Question 11 of the Reading Group Guide asks a very interesting question: what is the significance of the lines “Fear no more the heat o’ the sun / Nor the furious winter’s rages.” The lines come from Cymbeline, which is one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. When this quote first appears on page 9, Clarissa does not contemplate on it for very long. She… Read more →
Elizabeth Dalloway seems like the complete opposite of her mother, Clarissa Dalloway. For one, Clarissa loves throwing parties and devotes a large chunk of her time in planning and preparing. Elizabeth, however, “[does] not much like parties” (Woolf 131). Both Clarissa and Elizabeth are described to be attractive. However, while Clarissa is “fair-haired; blue-eyed; Elizabeth, on the contrary, was dark; had Chinese eyes in a pale face; an Oriental mystery.”… Read more →
With the conclusion of our reading of Mrs. Dalloway, I have identified the one passage and quote that I feel best encapsulates the overall theme of Virgina Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. Strangely enough, I do not recall going over the particular passage I have in mind during my first encounter with Mrs. Dalloway in another Emory […] Read more →
Finishing any book is grounds for reflection. For days after reading the final page of any book, I find myself returning to the characters and their stories, debating the ending. Mrs. Dalloway is no exception. While I can’t say Septimus’s suicide was a surprise, it wasn’t an easy addition either. No death is ever welcomed … Continue reading Final Thoughts on Mrs. Dalloway Read more →
Throughout the past few classes, we’ve constantly been observing and discussing the patterns in our text. After reading the entire Mrs Dalloway, I couldn’t help but notice the pattern of symbols, specifically the image of the clock. The image of the clock first appears 2 pages into the novel, when the Big Ben strikes, “an indescribable pause; a suspense (but… Read more →
After reading Noreen’s post, “The Clock Stops for Nobody,” I was also struck with the realization that the novel takes place throughout the course of a single day. While the… Read more →
In Mrs. Dalloway, the section of Septimus’s death and Clarissa’s fascination stood out to me. It seemed that this passage was the culmination of the story: the recurring image of clocks, everyone’s distant and almost miraculous relationship and interactions with one another, and how time and age become more and more apparent to the characters […] Read more →
After finishing Mrs. Dalloway, I was at first left feeling a little disappointed. None of the characters in the story seemed to go through any kind of transformation or had a significant change in their life or affected the lives of the other characters in a significant way. At the end (spoiler alert), Septimus dies, Clarissa has a successful party… Read more →
When I first began reading this novel, I felt sympathy for Peter and his unrequited love for Clarissa. However, the last section of the book just made me flat out irritated with him. Peter seems to constantly deny that he is in love with Clarissa and create imaginary scenarios of her regretting turning him down. In […] Read more →
Although Virginia Woolf’s novel bears the name, “Mrs. Dalloway”, much of the book focuses on other people besides the titular character. More than just supporting characters, the experiences and […] Read more →