Taking place over the course of one day in London, the novel explores the complex effects of city life in relation to time. Characterized by a continuous flow of thoughts, feelings and reactions, Woolf uses stream of consciousness to highlight the tension between mass experience and isolation.Although Clarissa and Septimus are complimentary characters, they […] Read more →

As the story has progressed, it has become more and more difficult to follow each character’s stream of consciousness. While this form of writing provides major insight into their innermost feelings, it makes it more challenging to form organized, accurate images of the characters. Peter’s questioning of his feelings for Clarissa at the beginning of … Continue reading Mrs. Dalloway Response Read more →

  While reading the assigned section of Mrs. Dalloway, I became alarmed as I reached a familiar-sounding passage. Septimus at one point says “I leant over the the edge of the boat and fell down…I went under the sea… and as before waking, the voices of birds and the sounds of wheels chime and chatter in a queer harmony…” (69).… Read more →

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Indifference and Intimacy: Septimus “He had married his wife without loving her; had lied to her; seduced her…and was so pocked and marked with vice that women shuddered when they saw him in the street. The verdict of human nature on such a wretch was death (Woolf 89). Septimus, a veteran of the first World War, is a perpetually […] Read more →

Virginia Woolf’s novel “Mrs. Dalloway” details a day in the life of an upper class middle-aged English woman along with several others in close relation to her. In particular, I found Woolf’s section on Septimus very intriguing given the reality of the time. In short, I feel Woolf has done a remarkable job in portraying […] Read more →

Reading up to about page 130 of Virginia Woolf’s brilliant Mrs. Dalloway, one pattern seems to unite, or rather interrupt, the thought process of every character: the striking of London’s Big Ben. Besides serving the obvious purpose of marking time, the sound of Big Ben has a real effect on a character’s thoughts and perceptions, Continue Reading Read more →

One of the details of writing that is most underappreciated by the average reader is the perspective. The subtle nuance between first and third person, between past and present tense, can change the way one approaches a work. Thankfully, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway has a very noticeable quirk to its … Continue reading → Read more →

Mrs. Dalloway perpetuates this loss of communication in a world of connectivity. Virginia Woolf writes of interactions between she and other characters, but they are somewhat muddled by Mrs. Dalloway’s preoccupation with herself. What was striking to me as I continued to read was how relevant this aspect of conversation can be, even in this […] Read more →

Having read “Mrs. Dalloway” several years ago, I began this reading assignment with a cloudy memory of the themes and central motifs my teacher had preached during our AP English class’s Virginia Woolf unit. Immediately into this second read, I remembered Woolf’s emphasis on time and Clarissa Dalloway’s reaction to its passing. Although I wish … Continue reading “Time May Change Me, But I Can’t Trace Time”: A Day with Mrs. Dalloway Read more →

  “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” they say. However, with only a title to provide me with an idea of what I was getting myself into, I must admit I found myself entering into the novel, Mrs. Dalloway, with the slightest bit of trepidation. Quite the opposite initial reaction of “Sexy”, I mentally […] Read more →