Members:
Jessica S6
Kathryn W6
Faedhra W6
Emily L6
1. Read to page 65 by Nov 30, Friday Group Discussion/ Blog from Dec 2, Saturday to Dec 3 Monday *Check blog throughout the days
2. Read to page 130 by Dec 7, Friday Group Discussion/ Blog from Dec 8, Saturday to Sunday *Check blog throughout the days
3. Read the rest of the book, to page 197 by Dec 14, Friday Group Discussion/ Blog from Dec 15, Saturday to Sunday *Check blog throughout the days
4. Read the FORWARD & TBD by Dec 18, Tuesday (unsure if there is other additional reading with this book) Final Group Discussion/ Blog on December 19, Wednesday. *Check blog throughout the day
36 comments:
I guess we missed the window. Hit the wall. "Ouch," speaks concussion.
Maybe you all need to change the due dates.
Faedhra W 6
As I read this novel, I could see many differences from other novel that I have read. This novel indeed has the touch of a woman, as Virginia wolf in a beautiful way makes every moments in life feels important. The story starts on a Wednesday, mid-June 1923 in the street of London, on her way to buy flowers to throw a party that afternoon. As we go through the novel, it is interesting how we are able to understand the life of each character by having the key to their thoughts. Why do you think Virginia does that? Her sense of writing is very unique.
We are then introducing to Mrs. Dalloway, a very complicated woman whom wants to make a reform in society by wanting to be like Lady Bexborough “with a skin of crumpled leather and beautiful eyes… Slow and stately, interested in politics like men and very sincere...” She wanted to be a more visible character, someone more than just Mrs. Dalloway but how could she when look for the approval of her community. What is Mrs. Dalloway’s intention? Why do you think Virginia choose such a character?
This story encompasses themes such as war and age (leading to death). We have Septimus, a veteran of World War I, who suffered from mental illness brought on by horrors that he experiences in the war especially by the death of his dear friend Evans. We also have Mrs. Dalloway and so many characters that are afraid to age. This is the reason why Mrs. Dalloway had a crush on Hugh Whitbread because he made her feels young. What was Mrs. Dalloway’s age?
As we continue we notice that Clarissa chooses to marry for safety and conservative life with Mr. Dalloway a life that is completely different from what she was used to. As a teenager, her friend Sally was a rebel whom she had kissed and those were some great time as she remembered. She remembered also some of the time spends with peter that is very different from Richard. During, those days, were happy days.
What do you guys think of the story? Why would Virginia make such choices? What are the goal of Virginia?
sorry i haven't sent in the new schedule.i just did it today and the first posting session will be due monday. i couldn't reach katt friday so it might be changed to tuesday or not.
Initially, i thought this book would be fun and easy book to read, but its been painful for me. By far, this is the first book that i have trouble understanding plot. I agree that mrs.dalloway is very different from other books. Particularly for its language. The author Woolf is very descriptive in all aspects of Mrs. Dalloway’s life and her surroundings. I’m trying really hard to catch on into what is happening but i found myself confused because i couldn't keep up with what the book was trying to say. i personally felt like it was jumping around into different things. There is way too many commas in each sentence. Also, it has mentioned a lot of names in a short period. However, it is interesting how Woolf describes each person and thing with great detail, but this book wasn't what i expected it to be like and i'm still trying to understand it.
So im not sure, but I think Mrs. Dalloway is going back and forth between the past and the present, which may be the reason why I am so confused. I don’t really know how old she is because I don’t think it has mentioned it, but I know that she is thinking back to when she was 18, which is written in the first page, “(for a girl of eighteen as she then was)”.
I also noticed the themes of age and death, mentioned by Faedhra. Mrs.Dalloway feels very young, but at the same time unspeakably aged. She mentions a lot about death on pages 8 and 9. I think death is something that she is afraid of and something that she doesn’t want to happen. I also liked how they mentioned the quote, “Fear no more the heat o’ the sun. Nor the furious winter’s rages,” from Shakespeare. I took the quote as their reminder to not fear death because it’s unavoidable. What did you guys make out of that quote?
I agree with you Emily! I was expecting it to be fun and easy too, but that’s why they say “don’t judge a book by its cover”. In order for me to pick up this book to read was much more painful than I thought. Maybe I just need to get use to the style. Anyways, when I started to read this novel, I thought it was hard because of the language and style of writing. It was helpful for me to look up the history of post-war society because that the whole book itself takes place at that era. But I want to start by answering Faedra’s first question of why Woolf writes so that we are able to understand the life of each character by having the key to their thoughts. Mr. G mentioned in class that it was a style referred to as a stream of consciousness. Woolf writes the book based on a single day in post–World War I London. She goes back and forth between the past and the present within a single day through Mrs. Dalloway. I think she is trying to emphasize basically on our conscious (which reminds me of watching Polis is this, where Mr. G said pay attention to your attention). I was researching some things about her and it mention that she believed that the writing style should reflect the variety and complexity of everyday life. So lets just say every moment counts. Because the plot basically traces the footsteps and thoughts of Clarissa Dalloway, as she prepares for a party she is holding that evening. Woolf’s style of writing seems very complex to me because she’s writing according to how our conscious works. I mean I can’t even keep track of my conscious. But it is a unique style that’s probably why it’s hard for me to read.
Faedhra W.6
“Fear no more the heat o’ the sun / Nor the furious winter’s rage” (9) I like this quote that Emily choose and I think it will be very important throughout this book. The book first start with Clarissa wondering in the street of London and catching up with time as she think of her affair with Peter, than all of a sudden she read up this quote Hatchards‘ shop window form an open book.
This seems like a climax , it’s shows that one day, during our daily activities or in Mrs. Dalloway case when she was wondering around in the street of London the good times or struggles has to come to an end because sooner or later death is going to caught up with us. This came from Shakespeare’s plays who is recognize for his tragic stories. Those lines, I found out were dedicate for funeral . The goal was to make every individuals understands that for life’s struggles, death would be the perfect consolation. However, that is not what Mrs. Dalloway wants to hear since aging is not a factor of her life. Those 13 (thirteen) words emphasizes that no one should fight the arrival of death. We must not have any fear, fear of struggles, of the heat or the sun, nor any hardships that we encounter throughout our journey in life. As individuals, we all fight to live however we fear the intensity of life. We are all horrify by this thing called death but Virginia Wolf want us to realize that “living” walks hand to hand with its brother “death.” We are all acquainted with this facts however that does not stop us from fighting with zeal for the power of living.
In addition, Virginia uses this Shakespeare quote to tell us to stop wasting our time fighting something that is invincible. We have to agree upon the fact that just like living exist, so does dying. We have to learn to live our remain time with no fear even when the “ furious winter’s rage “ hit us. Death is our friend since it is the only comfort from all of the struggles we face in this separable life of our. Death will be the friend of Clarissa as it will help her to stop troubled herself about the fact that she is aging, and the fact that she has to put on a new person for a society that she despite. Death will also be Septimus’ friend for it help him to stop having any horrors thought about the war.
Connecting with Shakespeare, there was another quote on page 35, “if it were now to die ‘twere now to be most happy.” The quote is from Shakespeare’s Othello. In Mrs. Dalloway, the quote is referred to Mrs. Dalloway’s feelings upon her meeting Sally Seton. Before this quote Mrs. Dalloway returns home from buying flowers and proceeds upstairs to her solitary attic room. She picks up a book to read, but she couldn’t fall asleep in her narrow bed so she starts thinking about her childhood memories with Sally Seton. This quote along with her memory with Sally led me to question Mrs. Dalloway’s sexuality.
Initially the novel describes her as this innocent and pure woman, living in a “white” attic with “clean white sheets, white being a symbol of innocence, purity, light, as well as emptiness. She describes her relationship with Richard and how their love has faded over the years. She feels that she has lost him because she’s aging and “breastless” and unable to live the youthful life again for it was now “out of the window”. The man even decides to go to an “extraordinary amusing party” without mentioning or inviting his own wife. However, when she talks about Sally, she mentions the word “love” repetitively and her feelings for women.
“But this question of love (she thought, putting her coat away,) this falling in love with women. Take Sally Seton; her relation in the old days with Sally Seton. Has not that, after all, been love?”
Reading this, it really made me think that she might have been homosexual. The most sexual intimacy that Mrs. Dalloway has in the novel is not with her husband, but when Sally kisses her on the lips. She describes it as “the most exquisite moment of her whole life” (35). “She felt that she had been given a present, wrapped up, and told just to keep it, not to look at it- a diamond…” (35). For her to call it a diamond, it must have been a real precious gift and delightful experience. I really thought she was gay for a good couple pages and I’m still unsure if it’s true. I thought it might have been like a close sister-like relationship, but it just seemed too queer… to be that simple.
Even in other works of literature like Shakespeare, there are questionable phrases that may reflect on homosexuality as well. Is this purposely done or are people over thinking it like me? What did you guys think about their relationship?
Also, Mrs.Dalloway is a 52 years old woman to answer Faedhra's earlier question. (Bottom of p.36)
When I was reading the part where Mrs. Dalloway finally reaches the flower store I thought the description of it was very beautiful. Woolf’s writing made it easy for me to envision myself there almost as if I was looking through Mrs. Dalloway’s eyes.
When a “violent explosion from the motor car had stopped outside Mulberry’s shop” I felt that it was the end of one chapter because the first sentence of the very beginning of this book said that “she would buy the flowers herself”. So to me she fulfills that objective. But then it switches to Septimus as though it’s a beginning of a new chapter. Woolf decribes Septimus Waren Smith “aged about thirty, palefaced, beak nosed, wearing brown shoes and a shabby overcoat” (14), she points her narration towards Septimus. I feel like this novel has two main characters and two stories along the side one another. What is the connection between both characters; to me they’re total opposite. Maybe it’s the difference of both characters that ties the two together. It’s clear that Mrs. Dalloway is sane and Septimus is insane. And I enjoy reading the parts about Septimus more because he’s much more interesting than Mrs. Dalloway.
Hey ladies,
Even tho some of you admit to not "loving this book", you are doing a great job working tho the complexities of the language and writing some interesting posts. Keep it up. You obviously seem to be doing some research as well. Hopefully you enjoy the discussions you are having with each other and maybe even appreciate her style by the end of the book????
I'd say that Jessica, Emily, and Faedhra--you are doing great work and what is here is about a post or two shy for completion of the first session. (which means by your schedule that you are a little behind) Try to catch up by this weekend....and Kat--hope that wall you hit melts and makes you start typing away.
Referring back to Faedhra’s first post, she made a comment saying that Mrs. Dalloway “wanted to be a more visible character.” I totally agree with Faedhra. Jessica also brought up the quote “She would buy the flowers herself” and I connected both ideas. I think that Jessica’s quote showed how Mrs. Dalloway wants to be the more visible character because the first thing we understand about Mrs. Dalloway in the book is the fact that she will buy the flowers herself because Lucy, her servant, was busy. It’s interesting for Woolf to start the book this way because by making that decision, it definitely made Mrs. Dalloway stick out. Mrs. Dalloway portrays independence and it’s much stronger because it’s coming from a women. Reading it, it made me feel like she was in control and had some sort of power.
However at the same time, I feel that this introduction also led to expose the flimsy lifestyle of upper class women. Even though she chose to go out and buy the flowers herself, she’s ONLY buying flowers and it’s such a simple task. Her life in general, only consists of throwing parties to gather friends and to show how great of a life she has with Richard. Just like how in today’s society, television shows like the Real Housewives of Orange County are broadcast to focus on the luxurious lives of rich women living in California. In my opinion, the women are purposely trying to show off what they have so people could envy them because they’re supposedly “rich and beautiful.” I think Mrs. Dalloway’s parties serve the same purpose, trying to cover up her weakness and the truth behind her and Richard’s faded relationship. Inside she’s a weak women because all she can do is throw social parties at her house. The parties in a way make her a stronger person because in those parties, it’s when she’s surrounded by the most people.
Now, I want to bring up the moment when there was as aeroplane in the sky. I thought this moment was quite interesting. Everyone in the streets stopped to figure out what the aeroplane was spelling which came out to be Toffee… I’m unsure why the message came out to be Toffee, but it didn’t even matter. It showed how everyone has different ways of interpreting things. The craziest interpretation of the letters was when Septimus thought that the letters were there sending him a coded message… As they tried to figure out the word, it was as if the people in society were trying to find meaning in their own lives because war had just ended so their confused with what to do. Do you guys agree with my theory??
Is it just me or do you guys find this book similar to the Portrait as well. There’s this stream of consciousness that exists in both novels and I can’t help but notice it. Both Mrs. Dalloway and Stephen notice things like the nature and they both have this way of talking to themselves like they are aware of everything. There is also this struggle with aging. Mrs. Dalloway has fears over getting old and becoming ugly, weak, and lonely. She wishes to be young again. Stephen, on the other hand, feels like he doesn’t fit in with the younger kids. He wants to grow up faster because he’s sick of being near foolish kids around his age. What do you girls think? Is there any other similarities?
In the beginning of the story Mrs. Dalloway and Miss Pym hears the violent explosion from the motor car. What is the purpose of having the car there when in the end no one knows exactly who it is? Well my theory is that there is a connection to her fear of death because previously when she was walking to the flower shop, she reads the quote “Fear no more the heat o’ the sun nor the furious winter’s rages”(9), she contemplates about death and Woolf decides to add another element, which is the cars sound to emphasize how weak and scared she can be on a such a small matter when comparing it to death it is something that she’s deathly scarred of. Another theory of mine is Woolf uses the car to transfer to Septimus POV. She shows not only Mrs Dalloways perspective of the car but Septimus too. There’s a parallel world between Mrs. Dalloway and Septimus because they some what reacts differently to the event. And though they’re there at the same place and time they do not see each other. Septimus was also scarred by the sound of the car, Septimus thought that “this gradual drawing together of everything to one centre before his eyes, as if some horror had come almost to the surface and was about to burst into flames”(15) While everyone is wondering about who’s in the car, Septimus thinks of something insane. Also I thought every one who witness the car and thought it was one of the royals had a sense of patriotism in them. For instance, after the “car had gone, it had left a slight ripple which flowed through glove shops and hat shops…for thirty seconds all heads were inclined the same way”(17). Everyone had a million things running through their mind of which royal it was. And then she talks about a small crowd gathering at the gates if Buckingham Palace.
And Emily I do agree with you about how in the Portrait and Mrs. Dalloway there is this stream of consciousness and self-awareness. I remember reading somewhere that Woolf praise the James Joyces style of writing. Maybe she was influenced by him.
Faedhra W.6
I agree with Jessica’s theory about the idea of the car was to introduce Septimus as he connect him to Mrs.Dalloway. She introduces that parallel world that exists between those two personages. Thought the car introduce us to Septimus everything revolve around Mrs. Dalloway as she prepare for a new day. Virginia is able to create those characters with the memories they share with Mrs. Dalloway.
As Mrs. Dalloway walks in the street of London, We see that it is through her memories that we can navigate in the thought of the other characters. One thing that she does is interweaving past and present. The future is built on the past. Mrs. Dalloway, as she walks in the street in London, she remember the time that she used to share with Peter. “But Peter--however beautiful the day might be, and the trees and the grass, and the little girl in pink--Peter never saw a thing of all that. From that sentence, we can already tell the personality of those individuals. Peter is describing as someone who always wants to have the last words, the type of individual that is comfortable in their own skin. Individuals that like to argued a lot. Mrs. Dalloway is someone that notices her surrounding, every details are important to her and from her one day story, she is able to lets us in her world in a very creative manner. She can also be very romantic, as she mentions that Peter is not even able to see the “little girl in pink”. By referring to that specific color, it is one way for Virginia to pass across the idea of feminism. Her writing is based in the idea of feminism, the idea of strong, independent women.
One of the women that she looks up to is Sally, a dark, large-eyed, with that quality which, she always envied. She admired her strong impact that she made in people and Clarissa enjoys her company because she excite her. Sally does crazy things but Clarissa thinks “Quiet descended on her, calm, content, as her needle, drawing the silk smoothly to its gentle pause, collected the green folds together and attached them, very lightly, to the belt.” Clarissa respects her because it is Sally alone that is able to make her feel like a woman.
As I read the incident between Clarissa and Sally, I could not stop but think that Virginia is out to show that men do not have to revolve around women to make them fell important. Sally was able to accomplish a job that Richard neglected to do (or maybe did not know how).
In real life, Sally Seton is representing a woman that Virginia admired. She was her childhood friend know as Madge Vaughan.
Faedhra W6
Emily picks up the similarity that can be found in both Mrs. Dalloway and the A Portrait of the Artist As a young man. Having cover feminism in the novel of James Joyce, I was able to see how both writers see feminism.
James Joyce novel was writing during the conflict of the catholic and Irish church. This book is a model of bildungsroman, we where able to see the change of Stephen form a boy to a man. One of the many things that made Stephen the young man that he became was the presence of women in his life. Stephen is encompassed by many women. First, as a child his mother and Dantes, a smart and intellectual women but as Stephen stated, she wasn’t as smart as his priest. Dante is very different than his mother because she sat in the table with the big boys and talk politics. Joyce gave her a voice. However, those weren’t the only women that Joyce gave a voice. We meet the prostitute, someone who was able to replace both Stephen mother, because of the way she clamed her. She was confident just like Dante and also she wears pink which could be seen as the color of youth, in the sense of Eileen , a young girl that he lust after. Joyce also gave Simon moonan a voice. In addition throughout both novels the color white was mention which in literature can signify purity, virtue and innocence. We see women in Stephen life that was either categorize as pure women or as a whore.
Reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia wolf in which the protagonist is a female already shows one similarity. Virginia created Mrs. Dalloway where she is the key that allowed us to enter other individuals’ head. We see every type of women, Clarissa who want s to be notice by everybody which is the reason she plans party to be in the presence of known individuals. We see jealousy in her too; she hates the idea that Elizabeth teacher spent the time with her daughter. In addition we see another side of her; we see how much she can love someone. She feels great in the presence of Sally. In one day, we were able to see what kind of women she was; from her past relationships and the people she frequented.
We also see the idea of lower class. We see Stephen and his dad barely survive financial crisis. Clarissa who decided to marry Richard because of the life he offered her.
Those two books have as many differences as similarly, those are the one that I briefly describe, and we can find so much more.
So in the beginning of the book where Mrs. Dalloway looks into the Hatchards’ shop window she thinks of the little things that might continue to live after she dies. The line “Fear no more the heat o’ the sun / Nor the furious winter’s rages” (9) catches her attention in the window because it concerns death. This quote is actually from Cymbeline which is one of Shakespeare's final plays and it is apart of a funeral song. I think that is the reason why Woolf uses this quote.
On her was to the flower shop, Woolf describes the London street as being noisy, colorful and alive. “Though it was still so early, there was a beating, a stirring of galloping ponies, tapping of cricket bats…the whirling young men, and laughing girls” (5). But in such a busy and noisy place she thinks about death. As contrast, Clarissa’s current thoughts of death are accompanied by her home where the Dalloway hall is as “cool as a vault.”(29). This is the first thing we learn about Clarissa’s house when she returns home; this is our first impression. So now we see two parallel world between the noisy, busy, alive London and the Dalloway’s home where it’s described as being “cool as a vault”(29). Clarissa has stepped out of her life in the busy London street and returned to her life where Virginia Woolf suggests a certain death-in-life atmosphere in the Dalloway house. This reminds me, that it’s probably why Mrs. Dalloway decides to go buy the flowers; it’s for her to get away from her life at home. Then we find out that Clarissa is upset that Richards been invited to lunch at Lady Bruton’s house without her. Richard and Clarissa’s relationship isn’t so sweet either. She has been sleeping alone ever since Richard found out that she was sick “Richard insisted, after her illness, that she must sleep undisturbed” (31). She feels as though “she has failed him” (31). There is no passion between them, to Clarissa “ it was something central which permeated; something warm which broke up surfaces and rippled the cold contact of man and woman”(31).
I find that there are many topics to contrast in this story. For example there is the appearance vs. reality of Clarissa Dalloway. And reality is one where Clarissa is well aware of. Clarissa realizes that her home, the Dalloway house, is a safe place for her. In a sense the house is fortress-like and sturdy to her and everyone else. It gives people the impression that they’re the rich, smart well-bred/structured family just as Clarissa. On the surface Clarissa is a woman known to everyone as Richard Dalloway’s wife or the wife of a politician. That’s probably why she was so upset that Lady Bruton invited Richard instead of her. Clarissa always tries to keep that sturdy surface just like how their home is. But in the interiors, Mrs. Dalloway and the Dalloway house differs. Inside, Clarissa has many of doubts and fears such as her appearance where she is frail, white-haired. She even feels embarrass in her yellow-feathered hat in front of Hugh, because Hugh is handsome and well dressed, and in some ways Clarissa feels as if she has no sexuality. Also she has a struggle with death where she contemplates the bits and pieces that might still be left when she dies. And already Clarissa feels as if she is being neglected. She is jealous that Lady Bruton invited only Mr. Dalloway to her luncheon; and, deep down inside, Clarissa is stunned. Even though she does not greatly fear death, she is pained at being neglected so soon after she has been seriously ill; it is as though she were already forgotten. And even her conflict with Miss Kilman where Clarissa thinks her daughter has fallen in love with that woman just as she did with Sally Seton.
Before we end the first session, I just wanted to talk about Peter. Near the end of the first read, we learn about Peter through his point of view. Peter can’t seem to get over Clarissa. She is the first person he sees when he arrives and constantly he is comparing himself to Richard. I thought it was interesting that Woolf chose the name Richard which I think is simply because he’s “rich”. Peter “had no doubt about that; he was a failure, compared with all this, the inlaid table, the mounted paper knife, the dolphin and the candlesticks, the chain covers and the old valuable English tinted prints- he was a failure!” (43) He appears to be ashamed of himself and jealous of the Dalloways for everything that they have. Peter has no job and he knows Daisy is nothing compared to Clarissa. Daisy is the woman who Peter says he is in love with, but she is already married and has children so his life isn’t very successful. I don’t think he is really in love with Daisy, but she’s just a momentary replacement for him because everything that he talks about past or present involves Clarissa. However, I don’t really know why he’s so into Clarissa when he describes her of being “arrogant; unimaginative; (and) prudish” (59).
There was also another part that I didn’t understand what was happening. Starting on page 56 to page 58, it’s the part where he’s dreaming because it says that “he woke up with extreme suddenness” right after. I didn’t understand what was happening in his dream or what he was dreaming about and what it was suppose to signify so hopefully someone can help me out and give me just a brief summary when we start the next session.
Reading the part where Peter and Lucrezia were in the same park (Regent’s Park?), I saw similarities between Peter’s and Lucrezia’s character.
Peter is unable to get rid of the past and the memories that he had with Clarissa. As he’s sitting on a bench, he thinks about the time when he confronted her about his feelings and how she rejected him. Peter cries “it was awful… awful, awful!” (64). Lucrezia expresses the same reaction when she sees Septimus’s actions. When he was talking to himself again, she says, “It was awful, awful!” (68). Both Peter and Lucrezia have precisely the same expression and that’s what links these two characters. Peter can’t seem to understand Clarissa. For example, he questions why she introduced Elizabeth as “Here’s my Elizabeth” and not simply “This is Elizabeth.” Like Peter, Lucrezia can’t understand Septimus’s insanity either. He talks to himself, sees dogs turn to men, and for a moment he even thought about committing suicide with her. Both of them are suffering at the same time because of love. They feel as if they don’t deserve to be suffering for someone who is not worth their time, yet they can’t let the person go.
Jessica made a comment of how Clarissa and Septimus were connected through being opposites and I think it’s interesting how Woolf makes another connection between Peter and Lucrezia. I think Woolf does this so the reader can easily compare the characters and it allows Woolf to make the smooth transitions between the different stories of each character. For example, when Peter Walsh meets the old lady who is singing, he feels sorry for the poor old lady and gives her a coin. Then a subtle transition occurs where it starts out “‘Poor old woman,’ said Rezia Warren Smith…” It was a smooth transition to change to Rezia’s point of view and their sympathy for the old woman was also another similarity between the two.
I think the reason why Septimus married Lucrezia was only because he was losing himself after his best friend, Evan, died in the war. “ He couldn’t feel, but scissors rapping, girls laughing, hats being made protected him; he was assured of safety” (87). Lucrezia’s family was hat makers so the quote was referring to her. I think “hats” may be chosen specifically because it symbolizes warmth and protection. It was what Septimus lacked which is why Septimus felt protected around her. Also the way they were so busy cutting, trimming, and laughing made him feel less lonely and it was something for him to focus on. Septimus had basically lost his purpose of living because “he could not feel” and “even taste had no relish to him” (87). He held no emotions for anything that was happening around him. When he became engaged to Lucrezia, it happened “one evening” (86). It’s as if it just happened so suddenly that he didn’t even think about what he was doing because “panic was in him” (86). I think in a way he used her because he didn’t really love her, but needed the comfort and support since he was scared by his lack of emotions. Then on page 91, it says “how he had married his wife without loving her; had lied to her; seduced her” which explains clearly that he had no love for her. However, he does feel guilty because he knows that she was suffering as well. Each time she sobbed, “he felt nothing” (90) and all he could do was “descend another step into the pit” (90). I think with all the talk about death and dark imagery like “the pit”, it’s foreshadowing that Septimus will end up committing suicide.
Faedhra W.6
As I read the book, I notice the wave of emotion from an exciting life to a isolated, thoughtful and lonely life. Both Jessica and Emily have bring up the idea that Woolf uses double character throughout her novel in such a beautiful way. As I think of in Nature, nothing exist without his contrary. Accepting living is knowing that death is around the corner.
One thing, that came that hits me when as I glance over Emily’s blog post was the tie that existed between Peter and Lucrezia. The fact that both desired someone that did not show any sign of emotion towards them. Just like Peter is unable to understand Clarissa, Lucrezia cannot seem to find the old Septimus that she was once married with . Those two Characters lack companionship .
In the Park, through the mind of Peter we met Lucrezia once again. As Septimus was talking to himself as usual or maybe to Evans as he believes, Lucrezia left him for a moment as she think about her life in Milan that she no longer will have. Suddenly, she started crying. Rezia thought that Septimus was becoming “stranger and stranger.” During our first entries, we meet Peter in Clarissa’s attic room who started catching up about their past love. Peter resent Clarissa a great deal for she rejected his proposal. Peter could not understand Clarissa, Peter suddenly started to weep. Most importantly no one can tell who Clarissa true side because she seems to lack warmth. Throughout the book she was often describes as being cold. “She had grown hard” he thought.
I feel like one of the reason Peter resent Clarissa even more was because after he told her everything, it was at the last moment, when Elizabeth showed up that she stated “ Here’s my Elizabeth.”
It also a coincidence how both Peter and Rezia was present when the woman sang the love song. This women servers as transition between Peter to Rezia. I feel like that Peter appreciate the courage of the old woman as he thinks her with a coin. However, in Rezia case she pitied her as she think of her relations with Septimus.
FaedhraW.6
I think It is very interesting after the dream of the Solitary traveler that Peter reminds himself of the ending point of his relationship with Clarissa. I feel like the Solitary man could represent Peter since a solitary individuals stated by the Wikipedia is someone who is not usually in the companionship of others of his type.
However, I feel like seek companionship but at the end those individuals always ended up by Hurting him. In This Novel, Two women where mention to be in Peter’s life but both of them ended up by leaving him for someone with high position in society. I look at “ solitary man” coincidence maybe not, since Virginia Woolf is a well- educated women. Solitary Man is a title of a music which describe the story of a man who life turned upside down between girl as he seek for love.
This song is by Neil Diamond
Melinda was mine
till the time
I have found
Holding Jim
Loving him
Then Sue came along
Loved me strong
That’s what I thought
Me and Sue
But that died too
Don’t know that I will
But until I can find me
A girl wholl stay
And wont plat games behind me
I’ll be what I am
A solitary man
Solitary man
Ive had it to here
Bein where
Loves a small world
Part-time thing
Paper ring
I know its been done
Having one
Girl wholl love me
Right or wrong
Weak or strong
Don’t know that I will
But until I can find me
The girl wholl stay
And went play games behind me
Ill be what I am
A solitary man
Solitary man
This solitary traveler is a metaphor for what is clearly going on with Peter’s life. After, Peter left Clarissa’s house he cannot seems to stop thinking about her. Clarissa take over his train of thought, even external stimuli (object, material) reminded him of Mrs. Dalloway. For example the bells of Saint Margaret’s, the young women who he followed, and how he chooses as Peter look for seats in the park, he decided to settle besides a women and a baby that reminded him of Elizabeth.
After, the dream he remember of a day that he had dinner with Clarissa and they were talking of a women who got pregnant outside of marriage. That thought disgusted Clarissa. This very ironically because this reaction is the behavior of religious individuals for she is attracted to Sally, a women something that is against the religious beliefs.
Later after that conversation, Peter came to see Sally talking with Richard, he notice her maternal manner with Richard. This was the turning point of their relations for Peter knew already Clarissa will become Mrs. Dalloway.
It is just interesting how Virginia chooses to break up their youth love next the fountain in the park. The stream of water running down could be seeing as the flow of life taking its course, making its way to a new beginning. The separation between Peter and Clarissa is where each will take a separate route.
Faedhra. W.6
I wanted to touch in the idea of Feminism which is something that amazes me. The Solitary dream focus on women and their whole of intervene in your life and comes up with a solution. This dream happened after Peter chooses to sit down besides a gray-haired women. Grey color can be serve as a balance between all-black and all-white point of view, the idea of good and bad, pessimism and optimist. After being around women, Peter goes to sleeps and think of women. He sees a facial of women blending to the sky and tree which can be turned into different types of women.
First, he imagines the women as a siren, the women’s beauty scares Peter for she reminded his downfall. Siren, in the Greek mythology were deadly-dangerous bird-women with beautiful voices. After singing to you with their beautiful voice which will lure anyone to sleep, they tear you to pieces. Then he sees a mother figure women which seems to be waiting for him with open arm. The idea of someone keeping him safe, nurturing him and taking care of him make him feels safe. Then a landlady make her apparition and they ask him if they can get him anything else. Peter realize that he does not know to whom to answer. He woke up and say “the death of the soul.”
From those three lady, I notice how connected they really are to nature. Sirens which have a tendency to commit their crime to mariners demonstrate that they must have a connection with water where all life started. Just like women chooses to gives life ,they can take it away. Then, we meet the landlady which must have a connection the earth which feeds us and allows us to stay alive for the oxygen it provides. Then the mother like figure which can be represented as the Virgin Mary, the idea of an approachable person.
Later in the story, we meet an old lady opposite the Regent’s Park Tube station show feminine for she sings songs of eternal love. Peter pitied her and gave her a coin but the lady words comforted Rezia for it gave strength to believe there is hope for Septimus. We see another side of Rezia, calm all this because of the old, wise lady.
I think it is important how it is women that Virginia shows that is able to comfort anyone for they are they are the one who gives life.
Faedhra.W.6
Hello everyone, I was your Christmas. Posting again. This blog is I trying to compare Lady Bruton from Clarissa Dalloway.
Lady Bruton is very difference from Clarissa for she “ had a reputation of being more interested in politics than PEOPLE”. ( 105) Not only that, She was raise in great health or to say she had great acquaintance. She was the “general great-great-great-grand daughter.” Respect is something that she was born with even Richard pointed that out. However it see in Richard words that she supported Clarissa’s works but didn’t think they were important to give his precious time to. Richard stated “ she ( Lady Bruton) should have being the general of dragoons herself.” (105) Dragoon were typically named for soldier trained to fight but transport himself on horseback. Lady Bruton hated the idea of women that gets in their husbands way from fulfilling their duties in the government and public affair. She feels like Clarissa do so perfectly as she purposely throws parties to reject men from their “post abroad” Lady Bruton get together between Hugh and Richard was strictly business. She wanted Richards support of her involvement in the affair about emigration of young ladies to Canada. Hugh was present for he was able to pass the words out. He was working for the Times. In Bruton, I see brute in the sense that Lady Bruton represent a bully, she bullies and dominates her society. I don’t think Lady Bruton thinks much of women for she “often suspended judgment upon men in deference to the mysterious accord in which they, but no woman, stood to the laws of the universe.”
Lady Bruton has no sense of compassion, contrary to Clarissa who put together parties to bring individuals together. She thinks of her parties as a gift to the world, to the people that she encompass by. Often she notice that people around her were lonely and she was one of them. She see her party as a way to fight that loneliness for she is surrounded with very important people. People now were having conversation Clarissa thought. Earlier we have seeing how apart her husband and her have grew. Richard could not bring himself to say “I love you.” this emptiness exist between husband and wife.
Clarissa wants to create life for her and others, Virginia clearly shows that Richard did not care about his meetings since he did not remember if it was about “Armenians or the Albanians” But still he excuses himself as he head to a meeting that he did not care about.
At first, I thought of Clarissa as those rich, weak and stupid people but I have notice how much she has grew as she pays attention the life that she lives in. Though both Peter and Richard did not support her parties. “She was the perfect hostess” said Peter. Clarissa did not care for she believes closeness is the key to a successful life not love or religion or even power if I may add.
Faedhra.W
Me again, I found this part of the story very confusing and also interesting. I wanted to share it with you guys.
“To his Patients he gave three-quarters of an hour; and if in this existing science which has to do with what, after all, we know nothing about-the nervous system, the human brain-a doctor loses his sense of proportion , as a doctor he fails. Health we must have, and health is proportion…”(99)
This part of the book where Rezia went to see Sir Williams confuses me at first since I just like Rezia automatically presumed that Sir Williams was here to put and end to Septimus madness. But Sir Williams believe ,he is to do so because for him to put Septimus out of his madness or anyone is to put to for a long “rest, rest for solitude, silence and rest, rest without friends, without books without messages…” It is very amazing how math is a metaphor of living and dying. Virginia uses the idea of Proportion to balance live and death. In life, just as living in one possibility, dying is one also. A proportion of 1:1. A fifty to fifty thing in life. One that Virginia wants to see that determine our possibilities to live or die is our health. This foreshadow the idea of Septimus dying. Septimus health was not I good condition, therefore there was no chance of him surviving. Sir Williams represent the angel of death for he says He wants to brings Septimus to one of his “home.” He came to collect.
And with the idea of Proportion, conversion comes to life. “ Proportion has a sister…Conversion is her name and she feasts on the wills of the weakly, loving to impress, to impose, adoring her own features stamped in the face of the populace.”( 100) Often people that were converts for anything are weak, people that willingly gives to something without a fight. We don’t have a say to our body, we don’t have the strength for conversion “impose”. Even though death knocks on people door every day, it’s always a surprise for “the populace”, the general population. It is interesting how Septimus was able to control his emotion for a second as he sees that Holmes and sir Williams were the same people.
I found this part very interesting but still thinks that there is so much to it. If you guys find something more about this Proportion and Conversion idea. Please do share.
Wow Faedhra, I can see you did quite a lot of research.
I thought it was interesting how you talked about the solitary man and the song! and how it reflects upon Peter’s life. It makes sense to me now. Peter defines solitary, alone and without companion. He is basically this lonely guy who seeks for love. He loves Clarissa, but she rejected him and then with the new girl Daisy, she is already married to another man and has children. There’s no one there for him and he can only remain as the solitary traveler. You can definitely feel how lonely and alone he is when Woolf describes his walk in the park. He appears as this traveler or a passer-by who’s thinking to himself.
When he sat next to the old nurse, there was also this baby. Immediately I thought about the idea of “age” because beside him was someone who was young and old. It even said “he did want to be bothered (feeling a little drowsy as he did) by people asking him the time.”
Time seems to appear quite often in the novel and it makes me think that Peter may be afraid of aging just like Clarissa. Time is also difficult for Peter because he can’t seem to stay in the present, but always weaves in and out of time when he talks about the past and the future. His past comes to haunt him but it is the future which brings him hope and youth such as when he meets the young boys who are marching in the streets. He feels young again and later decides to follow a young woman who he imagines as his fantasized woman.
Hello Everyone,
I Agree with Emily on how she pointed out the fact that Time is used throughout the novel. After finishing the book, I think Virginia Woolf is trying to Show time is something important. We do not know how much time we have and this why we should make the best of every moment. The topic of aging between many character were discussed, once age as time goes by. With the idea of age comes the fact that your health. Your health is not longer as it used to be so therefore, based on Mr.Williams Bradshaw one should go for a long rest in one of the Holmes home. I like the fact how Emily was able to connect the grandmother and the child with time with the idea that Peter ( one of the character that I have grown to love ; because of the ending) chooses to sat besides someone who was young and old.
One of the Character which in frightened by the words time is Septimus because when he think of his past he see people running for heir life. In just a second they could lost their life. Septimus never worried about his age since as Virginia shows, he did not know if he was going to have a chance to live that long. Here one can see either if you are aging or being in war have one things in common, death.
How are you Guys. I am entering the third part of our assignment.
The growth of Elizabeth
“Oh she would like to go a little further. Another penny was it to the strand. Here was another penny then. She would go up the Strand. She liked people who were ill.. So she might be a doctor. She might be a farmer. Animal are often ill… And she like the feeling of people working. It was so serious; it was so busy. In short, she would like to have a profession… She penetrated a little furthering the direction of St. Paul’s. She liked the geniality, sisterhood, motherhood, brotherhood of this uproar. It seem to her good….” (136-138)
This happened during Elizabeth bus ride. I feel like this represent where Elizabeth live her childhood behind. She is becoming an adult. She remembers the time she used to think how immature her mother used to think of her. When she use to play with dolls, when she was attached to old slippers. Those time were “charming” ( 138) but now we can see she is different for she is already thinking of a profession. She does not have a clue yet on what she wants to do but she know that she know she “ would like the feeling of people working.” (136)
We can see how different she is from her mother. She sees herself working, in other to support herself and mostly others, individuals that are less fortunate. But Clarissa wanted someone to support her for it is the reason why she decided to marry Richard Dalloway instead of Peter. Clarissa likes the attention that guys gives her which is the reason she likes to see Hugh Whitbread because He makes he feels young. But throughout Elizabeth Journey in her bus ride, every man were already fallen in love with her but “ she felt bored.” Elizabeth was not interested in things like that. She wanted to live her life for herself something her mother, Clarissa did not know how to do.
Even Sally could see the difference between those two women as she notice the behavior of both at Clarissa’s party. Elizabeth indeed has growth into someone that is aware of her surrounding, She has grow into someone that her father is proud of. When Richard finally notice her daughter at her party, He could not believe is eyes. “Who is that lovely girl? He said and suddenly he realized it was Elizabeth, and he had not recognized her, she looked so lovely in her pink frock!”(194) Pink a seductive color, but most importantly Pink means that the color White is no longer present, in other word, Elizabeth is no longer innocent, she is no longer a baby. Thought this path, life is running in the eyes of Elizabeth as she thinks about her future profession.
“We shall have a beautiful hat! He murmured, taking up this and that, Rezia kneeling by his side, looking over his shoulder. Now it was finished- that is to say the design; she must stitch it together. But she must be very, very careful, he said, to keep it just as he had made it.” ( 143)
I think this moment is very important in the novel since it is the first time we see individuals that are happy and healthy. We can see joy in their conversation. As Lucrezia kneels besides his husband as they admired the hat that they just create, immediately made me think of creation. They focus on what they are doing, every details seems important to them, especially in Rezia’s eyes as she takes her time to sew the work that her husband and her had created. This moment show how compassionate and loving Rezia is. Most importantly how caring she is about the world around her, for she had create a hot for the Peter’s who didn’t even ask her.
Through the making of the hat, they where able to communicate, with each other. Something they have not in a long time. This hat brought them closer. “For the first for days, he was speaking as he used to do!…Never had she felt so happy! Never in her life!” ( 143) Because of the ha, they were able to talk and joke about their neighbors. It rejoiced Lucrezia that they were “ poking fun privately like married people”(143). This hat brought them for a second together. A moment of joy, so by sending that hat as a gift to a soon to be married couple cold represent a long lasting, happy marriage.
But why did Virginia chooses a hat? What is so special about hats? I Google hat, most site told me how to make a hat but I wasn’t interested in that. However what took my attention is the fact that both men and women wears them. The idea of an equal marriage. A common things that link man and women. Virginia’s writing is amazing, she is an exceptional women for she is able to find the smallest things to shows how women plays many role in society. Hats can also protect one, from the sun and also to warm one’s body parts. So hat can be seeing as protection. A symbol that serves as protection to the Peter’s marriage.
“Fear no more the heat of the sun” (186) thought Clarissa after she retired form her party, isolating herself in a dark room. Those line from Shakespeare where at the beginning of the novel when Clarissa realize glance at a window. Those words makes her recognize that life must goes on, which means that death is just around the corner. As a result she should not be frightened of aging since it is part of living, just like dying is.
Clarissa was upset when the Bradshaws mentions the death of the young man. “What business had the Bradshaws to talk of death at her party?” ( 184) stated Clarissa furiously. However she realize that this young men death was an attempt to communicate to her, to accept life just like it is and to make the best of it. She notice that she did not pity that young as she observe an lady who is making her way to bed. “It was fascinating” Clarissa thought; “with people still laughing and shouting in the drawing room, to watch the old women, quite quietly going to bed.” the old women make Clarissa aware of the movement of life around her. She now sees while she was enjoying herself others were moving on with their life for their own happiness. in the other hand, Clarissa spent most of her time throwing parties just to please others. Party where she does not even have a minute to spend with a friend and talk with them before she must run off to greets another. Even Sally a friend she have not seen for ages.
“There! The old house had put out her light! She repeated , and the words came to her, Fear no more of the heat of the sun.”(168) she realizes that the old lady had putting her own light out, she wasn’t scare anymore for both Septimus and the old lady had brought courage, strength to her, to being herself. “he felt glad that he had done it; throw it away.” because he made her “ feel the beauty; made he fell the sun. he open her eyes, Septimus had show Clarissa the light for she realize “ She must go back. She must assemble. She must find Sally and Peter.” Clarissa is going back to the party to be with people that are important to her, her friends, “Sally and Peter”. Clarissa is going to enjoy the rest of the afternoon or the rest of her life with people that she enjoys being with. Those moment of realization by Clarissa makes us see how much her character has grow has a person.
“Oh it was a letter from her! This blue envelope; that was her hand . And he would have to read it. Here was another of those meetings , bound to be painful! To read her letter needed the devil of an effort. How heavenly it was to see him . She must tell him that. That was all. But it upset him. It annoyed him. He wished she hadn’t written it…”(154)
Sometimes we cannot understand what does one wants. Peter is an example of those individuals. For I am comparing how upset he was when he received a letter sealed in a blue envelope from Clarissa (154) from when he observe that life he could have had with daisy but he felt that it was too good to be true. Peter describe this relationship with Daisy as plain. “all plain sailing”
After a long walk in the street of London where even external stimuli made him think of Clarissa. It feels like Peter feels empty by not having Clarissa in his life as he dreamed of how their life would have being together. Peter observe that anything reminded him of Clarissa. Peter hated the fact that Clarissa had rejected him. The blue envelope represent that color of the ocean which explain the waves of emotion he was going through. Then Peter started to think daisy as he look at a snapshot of daisy. “The best he had ever seen her.” noticed Peter but that didn’t stop him from lusting after Clarissa. He push away the heart of someone that willingly handed to him. But stubborn as Peter was, he commented on their ( Peter’s and Daisy ) relationship of being to smooth. “ No fuss. No bother. No finicking and fidgeting” “ All plain sailing” it was too well, too good Peter thought. This show that Peter never had truly loved anyone besides Daisy. The good thing or easy love was handed to him but he rejected it. knowing all of Clarissa’s bad habits but that did not stop him to desire her or for making get mad at the idea that she rejected his proposal. Peter knew she wasn‘t perfect since they knew each other for a long time but that did not stands in Peter‘s way from wanting Clarissa.
For at the end of the book, when he notice Clarissa, he was in terror, he felt happy. He filled “with extraordinary excitement” and it surprises him. Peter had the last word
“It is Clarissa, he said.
For there she was.”
Those simple words conclude this amazing novel. The struggle had ended for Peter realize it is Clarissa that he was waiting for.
What was the additional reading for our book? ( you guys we are so behind)
hey guys! I'm back from Florida(it was so sunny), i couldn't blog because the house didn't have any internet anyways I think we're reading an additional poem right??
You all did a nice job of researching too—but let’s start making a habit of citing this stuff, or at least describing where you learned the info—it would also be interesting to add to the discussion! Faedhra, you must have known I have a weak spot for Neil Diamond—I call it a weak spot because it is really terrible music that I love. Your best posts were when one of you admitted a passage was confusing and then you all attacked it. None of you mentioned the forward or any other “essay”.
In the scene where Peter visits Clarissa unexpectedly, the two are having a conversation for having not seen each other for such a long time Clarissa imagines Peter as being free; she ached for a freedom like his. Here, however, we see that Peter is not as “free” as Clarissa imagines. He is free, but he is caged in loneliness. In Woolf’s description of Clarissa and Peter we are well aware that the both are critical judges of others’ characters, and they meet like challengers. This scene is vividly created by Woolf where Peter with his knife in his hand and Clarissa with her scissors, “he thought, shutting his knife with a snap…and she opened her scissors” (41). And this scene is where Peter thinks in his mind of how all this time Clarissa was sitting mending her dress and throwing and going to parties while he’s over in India. The thought of the way she lived irritated him and that’s why he snap shut the knife. They are both challengers because they are conscious of one another’s failures and of their own. To Clarissa Peter is her past, something that could have happen but she thought of her future, and of how she wanted to live her life. Clarissa was in a safety blanket, she is protected by Richards’s name. And that’s why I’m assuming that Woolf named this book Mrs. Dalloway because on the surface it is not what it always seems; “looks can be deceiving”.
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