Soon after her father’s death, Woolf and two of her
siblings moved to Bloomsbury and started to move in the same circles as several
free-thinking intellectuals and artists. Together, they were known as the
Bloomsbury Group; they met to critique ideas and raise questions about the
world. Those who were a part of it are some of the most acclaimed people, such
as Robert Fry, E.M Forster, Clive Bell, John Maynard Keyes, and Vanessa Bell.
They often had opposing views but salons have a tendency to encourage one to
think out of the box.
What’s in a Name?
I think that the title of the novel Mrs Dalloway
is an important element to deconstruct. While it is obvious that the
central character of the novel is Clarissa Dalloway, there are several nuances
at play. Firstly, it indicates that Clarissa chose Richard Dalloway over Peter
Walsh. Additionally, marrying Mr Dalloway shows the importance she places on
maintaining her position in society. The usage of ‘Mrs’ over ‘Clarissa’ points
to the position of women in the same society. While she may run in upper-class
circles, at the end of the day, no one is unaffected by the patriarchy and will
always be associated with her husband. This includes the way she identifies
herself with her husband. The themes of women being oppressed under the system
as well as class tensions are therefore addressed in the title.
My River Runs to Thee
To me, one of the most distinctive features of the
novel is the writing style. Mrs Dalloway provided a stark contrast
against the conventional Victorian structure, which had well-developed plots
and a linear form of storytelling. Woolf employed a technique called the
‘stream of consciousness, which gives the reader an insight into the inner
workings of the characters over one day. The stream of consciousness captures
the natural flow of thought because it is not linear, the text and syntax are
not grammatically correct and the characters often jump from thinking about one
thing to another. For example, in this excerpt:
All India lay behind him; plains, mountains;
epidemics of cholera; a district twice as big as Ireland; decisions he had come
to alone—he, Peter Walsh; who was now really for the first time in his life, in
love. Clarissa had grown hard, he thought; and a trifle sentimental into the
bargain, he suspected, looking at the great motor-cars capable of doing—how
many miles on how many gallons? For he had a turn for mechanics; had invented a
plough in his district, had ordered wheel-barrows from England, but the coolies
wouldn't use them, all of which Clarissa knew nothing whatsoever about (Woolf, 35).
This technique is modernist in nature because it
breaks away from regular prose, puts an immense amount of focus on the
individual, and is disjointed. Peter Walsh’s thoughts move from geography to
Clarissa to cars and back to Clarissa. The associative nature of these thoughts
mimics the actual process and makes the reader feel like they are in the
character’s mind. It gives the reader a more intimate experience while also
helping them understand the character better.
Let Us Sleep Now
Published in 1925, a few years after the first
World War, the book captures the thoughts of those living in a post-war London.
While some of the characters look at the past, others ponder over a bleak
future. Richard, Clarissa, Septimus and Peter all seem to be patriots. In the 19th
Century, the British Empire dominated the world and its fall had a deep impact
on the nation as well as its citizens. Their pride was hurt and they
desperately clung to the times they showed their might. This is seen as Richard
attempts to preserve the legacy of the Burtons.
The characters also seem hyper-aware of death. They
recall traumatic events of the past, deaths they have experienced, the fleeting
nature of their mortality and the fact that they lived through the war. Whether
Clarissa looks at blooming floors and also when she looks at her own ageing
reflection, the thoughts invade her mind. It is interesting to note how people
belonging to the crème de la crème cope with such feelings post-war since they
seem impervious to the effects of war. They live in fear of death, as though
they are constantly in danger. To me, the toll of Big Ben every hour adds an
ominous and dark element that complements the characters’ feelings. Septimus,
in contrast, decides to take fate into his own hands. He would rather preserve
his soul by taking his own life than wait out another miserable day. I felt
like Septimus was the most intense character in the novel. It was difficult to
read the section where he takes his own life. The calm that seemed to settle
over him as he became lucid, the light-hearted conversation he had with his
wife, a flippant comment he made asking her to destroy his thoughts-- they all
seem exceedingly normal. It is hard to imagine this situation and it hurts to
empathize with the character. The war shattered him and left him empty. The
following excerpt, from one of his last moments, shows how fond he was of
Rezia. He adored her and took it all in before he ended his life.
She held her hands to her head, waiting for him to
say did he like the
hat or not, and as she sat there, waiting, looking
down, he could feel her
mind, like a bird, falling from branch to branch,
and always alighting,
quite rightly; he could follow her mind, as she sat
there in one of those
loose lax poses that came to her naturally and, if
he should say anything,
at once she smiled, like a bird alighting with all
its claws firm upon the
bough.
Clarissa had a complex reaction to Septimus’ death.
Initially, she dismissed it because she did not think that the topic should be
brought up at her party. However, she soon begins to understand why Septimus
did what he did. She understood wanting the embrace of death and felt that it
was a form of defiance and communication. Later that night, when she looks at
the elderly woman getting ready for bed, she reflects on the fact that she felt
very much like Septimus. Perhaps, in the old woman, she saw her future as a
hollow, domesticated being who felt alone. In a sense, she found some closure
in his death. So how is she able to brush it off? Why must she keep up the
appearance of porcelain that does not crack? Why does Septimus feel his
emotions in all their glory, while she suppresses hers? Why is she okay with
surviving in a world that she hates? Why is she in a constant state of denial?
We spend a considerable amount of time thinking
about these themes and the roles they play in our lives. But we rarely think
about our role in creating and contributing to the structures that seem to
stifle and suffocate us. As Septimus put it, “Only human beings—what did
they want?”