begins skywriting an advertisement for "TOFFEE." While most see it as a curiosity, Septimus experiences it as a divine, coded signal intended solely for him. He begins to weep at the "exquisite beauty" of the sky. His internal world is a chaotic mix of visions; he believes he is connected to trees and must protect them, and he anticipates seeing his dead friend Evans, an officer who was killed in the war. Septimus views himself as a messianic figure, "the greatest of mankind," who has returned from death to renew society. His doctor, Dr. Holmes, dismisses his condition as being merely "out of sorts," while Rezia feels increasingly isolated and desperate, viewing Septimus’s suicidal tendencies as a cowardly betrayal of the brave man he used to be.
Social Shadows and Minor Encounters in the Park
In Regent’s Park, the Smiths are observed by Maisie Johnson, a young woman from Edinburgh who finds the couple and London in general to be strange and unsettling. Nearby, an older woman named Mrs. Dempster watches Maisie and reflects on the loss of her own youth. Another man stops to enter a cathedral, highlighting the different ways individuals seek meaning in the city. These characters represent the broader tapestry of London life that continues regardless of the protagonists' internal struggles.
Domestic Life and Rituals of the Convent
Clarissa returns to her house, describing the experience as a nun returning to a convent. The house is a place of familiar rituals, and though she is an atheist, she finds these moments precious, likening them to a bud on the tree of life. She is deeply offended and upset to find that she was not invited to a luncheon at Lady Bruton’s house, even though Richard was. She retires to her attic bedroom, reflecting on her mortality and the emptiness at the heart of her life. Since her illness with influenza, she has slept alone and feels a sense of sexual distance from Richard. Her mind wanders to her youthful love for Sally Seton, describing the sexual attraction she feels toward women and the "religious experience" of a kiss Sally once gave her on the terrace at Bourton.
Memories of Sally Seton and the Bourton Summer
Sally Seton is remembered by Clarissa as a wild, dark-haired rebel who smoked cigarettes and scandalized Clarissa’s Aunt Helena. Clarissa and Sally once shared idealistic plans to change the world, reading Plato and Shelley together. Clarissa recalls a specific moment of profound happiness during that summer, quoting Othello: "if it were now to die ’twere now to be most happy.” However, this rapture was often interrupted by Peter Walsh, whose jealousy and criticism created a different, more intellectual kind of intimacy with Clarissa. She continues to wonder what Peter would think of her current life as she sits mending the green dress she intends to wear to her party, viewing life as a series of never-ending waves.
The Arrival and Perspective of Peter Walsh
Peter Walsh makes a surprise visit to Clarissa while she is sewing. The encounter is charged with tension; Peter habitually plays with his pocketknife, a gesture that reminds Clarissa of his past habits. He assumes Clarissa has wasted her life on social trivialities, while he reveals that he is in love with Daisy, a younger married woman in India with two children. Peter has returned to England to consult lawyers about Daisy’s divorce. Despite his criticisms, Peter is moved to tears by his memories and Clarissa comforts him. As he leaves at AM, Clarissa calls out to him to remember her party. Peter, walking away, feels the old pain of Clarissa’s rejection from years ago but finds a sense of freedom in Trafalgar Square, where he briefly follows a young woman he imagines to be an ideal figure of adventure.
Reminiscences of Bourton and the "Death of the Soul"
While resting in Regent’s Park, Peter falls asleep and dreams of a solitary traveler being comforted by various female figures, including a siren and a motherly landlady. He wakes with the phrase "The death of the soul" on his lips, a memory from the early at Bourton. This phrase refers to Clarissa’s prudish and arrogant reaction to the news of a housemaid having a baby before marriage. Peter recalls the "most important and terrible moment" of his life when he confronted Clarissa by a fountain at Bourton and she definitively refused to marry him. Though the memory is painful, Peter finds some comfort in the passage of time and the ability of people to recover from such blows.
The Struggle of the Smiths and the Old Woman’s Song
As Peter watches a little girl named Elise Mitchell run into a woman, he realizes the woman is Lucrezia Smith. Rezia is reaching her breaking point with Septimus’s behavior and is preparing to take him to see the renowned Sir William Bradshaw. Septimus remains trapped in his visions, believing he sees Evans walking toward him when it is actually Peter Walsh. To Peter, the Smiths appear to be merely a young couple having a lover’s quarrel. He reflects on the changes in London, noting the new freedom of women and the sexually liberated tone of the post-war generation. Meanwhile, near the Regent’s Park Tube station, an old woman sings a song about love and death. Peter hears the lyrics "and if someone should see, what matter they?" and gives her a coin. Rezia also hears the song, and it briefly alleviates her misery, making her feel that her unhappiness is merely a "silly dream" and giving her hope that Sir William can cure her husband.