Study Notes on Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway

Comparison of Characters

  • Character foils: Hugh Whitbread (loving husband) vs. Peter Walsh (romantic).

  • Richard Dalloway's struggles with expressing love, illustrated through his offering of flowers.

Clarissa's Sexual Questioning

  • Clarissa's internal conflict regarding Doris Kilman's independence and sexuality.

  • Regret and anxiety about societal expectations and her own desires.

Anxieties of Aging and Desirability

  • Clarissa's observation of aging in the old woman reflects her own fears.

  • Feelings of unhappiness tied to aging and loss of desirability.

Marital Anxieties in Rezia and Septimus

  • Struggles in their marriage highlighted by symbolism of flowers.

  • Artificial flowers as a metaphor for their disconnected happiness.

Gendered Division of Neuroses

  • Differentiation between Shell Shock in men and Hysteria in women.

  • Social expectations shape the neuroses experienced by both genders.

Symbolism of Flowers

  • Flowers represent loss of romance and need for self-presentation.

  • Each character’s flowers reflect their emotional state or relationship dynamics.

Literary Terms

  • Narrative frames, perspectives, nonlinear plot structure, stream-of-consciousness, character foils, and symbolism explored throughout.

Reading Response Questions

  1. Analyze significance of flowers in Richard and Clarissa's relationship.

  2. Discuss Clarissa's criticism of Elizabeth and Doris Kilman reflecting her own anxieties.

  3. Explore the significance of the "old woman looking out of the window" in relation to Clarissa's fears.

  4. Examine how Rezia and Septimus' moment with flowers signifies their marital disconnect.