INTRODUCTION
In this article, we will study Virginia Wolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, a novel in which she presents characters in a “flux, rather than static and who react to their surroundings in ways that mirrored actual human experience” (Spark Note Editors). The novelist also presents some rapid political and social changes that marked the period between the two world wars and how the changes affected the English people who seem to have lost faith in their country.
The modern period is an age that is known for experimentation in both content and form in English literature. The English novel is no exception and novelists experimented with different techniques to convey their messages. In current action, the novel like in classical tragedy takes place in one day with flashbacks to supply information from past events.
Background of the Author
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) is an outstanding English Novelist, critic, and essayist. She grew up in an upper-middle-class, socially active, literary family in Victorian London. Patriarchal, repressive Victorian society did not encourage women to attend universities consequently; she was educated at home and read voraciously, the books in her father’s rich library. She started publishing her first essays and reviews after her father’s death. She joined a group of young artists in the Bloomsbury group who met Thursday evenings to discuss intellectually and share their views about the world which influenced their creative output.
This group disregarded the constricting taboos of the Victorian era and went to the extent of discussing homosexuality which was a subject that shocked many of the group’s contemporaries. Woolf saw the group as having made up for the undergraduate education experience which her society had denied her. Virginia later married Leonard Woolf, a member of the Bloomsbury group and together they strengthened the group and later founded the Hogarth Press which published notable authors like T.S. Elliot.
Her mother’s death in 1895 affected Woolf’s life adversely as she suffered several bouts of mania and severe depression which lasted for the rest of her life before she drowned herself. She is best remembered by her contribution to the feminism in her book A Room of One’s Own (1929). She was a great woman who, “in spite of mental illness still found her true voice as a writer” (Stephen 2000, 310). Her other novels include The Voyage Out (1915), To the Lighthouse (1927), and The Waves.
Plot
Mrs. Dalloway presents a day in the life of Mrs. Dalloway. The events of the novel cover one day but the writer utilises the flashback technique to supply the activities from the past. Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class housewife prepares to host a party. The author takes the reader through her London neighbourhood. She returns from shopping and an old suitor and friend, Peter Walsh, arrives unexpectedly. Their meeting in the present is juxtaposed with their thoughts of the past. Peter wants to know if she is happy with her present husband but before she could answer, her daughter arrives. Peter leaves but it is clear that he is yet to come to terms with Clarissa’s refusal.
The novelist criticises the insensitivity and tactlessness of medical professionals. In Mrs. Dalloway, one of Woolf’s doctors suggested that plenty of rest and rich food would lead to a full recovery, a cure prescribed in the novel, and another removed several of her teeth.
Theme
The theme of disillusionment is overtly treated in the novel. Throughout the nineteenth century, the British Empire seemed impregnable but after World War I, the English people became vulnerable on their own land and there was loss of faith in their country. Citizens became less inclined to willingly adhere to the rigid constraints imposed by England’s class system which benefited a small percentage of the society.
The characters in Mrs. Dalloway like Clarissa, Peter, and Septimus, feel the failure of the empire as strongly as they feel their own personal failures. In the novel, the characters who champion the perpetuation of English tradition, like Aunt Helena and Lady Bruton, very old, and represent the old empire that faces an imminent demise since the people are disillusioned by it. Another important theme is oppression which is related to the theme of disillusionment.
The novelist seems to say that the British class system encourages oppression. She uses the characters to reflect this as some of the characters face oppression in one way or the other in the social system. Septimus dies in order to escape what he perceives to be an oppressive social pressure which he was unable to conformwith. Communication as a theme is also treated in the novel as characters like Mrs. Dalloway, Clarissa, Septimus, Peter, find it difficult to communicate. Clarissa’s party is part of an attempt to bring people together to enhance communication.
Narrative Technique
The novel is presented in the third person narrative technique which is also known as the omniscient narrator or the eye of God. This technique enables the author to tell the reader everything about the characters. In addition, she adopts the stream of consciousness technique in the novel which enables her lead the reader into the protagonist’s interior thoughts. With the stream of consciousness technique, the narrative structure is somehow fluid as “one character’s thoughts appear, intensify, then fade into another’s, much like waves that collect then fall”(Stephen 2000, 310).
Another feature of the narration is that narrator’s voice appears occasionally among the subjective thoughts of characters and the point of view changes constantly, often shifting from one character’s stream of consciousness (subjective interior thoughts) to another’s within a single paragraph. The effectiveness of this style is also enhanced by the novelist’s use of “free indirect discourse technique to describe the interior thoughts of characters using third-person singular pronouns (he and she)… this ensures that transitions between the thoughts of [many] characters are subtle and smooth”. The novel is divided into parts instead of the conventional chapters but the novel’s “structure highlights the finely interwoven texture of the characters’ thoughts” (Stephen 2000, 311). The novelist captures vivid details of commonplace tasks like shopping, throwing a party, and eating dinner and through that “transformed the novel as an art form” (Stephen 2000, 311) in Mrs. Dalloway.
Setting
The physical setting of novel is London, England with greater part of the event taking place in the affluent neighborhood of Westminster, where the Dalloways live. The time setting is a day in mid-June, 1923 with many flashbacks to Bourton in the early 1890s, when Clarissa was eighteen.
Characters
Clarissa Dalloway: Clarissa Dalloway, the protagonist of the novel is class conscious and ephemeral. She is preoccupied with fashion, parties, and intermingling in high social circles. She oscillates between being an extrovert and an introvert. Though she is concerned with appearances, she still manages to keep to herself not sharing her feelings with anyone but tries to chat with people or other issues but keeps personal affairs to herself and as she moves through the glittering world she probes beneath those surfaces in search of deeper meaning. She yearns for privacy and in the process develops a tendency towards introspection that gives her a profound capacity for emotion, which many other characters lack. She battles constantly with thoughts of aging and death and also about the decisions she made in the past that has shaped her life. One of them is her decision to marry Richard instead of Peter Walsh. She knows that life with Peter would have been difficult, is also easily aware that she sacrificed passion for the security and tranquility which the upper-class life offers. She wishes that she could have an opportunity to live life all over again. However, by the end of the day she comes to terms with the possibility of death and feels the oppressive forces in life but moves along with her will to endure.
Thanks , I have just been looking for information approximately this subject for ages and yours is the best I’ve came upon till now.
But, what about the bottom line? Are you sure concerning
the source?
I have been exploring for a bit for any high-quality articles or blog
posts in this kind of house . Exploring in Yahoo I
at last stumbled upon this web site. Studying this information So
i’m happy to express that I’ve a very just right uncanny feeling I discovered exactly what I needed.
I such a lot definitely will make sure to
don?t overlook this web site and provides it a glance on a constant
basis.
Very good post. I absolutely appreciate this website.
Keep writing!
I really like what you guys are up too. This type of clever work and reporting!
Keep up the superb works guys I’ve included you guys to my blogroll.
The other day, while I was at work, my sister stole my iPad and tested to see if
it can survive a 40 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now
broken and she has 83 views. I know this is totally off topic but I had to share
it with someone!
Having read this I thought it was very enlightening.
I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this information together.
I once again find myself spending a significant amount of time
both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worth it!
Marvelous, what a web site it is! This weblog provides valuable data to us, keep it up.
Thank you for every other informative site. Where else may
I am getting that type of information written in such an ideal way?
I have a project that I am just now working on, and I have
been on the glance out for such information.
Hey there, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your website in Opera, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it
has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Other then that, amazing blog!
Yesterday, while I was at work, my sister stole my iphone and tested
to see if it can survive a 40 foot drop, just so she can be a youtube sensation. My apple ipad is now destroyed
and she has 83 views. I know this is totally off topic but I had to share it with someone!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I truly appreciate your efforts and I will
be waiting for your further write ups thank you once again.
You really make it seem really easy with your presentation however I in finding this topic to be really one thing which I feel I’d
by no means understand. It sort of feels too complicated and very wide for me.
I am having a look ahead for your next post, I’ll attempt to get the hold of it!
Hi there, I enjoy reading all of your post. I like to write
a little comment to support you.
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thanks, However I am encountering issues with your RSS.
I don’t know why I am unable to join it. Is there anybody having similar RSS problems?
Anyone that knows the answer can you kindly respond?
Thanx!!
Hi to every body, it’s my first pay a quick visit of this blog; this web site consists of remarkable and in fact good stuff in support of readers.
These are in fact great ideas in on the topic of blogging.
You have touched some nice things here. Any way keep
up wrinting.
Thanks for some other informative blog. Where else may I
get that kind of info written in such a perfect approach?
I’ve a mission that I am simply now working on, and I have been at the look
out for such info.
My spouse and I stumbled over here coming from a different page and thought
I should check things out. I like what I see so i am just following
you. Look forward to finding out about your web
page yet again.
Hello there, You’ve done an incredible job. I’ll certainly digg it
and personally suggest to my friends. I am sure they will
be benefited from this website.
What’s up everyone, it’s my first pay a quick visit at this web site, and
paragraph is really fruitful in support of me,
keep up posting these articles or reviews.
Hello There. I found your weblog the use of msn. This is a really smartly written article.
I will be sure to bookmark it and come back to learn more of your useful information. Thanks for
the post. I will certainly return.
The importance of this question is self-evident for these with a gambling sensibility.
A prime example of a table game variation would be American Roulette
vs European Roulette.
With an RTP of 96%, players have a statistically greater possibility of receiving payouts more than an extended period
of play.
Thanks a lot for sharing this with all people
you really recognise what you are talking approximately! Bookmarked.
Please additionally talk over with my site =).
We can have a hyperlink trade contract among us
I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice, keep it up!
I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back later on. All the best
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but
after going through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me.
Anyways, I’m certainly happy I discovered it and
I’ll be book-marking it and checking back frequently!
Nice blog here! Also your web site loads up fast! What web host are you using?
Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my
site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
hello there and thank you for your information – I’ve definitely picked up anything new
from right here. I did however expertise some technical issues using this website, as I experienced to reload the website many times previous to I could get it to load correctly.
I had been wondering if your web hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will often affect your placement in google and could damage your
high-quality score if ads and marketing with Adwords.
Anyway I’m adding this RSS to my e-mail and can look out for much more of your
respective exciting content. Ensure that you update this again soon.
This info is priceless. How can I find out more?
Superb website you have here but I was wondering if you
knew of any forums that cover the same topics talked about here?
I’d really like to be a part of community where I can get feed-back from other knowledgeable individuals that share the same interest.
If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Bless you!
Spot on with this write-up, I honestly feel this site needs far more attention. I’ll probably be back again to see more, thanks for the information!
At this time it looks like BlogEngine is the best blogging platform available right
now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
My brother recommended I would possibly like this
web site. He was once totally right. This publish truly made my day.
You cann’t believe just how much time I had spent for this info!
Thank you!
Wow, awesome blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?
you make blogging look easy. The overall look of your website is great, as well as
the content!
hi!,I really like your writing so a lot! proportion we communicate extra approximately your post on AOL?
I need an expert on this house to unravel my problem.
May be that is you! Taking a look forward to peer you.
I’m excited to discover this page. I wanted to thank you for your time
due to this wonderful read!! I definitely appreciated every part of it and i also have you saved to
fav to check out new stuff on your blog.
I just couldn’t depart your website prior to suggesting that I extremely enjoyed
the usual information a person provide for your visitors? Is gonna be back
steadily in order to check out new posts
Post writing is also a fun, if you be acquainted with afterward you
can write otherwise it is complex to write.
I simply couldn’t leave your site before suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the usual info an individual supply in your visitors?
Is going to be again steadily to check up on new posts
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this site before but after browsing through
some of the post I realized it’s new to me. Anyways, I’m definitely happy I found it and I’ll be bookmarking
and checking back often!
Thanks for finally writing about > VIRGINIA WOLF’S
NOVEL – MRS. DALLOWAY – Recruitment Portal < Liked it!
LAVITA RICCA INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT*
♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️
♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️
*NO MORE EXCUSES*
1. I don’t have money
2. I can’t talk to people
3. I don’t do stuff like this
4. I’m too Busy
Your excuses may be legit but they won’t improve your Life.
• *Lavita Ricca Investment is Fully Registered with with FGN. with RC NO 1582489( For those Who Think Lavita Ricca is Not Registered)* *Contact Administrator Management Mrs. Elizabeth Tina On *(09036369810)
*Lavita Ricca Investment is a platform network that deal with investing of money just within 45 minutes you will get back your money double*
?phone=+2349036369810
*Lavita Ricca PACKAGE’S*
*N20,000====N40,000*
*N40,000====N80,000*
*N50,000====N100,000*
*N100,000====N200,000*
*N200,000 ====N400,000*
*N400,000====N800,000*
*======== = = ========*
*I know you are skeptical about this because of the negative experience a lot of issues as regards scamming in the MMM. I assure you 101% that you won’t lose your money this is because I know the risk of this profit oriented business and I know how to avoid them using my trading skills and signals to make only wins and no losses.*
*Are u a worker?*
 *Are u a student looking for your school fees? Are u a woman looking for money to pay your children school fees?*
 *Are u jobless and u need where u can make source of income?*..
 *Lavita Ricca Investment is here for you! With a little amount u can earn and make more more source of income without any problems*
 *Lavita Ricca Investment is a platform network that deal with investing of money just within 45mins you will get back your money double*
*Thank you for your time you can click on the link below to get started, please only serious minded people are expected to message the administrator.( 09036369810 )
*LAVITA RICCA INVESTMENT PROGRAM*
♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️
♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️♦️
*NO MORE EXCUSES*
1. I don’t have money
2. I can’t talk to people
3. I don’t do stuff like this
4. I’m too Busy
Your excuses may be legit but they won’t improve your Life.
• *LAVITA RICCA INVESTMENT PROGRAM is Fully Registered with CAC. WHICH IS COOPERATE AFFAIR COMMISSION( For those Who Think LAVITA RICCA INVESTMENT is Not Registered)*
*LAVITA RICCA INVESTMENT PROGRAM is a platform network that deal with investing of money just within 45mins you will get back your money double*
CONTACT:- +2349036369810
*LAVITA RICCA INVESTMENT PROGRAM PACKAGE’S*
*N20,000====N40,000*
*N30, 000====N60,000*
*N50,000====N100,000*
*N100,000====N200,000*
*N200,000 ====N400,000*
*N400,000====N800,000*
*==============*
*I know you are skeptical about this because of the negative experience a lot of issues as regards scamming in the global world. I assure you 101% that you won’t lose your money this is because I know the risk of this profit oriented business and I know how to avoid them using my trading skills and signals to make only wins and no losses.*
*Are u a worker?*
♊ *Are u a student looking for your school fees? Are u a woman looking for money to pay your children school fees?*
♊ *Are u jobless and u need where u can make source of income?*
♊ *LAVITA RICCA INVESTMENT PROGRAM is here for you! With a little amount u can earn and make more more source of income without any problems*
♊ *LAVITA RICCA INVESTMENT PROGRAM is a platform network that deal with investing of money just within 45mins you will get back your money double*
*Thank you for your time you can click on the link below to get started, please only serious minded People are expected to message the administrator.*
..
CONTACT NAME Mrs. ELIZABETH TINA
CONTACT:- 09036369810