Use 200-250 words to answer the following questions regarding VW's Mrs. Dalloway:
1) Memories of the past play an extremely important role in Mrs. Dalloway. For Clarissa, her girlhood at Bourton keeps haunting in her mind; for Septimus, his memory of the war and desire for his officer and friend Evans become ghosts that are hard to be dispelled. Compare and contrast these two memories of the past. Why do these two characters seem to be trapped in and haunted by their pasts?
2) What’s the difference between
Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
3) As many critics point out, Mrs. Dalloway can be considered as an anti-war novel. As a victim of the war, Septimus is used by Woolf to express her most telling critique of ideological systems, patriarchal values and ultimately the war. Explain how this critique is achieved in the portrayal of Septimus.
4) The novel has many characters--some of them are flat; some of them are round. Why does Woolf make certain characters flat (e.g. Dr. Holmes, Sir William Bradshaw, Lady Bruton, Hugh Whitbread)? Why does she present certain characters with subtle particularity, making them complex in temperament and personality (e.g. Clarissa, Peter, Septimus)?
5) Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
47 comments:
I choose 2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s? to answer.
The reason why Lady Bruton held parties was that she wanted to ask Hugh Whitbread and Richard Dalloway to writer reference letter to Times Magazine in order to express her project for emigrating young people of both sexes born of respectable parents and setting them up with a fair prospect of doing well in Canada (p164.). From this point, we could see that Lady Bruton’s party must be carried certain purpose.
But the reason why Clarissa held parties was without purpose. Because Clarissa thought those parties could bring together and her ability to hold parties was a gift. In the p185, Clarissa thought ‘she felt what a waste; and she felt what a pity; and she felt if only they could be brought together; so she did it. ’And it was an offering; to combine, to create…. ’’ ‘Anyhow, it was her gift.’
Among these sentences, we could tell the reasons why Clarissa enjoyed the process of holding parties, because it was the moment of being to her.
The privacy of the soul was very important for Clarissa. Clarissa did not stay with Peter because she had to share everything with him. That would lose the privacy of her soul. On the contrary, Richard gave her privacy so that she chose Richard rather than Peter. I thought the privacy was very important to Clarissa because she had two parts of her soul. One was social side which appeared in the surface and the other was her real side which was lonely and oppressive just like Septimus. Septimus wanted to protect his soul because Dr. Holmes wanted to ruin it. Therefore, Septimus chose to commit suicide to preserve his privacy of soul. Septimus was an epiphany to Clarissa. When Clarissa heard of the death of Septimus, she seemed to share the same feeling with him. Therefore, she started to introspect to her inner soul. Before Clarissa married, she had her own opinion; she did not want to be restricted by the civilization so that she hid her real soul. Therefore, she appeared her social side which was dropped in daily business such as lies, chatter and corruption. It was Septimus’s death that made Clarissa to introspect her inner life. Septimus was like the shadow of Clarissa because they all oppressed by the society. In somehow, their souls linked together.
2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
Lady Bruton’s party and Clarissa’s are totally different in many ways. And the most interesting point for me is the purposes of and Lady Bruton’s party and Clarissa’s.
First, Lady Bruton’s party is more formal while Clarissa’s is more casual. Lady Bruton holds this party because she has a purpose, otherwise, she will not bother to have one. Among the party, business is the most important and the only topic. As soon as the topic is discussed and finished, the party is finished as well. It is like a conference but veiled under the name of "party". There is no strong emotion between Lady Bruton and her party visitors. The greeting sounds superficial and insincere. On the other hand, Clarissa’s party is to unite every one and have fun together. Clarissa holds a party is because she wants to do it. "party" means a kind of enjoyment of her life. In her place, every one enjoys not only the food and the wine but also the moment. Clarissa’s house is filled with chatting and laughing. It seems that every one is delightful and comfortable in her place. In addition, the description of Clarissa’s maids preparing busily the party can be read in the novel, however, there is nothing about Lady Bruton’s maids preparing the party. I think it indicates that Lady Bruton’s party is shallow and cold while Clarissa’s party is more close to people and full of passionate.
4) The novel has many characters--some of them are flat; some of them are round. Why does Woolf make certain characters flat (e.g. Dr. Holmes, Sir William Bradshaw, Lady Bruton, Hugh Whitbread)? Why does she present certain characters with subtle particularity, making them complex in temperament and personality (e.g. Clarissa, Peter, Septimus)?
In this fiction, round characters make it important, and they are highlighted by flat characters’ parts. All of us can see that main characters like Clarissa, Peter and Septimus’ complex of their temperament and personality. These subtle descriptions make the meaning of lives stand out of the upper class settings. This kind of characters makes the fiction stays as one of classics. On the other hand, not everyone can do something meaningful, and some characters represent some certain idea so that their other aspects just minor to the fiction.
Dr. Holmes, a doctor who always shows up with complicated struggle of Septimus and Razia. If Woolf takes this part to bulid up Dr. Holmes’ characteristic, it would be distracting audiences’ attention. Sir William Bradshaw is an authority who represents the powerful force of social rules. He is a classic British gentleman, and what he stands in the novel is just a voice to speak for the public opinion. Lady Bruton is a character who represents patriotism. She carries politic issues in this book. Therefore, if the author makes her a round character, she may blur this significant status of Lady Bruton’ s. Hugh Whitbread isn’t a welcoming person in every character’s stream of consciousness. It has to have a character like him to show some real shallowness to contrast with Mrs. Dalloway.
49802011 Cleon
Here is the answers to question number one:
As what the question had descripted, Memories of the past do play an extremely important role in "Mrs. Dalloway." For Clarissa, her girlhood keeps haunting in her mind. For Septimus, his memory of the war and desire for his brothers in the battle field become ghosts even after the wars ends. Clarissa and
Septimus has trouble on memory issue, this somehow makes them psychic double.
For Clarissa's part, Clarissa is used to be a modern, open minded, passionate, maybe somehow pro-left winged character, also a lesbian. However when the time had passed and she had grown older, many of her early believes had gone rot. She no longer belives pro-left winged ideas and her lesbian prefernce, instead, she married a husband and becomes a lady with high class characteristic. Party had become a way for her to feel she is alive, since her life had been so boring and unbearable as all her believes had gone.
As for Septimus, he is a veteran from world war one. In the victorian's point of view, everyman who goes to war is concerned to be an glorious act. It is the act to defend their race's belif and way of living. Septimus did reach this idea by going to war. However, even after the war and the illnesses he got, he still cannot get out of this "victorian idea." So the ghosts from the past started to haunt him.
Clarissa and Septimus' haunted memory shares the same feature, they are all belives and ideas that finally gone rot.
5) Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
Although Clarissa never met Septimus before, she seemed be familiar with him when William Bradshaw mentioned his death in the party. At first, she was shocked, but then she realized that Septimus committed a suicide for preventing his soul from being civilized by the doctor. Life became intolerable when people tried to steal the treasure. Death was the only way for him to keep the privacy of his own soul, and his death made Clarissa started to introspect. She seemed to see the scene and feel the pain in person. At the moment, she saw the old lady who moved and did daily chores in the room through the window, and she seemed to see her inner world which she locked her soul inside the private room. Unlike Septimus, Clarissa saw the future in the old woman, and she felt calm and peaceful. She loved life, and she knew she could preserve her moment of non-being in her moment of being. Though Clarissa and Septimus chose opposite ways to preserve their private spirits, their views about the privacy of the soul are the same. It is their souls that bonded them together.
Ethan (49902015)
Question 2: What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
Answer: There are several differences between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s. The first difference is the purpose of throwing the party. The reason why Lady Bruton wants to throw a party is because she wants to express her thought, her idea which is the project to Richard Dalloway and Hugh Whitbread and ask these two people to write reference letters for her. This party can be considered as a kind of business agenda with food and drink. It’s like an appointment instead of a party. While the reason why Clarissa wants to throw a party is quite simple. She wants to gather people and bring some happiness. She wants to make some joy in the life. That is the reason why she wants to throw a party. The second difference is the mood of Lady Bruton and Clarissa. Just like what it was mentioned in the book. Lady Bruton wants Richard Dalloway and Hugh Whitbread to write reference letter for her. So, all she wants and cares is the result, the consequence. She might not enjoy the talking in the party. However, Clarissa is different. She enjoys the whole party. She enjoys the preparation and the process of the party. These two difference are the main difference between Lady Bruton’s and Clarissa’s party.
Avril(49802028) Question 5:
Clarissa needs a lot of space of her own. She doesn’t share a room with her husband Richard. Apparently, she likes to have some privacy more than others not only physically but also mentally. That’s also the reason why she doesn’t married Peter because being with him, “everything has to be shared”. Obviously, Clarissa doesn’t like someone else middle in her life too much. She tends to keep some distances between people, even is her lover. She enjoys having a room of her own. As for her psychic double, Septimus, he also doesn’t like other people interfere in his mind too much, especially his doctor. He thinks that once you fall, “human nature is on you”. Those doctors are going to eat you up. He thinks that doctors will try everything they can to rip him until he left nothing. They pretend they do things for his own good but actually they are evil. For Septimus, he rather kills himself than gives in to those doctors who try to “save” him. If doctors catch him and send him to the hospital, he will have no privacy at all. Not only his body will be trapped but also his mind will be.
Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
Although Clarissa and Peter loved each other, Peter couldn’t give the privacy of the soul to Clarissa. Therefore, Clarissa chose Richard, who can give her the privacy of the soul to be her husband. I think if Clarissa lost her privacy of the soul she would probably be controlled by her husband, just like Mrs. Bradshaw. Clarissa not only has the privacy of the soul she also has the room of her won. I think it’s very important to her because she can have her own thinking and won’t be disturbed or controlled by anyone else. Septimuse also wants to have the privacy of the soul but he finally found that he couldn’t have it. He didn’t want anyone to take his privacy of the soul. Therefore, he chose to die. When Sir William Bradshaw talked about the death of Septimus, Clarissa was very angry at first. But later on, she seemed to understand the reason why Septimus chose to die. And Clarissa thought that the privacy of the soul is the treasure. She thought that Septimus wanted to defend his treasure so he chose to die. Although Clarissa and Septimus didn’t meet each other before, both of them saw the privacy of the soul is treasure. Clarissa thought that the scientists and doctors make us lose our privacy of the soul. And she thought that if one person loses his privacy of the soul, death can be a good choice. “The privacy of the soul” links two unacquainted people. Although one of them is dead, they still think the privacy of the soul is the treasure in life.
Grace 49802036
2)
The atmosphere of the parties and the purposes of the party’s holders are very different. In Bruton’s party, her purpose is clear: she wanted Hugh and Richard to help her write the letter which contained her politics. Because she thought that if the writer of the letter was Hugh or Richard, the letter would be more convincible than she wrote. Consequently, the conversation in this party was very bureaucratic. They talked with the official tone which was cold and fake. So I think the atmosphere in this party was not happy and relaxing, but serious. It was not even a party, but a political meeting. Moreover, the details of the dishes were set well by Lady Briton. It gave the readers a feeling that she just cared about the content of the dishes, not her housekeeper. She just wanted all the things were arranged well. However, in Mrs. Dalloway’s party, the purpose of the party was also clear: she just wanted to be happier and interact with others. Many people gathered in her party such as, Sally, Richard, Peter and Hugh. Not only Clarrisa wanted to meet and interact with them, but also they were glad to see the friends who had not seen each other since they were eighteen. Moreover, Clarrisa felt a sense of epiphany after hearing the news about Septimus’s death, because they both valued the privacy of the soul. Furthermore, the author focused on the details of relationship between Clarrisa and her housekeeper. It was totally different from the Bruton’s party.
Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
Clarissa and Septimus are two people who are eager for their own privacy of the soul during their whole lives. When Clarissa is young, she wonders between Peter’s love and Richards’. Finally, though she loves Peter, she chooses later because Richard can give what she needs, privacy. She can have her own thinking and world. On the contrary, Peter who is a man who always uses “in the name of love” to ravish Clarissa’s soul because he emphasizes that Clarissa should share everything with him. On the other hand, Septimus chooses to commit suicide in order to prevent Dr. Holmes from raping his soul. He thinks that “death” is the only way to preserve it. And when Clarissa hears something about Septimus and his death, she starts to make a self-examination. She seems to suffer the same situation which Septimus once suffered. However, when Clarissa sees the old lady, she’s suddenly pulled back to the reality. Then, she thinks that maybe his death is right and she also gets consolation from his death. It seems that there is no connection between Clarissa and Septimus; yet, their yearning for privacy connects them with some invisible ways.
2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
As the “general great-great-great-grand daughter,” unlike other woman, Lady Bruton has “the reputation of being more interested in politics than people and was in a position of power.” She wants to be like a man, become a notorious figure, and be mentioned in memoires. In order to achieve her goal, she holds a party to get Richard and Hugh together because she needs Richard’s support of her proposal for "a project for emigrating young people of both sexes born of respectable parents and setting them up with a fair prospect of doing well in Canada" and Hugh’s command of language to pass the words out. Obviously, she holds the party only out of business.
On the contrary to Lady Bruton’s party, Clarissa’s party is “an offering, for the sake of offering”. For Clarissa, it is her gift for holding a party, which brings individuals together and make a chance to have conversations. Moreover, parties are a part of her life; she loves her life and she wants to create life for her and others. In addition, parties can help her to find the moments of being－to feel the trivial things and things that she has, and to feel more alive.
I answered the third question:
The circumstance of the society is that English citizens lost much of their faith in the empire after World War I. Think of the characteristics of Septimus, he is a veteran of World War I and then suffers from menticide. He always lives in his internal world, and the world outside of him seems threatening. For instance, one thing that most threatens him is Dr. Holmes. By the cure of Dr. Holmes, he would lose the thing that he always wants to seize- his privacy of the soul. In order to escape from this torture, there is nothing he can do but committing suicide.
It is very likely that Woolf intends to allude herself to Septimus. She gets melancholia for suffering from severe traumas in her growing process. Since her melancholia getting more and more serious, she moves to countryside with her husband. However, she still cannot bear the torture of her own menticide, she decides to commit suicide to escape.
In the later part of the story, Woolf describes the alarm of the ambulance, which going to take Septimus, as the triumph of civilization. This plot makes Septimus’s standpoint more specific. The old Empire faces the decline and the loss of tradition and social order after World War I.
2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
These two upper-class ladies, Clarissa and Lady Bruton, their parties are different in purpose and atmosphere.
Lady Bruton, who had a reputation of being more interested in politics than others, invited people to her house for particular purpose. The purpose of the lunch party is to request Hugh and Richard for helping her out of a difficulty. Hoping each of them could write a letter and sent it to the Times, to convey her sublime conception of emigration. Also, Lady Bruton started the utterance with ulterior motives. For example, she asked after Clarissa and Evelyn, tried to pretend she was friendly in purpose, though she did not like the wife of a politician and did not care about a poor weak woman. There was a hidden purpose in this party obviously, so that the conversation must be serious and the atmosphere must be burdensome.
On the contrary, Clarissa Dalloway held the party for nothing but life. She pursued the ideal life in her own way. She invited friends and relatives and assembled them all together through the party. No hidden purpose, just for communicate. It seemed like a big reunion, people who seldom contact with each other came into one place and knew each other’s recent situation. For Clarissa, it was life, everyone had fun and chat. Without pressure, everyone must relax and talk with delight; therefore, the atmosphere must be joyful and comfortable.
2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
In Lady Bruton’s party, there is less the description of servants when they put dishes on the table. The speaker just describes those “aproned white-capped maids” move back and forth through swing doors in a quite and exquisite way. Handmaidens are really good at it under the practice by hostesses in London. Also, Lady Bruton is an epitome of the power here. Only “with a wave of the hand,” servants stop and all sets of dishes as well as delicious food are spread out on the table neatly. This description reveals that Lady Bruton has the lunch for a certain purpose—having Hugh and Richard write a letter to "Times." However, in Clarissa’s party, Dalloway servants run around and are anxious about every detail about the party. We can see those maids toil all day serving people from the upper class, but it is ridiculous that they are worse than cookers and food. Moreover, if the Prime Minister comes has made no difference to Mrs. Walker, a cook. The duty thing gives her a kind of numbness. Even nobody has sympathy for them, except for Mrs. Dalloway. She appreciates their hard work and sends her gratitude to Mrs. Walker. What servants do is what Clarissa cares for. Those are very trifles happening in the “daily life.” It also strikes readers what a big distinct worker in the lower class and the rich have.
Virginia Woolf successfully expresses the anti-war critique through Septimus' suffering from war. As a victim of World War One, the shock of shell and the death of Evans deeply influence Septimus' soul. The explosion is not only just taking off his beloved fellow's life but his mind. Moreover, the shock is so powerful that he even lost his pity on the death of Evans. Nobody can understand his Post-traumatic stress disorder is the worst of all; His wife cannot tolerate his strange behavior, and Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw declares that he is insane. Furthermore, Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw become Septimus' fear. Both of them, as the models of ideological systems and humanity, are the accomplices of Septimus' death while he is trying to get his life back on track. According to Karl Von Clausewitz's On War, "This is the reason that the correct theorist is like a swimming master, who teaches on dry land movements which are required in the water, which must appear grotesque and ludicrous to those who forget about the water. This is also why theorists, who have never plunged in themselves, or who cannot deduce any generalities from their experience, are unpractical and even absurd, because they only teach what everyone knows—how to walk."(Chapter 2, Book 1) The theories of the authority such as Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw are in vain, because they cannot put themselves in Septimus' shoes.
5) Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
Clarissa in particular struggles to open the pathway for communication and throws parties in an attempt to draw people together. But The privacy of the soul" is so important for Clarissa because she feels shrouded within her own reflective soul and thinks the ultimate human mystery is how she can exist in one room while the old woman in the house across from hers exists in another. The old woman in the window across from Clarissa’s house represents the privacy of the soul and the loneliness that goes with it, both of which will increase as Clarissa grows older. Clarissa sees the future in the old woman. She herself will grow old and become more and more alone, since that is the nature of life. Even as Clarissa celebrates the old woman’s independence, she knows it comes with an inevitable loneliness.
Septimus dies in order to escape what he perceives to be an oppressive social pressure to conform. It comes in many guises, including religion, science, or social convention. The privacy of the soul can link her with Septimus, she sees Septimus’s death as a desperate. Clarissa has experienced the deaths of her father, mother, and sister and has lived through the calamity of war, and she has grown to believe that living even one day is dangerous. Death is very naturally in her thoughts, along with Septimus’s suicidal embrace of death, ultimately helps her to be at peace with her own mortality.
I answer the second question. The difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s is their purpose of holding party. Lady Bruton’s party was held to achieve her plan for emigrating young people of both sexes to Canada. Reversely, Clarissa’s party was an offering for the sake of offering.
Lady Bruton needed Richard and Hugh to help her write a letter about her plan to Times. She would cost more time if she writes the letter by herself. So she needed Hugh Whitbread who possessed the art of writing letters to the Times. She thinks that ‘’if Richard advised her, and Hugh wrote for her, she was sure of being somehow right (165-166).’’ She invited them for specific purpose. On the contrary, the purpose of Clarissa’s party is people come to have fun. She thought holding party is her gift. She had to take the responsibility for assembling everyone together. She cared about the detail of trivial matters like something in the kitchen. She emphasized on daily routines. Party was the part of her life. It didn’t mean she wanted to present she was a good hostess. She just wanted to combine, to create because it was an offering. In my opinion, Lady Bruton concerned about herself, on the other hand, Clarissa concerned about others.
Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
I choose this question to answer. I think the privacy of the soul is important to Clarissa. We can find sign in the choice of Clarissa between Peter and Richard. When she was young, she needed to make choice between Peter and Richard. Finally, she chose Richard. Although Clarissa loves peter, peter will limit her. Peter wants to share but Clarissa doesn’t. She wants to keep her privacy. Richard can offer this to Clarissa. Richard even can agree that he and Clarissa can sleep separately. She gives up peter to get privacy. Although Clarissa never meets Septimus, she seems to can understand why he did that. Septimus don’t want to others invade his privacy of soul. So, when his doctor tried to change him, Septimus chose to kill himself to protect his privacy of soul. Although Clarissa and Septimus chose different way to protect their privacy, their desire is same. So, when Clarissa listen about Septimus’s suicide, she feel familiar.
I choose 5) Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
Clarissa decided to get married with Richard Dalloway, because Richard can respect her privacy. She knew that a person has the right to thinking, which is the most important part of soul. And Septimus, Clarissa’s psychic double, who also had the similar point. In the story, he created his own thoughts about the evil humanity. Then he figure out only love is the truth, and he would like to share this truth to others. Soon Septimus was sent to hospital, Doctor Holmes thought Septimus need to release his nerve and stop thinking. Holmes, who to Septimus is the ugly human nature came to torment him. In order to keep the privacy of the soul, Septimus committed suicide.
In the story, when Clarissa heard the bad news about Septimus, she felt her body burning. She thought that she is Septimus, and she felt painfully. She understood why Septimus commit suicide. She could taste the excitement to protect the privacy of the soul as Septimus. This plot emphasizes the importance about keeping the privacy of the soul. On the other hand, it is also a critique, which criticized the sense of superiority of the psychiatrists.
2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s are different in the purpose of the party. Lady Bruton held the party for some specific purpose. In the story, she held the party because she needed Richard and Hugh’s help. The emigration to Canada was Lady Bruton’s cause. She wanted to write to the Times about this issue. However, she had no good enough writing skill, so she wanted Richard to give her advise and Hugh to write in good manner.
On the other hand, holding party was a part of Clarissa’s life. She held the party for no special meaning. She thought that “it was her gift.” For Clarissa, she could feel her life during the party. In the party, not only some intimate friends would come but also some friends who had long been not seen. The party gives them opportunity to meet each other, to talk to each other. In these communications, Clarissa felt her life, which combined this normal and daily chat.
I choose 5) Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
Clarissa decided to get married with Richard Dalloway, because Richard can respect her privacy. She knew that a person has the right to thinking, which is the most important part of soul. And Septimus, Clarissa’s psychic double, who also had the similar point. In the story, he created his own thoughts about the evil humanity. Then he figure out only love is the truth, and he would like to share this truth to others. Soon Septimus was sent to hospital, Doctor Holmes thought Septimus need to release his nerve and stop thinking. Holmes, who to Septimus is the ugly human nature came to torment him. In order to keep the privacy of the soul, Septimus committed suicide.
In the story, when Clarissa heard the bad news about Septimus, she felt her body burning. She thought that she is Septimus, and she felt painfully. She understood why Septimus commit suicide. She could taste the excitement to protect the privacy of the soul as Septimus. This plot emphasizes the importance about keeping the privacy of the soul. On the other hand, it is also a critique, which criticized the sense of superiority of the psychiatrists.
Sherry 49902011 (Q5)
Clarissa attempts to keep her most secret thoughts and dreams hidden deep in her heart for no one will be able to truly neither understand them nor cherish them as she does. As a wife, mother and hostess of various parties, on the surface, it seems that she should be an outgoing and brisk woman, however; in truth, she is never completely relaxed and open to anyone. Her heart is a secret garden she can retreat to in certain times and she will definitely not allow anyone to intrude. This is the reason why Clarissa chose Richard other than Peter, apart from the fact that he is more unstable; she perceives Peter for having lack of respect for the privacy of her soul, something Clarissa will not accept.
Septimus is just as intensive and sensitive about the privacy of the soul as Clarissa, but he, on the other hand, is insane. Due to shock of bearing witness of the war, he has wholly retreated in to his private world.
Clarissa and Septimus are both frightened people of England, just different in degree.
Clarissa is bewildered with Miss Kilman’s close relationship with her daughter Elizabeth, but she encloses her fears orderly. Septimus, however; cannot govern his fear for they are too overwhelming and disordered.
This story’s center is surrounded on Clarissa’s party, branching out different point of view of characters who are related to Clarissa. Lady Bruton also held a party at her house but the it should be described as a politic banquet. Lady Bruton’s party began prior to Clarissa’s; apparently, compare to Lady Bruton’s serious party, Clarissa’s was more vivid. First, Lady Bruton selected Hugh and Mr. Dalloway as guests for her reason that she asked their assistance to write a proper and acceptable letter to Times. The reader could find that there was nobody else came after Hugh and Mr. Dalloway had arrived. In addition, the atmosphere was completely a high-class informal banquet; servants delivered exquisite dishes without any noise. She only cared about her “difficulty” rather than the gusts since the banquet ended while Lady Bruton designated their work. Actually, she feared parties as she said after the party was finished, Different from Lady Bruton, Clarissa invited many people to her party even Peter and Lady Bruton. Her guests showed up one after another so her house was so bustling with people. Clarissa presented gladness to everyone who came. For Clarissa, holding party is to enjoy her life that she could chat with people and meet her close friends. Therefore, she was so anxious that she afraid to fail or make mistakes at her party. In sum, Lady Bruton would not hold party unless she had particular purpose to serve; in contrast, Clarissa was natural to be a hostess, and she enjoyed her life.
2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
Lady Bruton’s who is a strong martial woman invites lots of people to take the lunch especially Hugh due to the fact that she has to write a letter which about the emigration issue to Times. Hugh possesses the art of writing letters to the Times; with such a command of language; able to put things as editors like them put. We can find the evidence from “Hugh produced his fountain pen which had done twenty years.” Although Richard thinks all stuffing and bunkum, Lady Bruton still shows her respect when Hugh is writing. To be succinct, Lady Bruton’s party has the purpose which is to need someone to complete her coulum on the newspaper.
On the other hand, Clarissa holds the party just for fun without any profit or purpose. The main theme of her party is nobles gather together to communicate and chat. Sometimes she feels empty of her mind, and she doesn’t know what is her really want. For instance, she says “How delight to see you” to everyone and she is effusive and insincere. If we must find a reason for her, maybe she just wants the people to join her party in order to fulfill her valid mind and boring life.
One has the purpose to hold, another is not. That is the biggest different of them.
I would like to answer the second question “What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?”
In the novel Mrs. Dalloway, we can see that Lady Bruton’s had her own purpose to hold a party. On the contrary, Clarissa held her party for an offering.
In the aspect of food, Lady Bruton supplied saucers of red fruit, turbot, chicken, wine and coffee that are all. In addition, Woof only described that” the table spreads itself voluntarily……” very simple and rough ornament. On the other hand, Clarissa offered chicken in aspic, ice-cream freezers, pared crusts of bread, lemons, soup, pudding, salmon and Imperial Tokay, very multiform and looks delicious.
In the aspect of the purpose of holding party, Lady Bruton planned to ask Hugh Whitbread and Richard Dalloway to writer reference letter to Times Magazine in order to express her project for emigrating young people of both sexes born of respectable parents and setting them up with a fair prospect of doing well in Canada. However, Clarissa saw party as an offering; and holding party is her gift. In my opinion, Clarissa cares about trivial things which more close to our live. However, Lady Bruton concerns about politics and her memoirs instead of daily life.
2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
In Mrs. Dalloway, two main parties were held by Lady Bruton and Clarissa respectively and these two parties were very different from each other. In Lady Bruton’s party, the feast was made naturally like magic. Maids served delicious dishes gracefully back and forth and the table spread itself voluntarily with fine wine and bountiful food. In addition, Lady Bruton had a purpose in her mind to hold the party. She invited Hugh and Richard Dalloway to her party for writing letters to the Times in order to declare the project of emigration. The whole party was rife with political issues. On the other hand, Clarissa’s party was totally different from Lady Bruton’s party. The process of preparing the feast was very hard. Clarissa’s servants were hustling around to make last preparation for the party. Many guests and the upper class people came to her party everywhere. Maids had to receive various guests and then sent some messages to the kitchen. Also, Clarissa held the party without any purpose but wanted a simply life and cherished her life. Clarissa thought holding a party was an offering. A party was her gift and she would feel very happy about it. All Clarissa wanted to do was gathering people together and chatted with others joyously. To sum up, the feast preparation and the purpose of the two parties were the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s party.
5) Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
The privacy of the soul is important for Clarissa. In the era of that time, women are limited so much and have to live carefully and properly. For Clarissa, she has her own thought and dream, so she wants to have space where will not be interfered by other people. That’s why when she was young she wondered between Peter and Richard, and chose Richard. Because when she was with Peter, she had to share everything with him. In contrary, Richard gives lots of space for her and they will not interfere with each other. So, even if Clarissa loved Peter more than Richard, but she still decided to leave Peter and marry Richard. Form here we can know that privacy is more important than love for Clarissa.
In order to protect the privacy of the soul, Septimus decides to commit suicide and falls down from the window. He is crazy but he is still who he is, so he wants to protect the completeness of himself.
Therefore, although Clarissa and Septimus never met, they are linked with each other. They are committed to preserve their privacy of soul, and their faiths are same.
I choose question 1 to answer.
“What a lark! What a plunge!” I think it seems to contrast Clarissa’s and Septimus’ memories of the past. In the beginning of the novel, Mrs. Dalloway recalls that summer she came to stay at Bourton. First time she memories Peter Walsh who’s her ex-boyfriend and went back from India, though she fell in love with him, she can merely remembers passage memory of him. Later, in page 48 to 54, she recalls that she fell in love with Sally Seton, a woman who has beautiful memories in the past together. ‘“if it were now to die ’twere now to be most happy.” That was her feeling—Othello’s feeling, and she felt it, she was convinced, as strongly as Shakespeare meant Othello to feel it…’ (P.51) Things of past time in Clarissa’s memory is so beautiful and makes she be trapped in her past. However, Septimus’ memory of the past time is not as beautiful as Clarissa’s. He volunteers to WW1 because of Miss Isabel Pole and Shakespeare’s plays. He meets his officer, Evans. “It was a case of two dogs playing on a hearth-rug; …They had to be together, share with each other, fight with each other, quarrel with each other.”(P130) Before Evan dead, everything is well. However, war is cruel, he lost Evan. Though Septimus married a young girl, Lucrezia, “he could not feel. He could reason.” His memory trapped in him because Evan was so close to him, to his mind, and Evan’s death is so sudden that he cannot accept it whether is true or not.
Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
In the novel, we can know that as a matter of fact, Clarissa and Septimus didn’t feel comfortable for their situations. Clarissa chose to marry Richard in the end instead Peter. So, she surrounded with people those who were from upper class. However, it also resulted in the pressure for her. Moreover, she and her husband seemed that they are not closed each other. Therefore, the memories which she was eighteen in Bourton were recalled in her mind sometimes. In addition, she had an attic of her own. I think it represented that her soul of privacy. It also revealed that she still wanted to maintain the purity. On the other hand, Septimus was influenced by his past as well. After being through WWI, he had PTSD. Hence, his behavior became strange. He often saw and heard his past companion in military in the past. When Clarissa knew Septimus committed to suicide, she felt the same painful feeling as well. Because they both desire for the privacy of soul, Septimus selected to end his live, on the other side, Clarissa could experience what Septimus encountered. By this, Clarissa understood that it was important for daily things in our life. Septimus and Clarissa saw the same vision which an old person went down the stair. As they saw this vision, they both had the redemption but in different ways.
In Mrs. Dalloway, Woolf, through her portrayal of Septimus, conveys veiled criticisms of idealism, patriarchal values and war. His insanity can be seen as the bitter consequence of the criticized value sets. Mr. Brewer is the one who imposes patriarchal values and ideology of the majority on Septimus. Mr. Brewer plants “the image of respected man” into his head, that is to be capable and most importantly, manly. He urges him to play football as a way to develop “manliness”, which is later to be overdeveloped and become the cause of his downfall. Septimus, absorbing the vague idea of manliness, forces himself to appear brave, reasonable, and emotionless, which he misinterprets to be qualities of a manly man. He goes to extreme when he is callous towards Evan’s death in war, and later becomes numb to everything. The critique lies in the description that it is after he reaches the point of “real manliness” that he collapses and becomes insane.
His manliness is constructed on vague ideology and patriarchal thinking, and so is easily shaken. The war is what pushing him to the extreme. In conclusion, Woolf successfully weaves the critique of ideological systems, patriarchal values, and war into her portrayal of the purposefully- set character, Septimus.
In Mrs. Dalloway, Septimus is a significant character. And he is portrayed by Woolf as the critique of ideological systems, patriarchal values and ultimately the war. On the other hand, two events happen to Septimus. One is that Mr. Brewer, Septimus’ boss, advises him to play football since he looks weakly. Although Mr. Brewer thinks very highly of Septimus’ abilities, he still thinks that being manly is a way to consider recommending of a rise of salary. Actually, football may be considered a violent sport, and people may think playing football is manly. But Woolf criticizes these ideological systems and patriarchal value of being manly. The other event is that the war makes Septimus change. After the last shells missed him, Septimus feels nothing but disteast. And he wants to commit suicide to protect his privacy of the soul. Furthermore, the war not only makes him change his view of the world but also makes him change his view of human nature. Therefore, Woolf tells a critique of ultimately the war though the description of Septimus’ change. In conclusion, according to these two events, readers can understand how Woolf expresses these most telling critiques though Sptimus.
49902013 Sammi Chen
I choose question number 5 to answer
The privacy of soul is very essential to Clarissa because she thinks that it is a treasure to one’s life. She consider privacy as a important thing her life.
In the story, Septimus and Clarissa had never met each other. Somehow, there is special connection between them. Both of them value their privacy of souls; they takes their soul as something that should not be violated. As we can see
Clarissa is a woman who knows how to find moments of beings within moments of non-beings. She chooses not to married Peter because she has to share everything with him, and this makes her mentally uncomfortable naked. That’s why, she chooses Richard instead. As for Septimus, he has been suffering from mental illness, and he can hear” the voice” keep coming up to his mind. He chooses death in the end, because the doctor ruins his life by oppressing him to live a way that he hates. First, he cannot be able to have his own free life, and then he is afraid that the doctors might take way his freedom of thinking. In conclusion, both of Clarissa and Septimus need a space of their own (especially the mind.)
The purpose of the party is different. In lady Bruton’s party, she invites Richard and Hugh as her quest. They both have nice writing skills which lady Bruton is pool at. Besides, the letter she wants to write to is not for her but for the country. Therefore, she does it on purpose.
However, holding parties is Clarissa only her hobby but almost her routines. She just wants to gather all kind of people in this place without any purpose. She wants to get the moments of being from the moments of none being, that is holding the parties.
In addition, servants of parties are different. In lady Bruton’s party, servants look like machines. They also follows lady Bruton’s orders, we can just know their better educated on being servants instead of their emotional reaction. However, in Clarissa’s party, the servants look like normal people, they have their own personal emotion.
Last, food in lady Bruton’s party is better than Clarissa’s, like brown cream mask turbot; in casseroles severed chicken swim; coloured, undomestic, the fire burns, which we can know they are in higher social status from the dishes in lady Bruton’s party.
3.
In the flashback memory of Septimus, he volunteered to join the war and met with his male lover - Evens. They fought the enemy and took care of each other together. Yet, when his mate was killed in the battlefield, he didn’t have a feeling in it. Even more, he congratulated himself for the promotion. Because he had already toughed himself up with “manliness”, which had numb up his feelings and was a must in the battlefield. This “manliness” suppressed his deep feelings about Evens and his death, and made him go on with his life. War created death, and the soldiers who live, in order to live past the death of fellows, had created “manliness”. That is the way if one wants to survive on the battlefield. However, after the war, this “manliness” had taken almost any feelings to anything. It is because the war had changed him from a human to a walking dead. Yet, his suppressed feelings began to burst out and he started to have hallucination and nervous breakdown. Because “manliness” he learned in the battlefield only taught him to hide his emotions, not to face the pain instead. And this is why Septimus would suffer even greater after the war.
(Kaylin Chiang 49701224)
5) Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
Our body already restrain from the world, the only thing we can control is our mind. The soul is free in our mind; we can imagine anything we like. Once the mind affected by the world, which we cannot control, our soul would be like in a jail. Then our body and soul would all in a jail, which is a catastrophe.
For Clarissa, the restrain from the world already let her barely to breathe. She cannot do or choose what she really likes. She lives under the pressure of society’s frame. The only way to let her feels free is lose herself in her very own mind. But for Septimus, a sufferer from mental troubles cannot control his mind. He cannot get a rid of illusion in his life. He is in suffering, and cannot find the way out.
Once someone’s mind is out of control, the life would out of control too. That was why Septimus chose to committed suicide. Clarissa’s body was in jail, but her mind is free, that’s why she can still alive. She can live the routine life and pretend that is the life she wants.
I choose question 2 to answer.
There are some points show that why “the privacy of the soul” is so important for Clarissa. First, she chose Richard rather than her loved Peter as her husband, because Richard would give her more room, which Peter couldn’t. With Peter everything had to be shared and everything gone into. She needed more independence when people living together in the same house. Second, Clarissa thought both religion and love will destroy the privacy of the soul. She saw how religion forced someone’s mind on Miss Kilman. Religion would make people unwilling to try to convert and be themselves but just believe their only God. And she also found how love change Peter from a charming and with ideas guy to a person who loved a vulgar, trivial and commonplace woman. Third, Clarissa received the moment of being from the old lady opposite her window. Through seeing the daily life of the old lady, she thought the old lady had the real privacy of the soul. Even if Clarissa could see the old lady, they still had their own room. They can possess their own thoughts in the room.
On the other hand, Septimus also had the same ideal with Clarissa. Yet he chose suicide to possess his privacy of the soul from Dr. Holmes who raping his soul. After Clarissa hearing of it, she could also feel the same feeling with Septimus and happy with his decision. Even though they did not know each other, they had the same notion with their soul, and using the different way to keep their privacy of the soul.
I would like to answer question two.
2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
For Lady Bruton’s party, we can found that actually, it is more like a business thing instead of the party which filled with laughter and joy. The guests come to the party for a purpose, that Lady Bruton wants Richard Dalloway and Hugh to help her writing letters for her so that her political idea about the emigration can be published on TIMES. Therefore, the purpose differs from the party held at Dalloway’s. At Clarissa’s party, she gathers people together for a simple reunion and wants to have a delightful experience. She holds a party because she wants to hold it, and it makes her happy. Clarissa really cares for the party, for instance, in the beginning of the day, she even wants to buy the flowers herself. And in the process of the party, we can notice that the maids are busy walking around the room, the delicate food appear on the table magically. In the description of Lady Bruton’s party, we can know nothing about the preparation by the servants and whether they have their own emotion about the party or not. But in Clarissa’s party, the servants work very hard for preparing the food, and Clarissa has feelings and gratitude toward them.
2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s?
The very difference of Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s is their purposes. The purpose of Lady Bruton’s party is to discuss business—she wants to ask Richard or Hugh to write a reference letter to the Times. In contrast, Clarissa, regarding herself as an artist, aims only to hold a party to simply unite people, which is a very simple but touching purpose. To unite people is an important theme of this novel by how it examines the connection among different people’s streams of consciousness. Its device is kind of like the flat tire event outside the florist, which provokes and assembles people’s thoughts and emotions, and it is what makes life valuable—the inner interaction. Nonetheless, Lady Bruton’s party seems to be emotionless, in which people only all consider their own business. Besides, Clarissa’s party suggests a strong feeling of life. People just casually chat with each other, eat food, and have fun there, which indicates the value of the daily life. In Lady Bruton’s party, people there are definitely not casual and care about the things far from daily life. Moreover, Lady Bruton’s party has rather flamboyant food, which is like magical existence without preparation as well as an illusion of not being paid for; contrary to this, in Clarissa’s party, the haste and efforts for preparing the food are clearly depicted although “some lady with fair hair and silver ornaments had said, Lucy said, about the entrée, was it really made at home?” From here, the contrast between metaphysics and physicality is drawn; it is a way to criticize the pomposity of the upper class.
The main differences between the two parties lie in the purpose behind the tow hosts, Clarissa and Lady Bruton. Clarissa holds a party not just for herself, but also for the people who will be present. In contrast, Lady Bruton is looking for someone who can write for her to the newspaper, in order to promote her idea about controlling Canada.
Another differences are that Lady Bruton invited Richard Dalloway and Hugh Whitbread for business, and their party is rather formal. Born in a general family, Lady Bruton can afford a fancy lunch that everything is exquisite, food is perfect, and the servants show the etiquette in the noble family.
Clarissa, on the other hand, holds a personal party in order to gather all of her friends who play important parts in her life. Of course, Clarissa is also a rich lady, but her party is rather casual. It is a party to please herself and her friends, and further, it is a party that is one of her life. She thinks that she is obligated to create a chance that put all of her friends with different background together, and share their brilliant experience. As a result, unlike those who just go party for party, Clarissa has a good reason to have a meaningful life.
5) Why is "the privacy of the soul" so important for Clarissa? How does this link her with Septimus--her psychic double?
For Clarissa, privacy has been something very significant through out her life, and is the main reason why she married Richard - he provides her with enough privacy, safety and tranquility; unlike Peter, who always gives her everything but privacy. When in the room alone while others are partying in the other room, Clarissa has a quiet moment of her own (which refers to the privacy we’ve been discussing in class), thinking about the suicide and how it makes her feel. Across the room she’s in, there’s an old lady getting ready to sleep. It amazes Clarissa how the lady can be so ‘herself’ and ‘not disturbed’ at all when the room next door is having a party. The whole privacy thing is most obvious here – being all by oneself.
Clarissa is always keeping everything to herself; she doesn’t share too much of her own things with others, and is concerned about her appearances, her parties, her everything. She just can’t ignore what other people think about her, but at the same time, she doesn’t really know how to communicate with people. She, Peter, and Septimus are all having hard times finding the right place between ‘privacy’ and ‘communication’. Septumus didn’t know how to balance both and was driven crazy by Sir William so he committed suicide to end his miserably twisted life. Clarissa feels somehow connected to him because they are both isolated from the world and trapped in their lives.
If one communicates with one another, there couldn’t possibly be much privacy left – you’ve got to say what you have in mind. On the other hand, if one decides to keep privacy, then communication certainly is out of the question.
2) What’s the difference between Clarissa’s party and Lady Bruton’s? to answer.
Lady Bruton’s party and Clarissa’s party were quite different from each other.
Lady Bruton held her party since she had other purpose. She wanted to ask Hugh Whitbread and Richard Dalloway to writer reference letter to Times Magazine. From this point, this party as just a cloak. Since she had their help, holding a party was a good and polite way to bring up her request. Her business was the only topic of this party, a veiled meeting. Once she got what she wanted, the ‘party’ soon came to the end. Regardless of the process of her party, what Lady Bruton wanted was to achieve her goal. There was any true relaxation.
Clarissa’s party was totally different from Lady Bruton’s. Clarissa wanted to entertain both herself and her guests. So she spent time to make a perfect party. She did not have certain purposes, what she wanted was to give her guests some time to relax and have fun. She just wanted a party. There was no purpose behind her party. Clarissa invited so many people and all of them could interact with other people. She held her party for the sake of offering. It was part of her life so she wanted shared with people and let them enjoy in it. Her party was her moment of being.
Sorry for late reply.
For Clarissa, the memory about her and Lisa is a symbol of passion
toward life, and the lost youth, which is nothing can compensate for her,in this way, comparing to the present life she is nearly suffering from, she would certainly mourn that beautiful time she and Lisa had had.
In other sides, the reason why Clarissa would be trapped by that enchanted memory is, Sally obtains everything Clarissa doesn't have, which are maybe the things
she desperately wants;
she was poor, Bohemian, open-minded, rebellious, and free-spirited. As teenagers, Sally and Clarissa had grand plans to change the world.
They wanted to abolish private property, make revolutionary reforms, read William Morris, and live freely.They thought marriage was a catastrophe.
Clarissa fell in love with Sally for having these qualities,
but also feared that things would end badly for Sally – that her life would end with tragedy and martyrdom.
However, there is certainly a part of her pursuing living the life with Sally--- the life representing much more freedom and passion.
And this is why she always couldn't get rid of the memory of that period. That is a road she might planned to choose but she didn't.
However, overall Clarissa Dalloway is represented as a character who is full of vigor and life despite some of the setbacks she feels she has had in her life. Thinking back on her memories and contemplating on her past events does not bring her down in the way it does for Septimus.
When Clarissa experiences her flashbacks she thinks deeply upon them and allows her thoughts to wander off. Contrary to Clarissa’s attitude toward life, Septimus lives his life existentially. He prefers not to feel, not to interact with others,and continues to suffer in his own world he seems to be living in.
btw , the question I choose is (1).
The reason why the author made certain characters flat is to present the background of postwar and the daily lives in London including the social condition and the way of ordinary people think, which could make the mind of the major characters like Clarissa, Peter, and Septimus highlighted and more different.
On the other hand, readers can clearly see the subtle description of the three major characters’ bonding and of their temperaments and personalities partly because the author portrays and describe their way of thinking more than she does on other characters and partly because their traits and the meaning of lives will stand out of from others.
Besides, the author wants to show the moment of being and moment of non-being on the characters. She made some of characters flat for showing their regular, mechanical lives, which delivers a message that they are leading zombie-like lives without moments of being. The main characters’ consciousnesses and chemistries, in the contrast, are narrated subtly when they faced changes different from their regular lives to present their moments of beings
The privacy of the soul has to be essential to Clarissa because Virgina Woolf has to protect one’s self respect beneath the repression of the society. In Woolf’s time, women had only limited freedom, thus, in A Room of One’s Own, she claimed that a woman needs to have her own room that could be locked in order to write. Clarissa knows that she has to compromise to the system and to be her real self behind the mask of Mrs. Dalloway. And her decision not to marry Peter also has to do with it, because Peter wants a couple to share everything with each other. Clarissa needs “room.” But it wouldn’t be fair to term Clarissa as compromising. She feels and tries her passion to Sally but her family members couldn’t stand Sally’s being avant-garde and they are not ready to accept Clarissa’s passion to her. She holds back and goes into the social system but keep her own mind free from others in order to remain herself. No one really loves to be alone, so she gives parties in order to have company with her own upper class people but she keeps her mind free since it is the room that only she alone cound master. It can be said that Septimus is too terrified by the war so that he cannot get out of the nightmare of it. But it could also be said that it’s because he couldn’t stand any more shocks from the society and indeed, doctors listen to nothing he says and try to make judgement for him. Under this aspect, both Clarissa and Septimus try to protect their own real selves from the society, and thus are linked together by the author.
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