1. At one point we learn that "[Septimus] went to France to save an England which consisted almost entirely of Shakespeare's plays and Miss Isabel Pole in a green dress walking in a square" (1156). What does this suggest about Septimus's social and political views before he goes to war? In what way might these views have come into conflict with the realities of war that Septimus faced? How are notions of war, empire, and masculinity connected in Mrs. Dalloway?
2. Why does Septimus view Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility?In what way does the creation of Septimus serve as Woolf's critique of the dominant ideology of British empire, its promotion of macho masculinity, the cult of the hero, and the subordination of women?
3. Woolf creates three incidents in Mrs. Dalloway to unify the otherwise disconnected and fluid thoughts of those passers-by: the motor car scene, the skywriting episode, and the beggar woman singing opposite Regent's Park Tube station. What are their significances? What types of thoughts go through people's minds when they witness these three incidents? What kind of symbolic meaning does each incident have?
69 comments:
410002015黃琦恩
I would like to answer the first question.
Before the war, Septimus is a romantic young man. He write poem, fall in love with knowledge, and also, his appearance is like Yeats who owned a sensitive profile. He brought an ambition to join the war. He burned himself to become a macho man, and to protect his love, and his spirit. In this reason, his body became strong, like a football player, but his spirit became weakly --- he hand out his soul to his officer, Evans. When Evans was killed by a bomb in his witness, his soul was screaming in the same time. But army taught him to calm and solemn. These conflicts in his mind caused him a mentally illness. Because of being a macho man, he could not repair his soul in his love way, reading; he found no way to knit his soul back. Septimus is the tragedy between an idol macho man and his sensitive mind. Because of war, men were asked to become masculinity men. Just like imperialism, when empire colonized an area, they were required to assimilate. In this case, masculinity was the customs; the colonized area was Septimus; war was the colonial means. Septimus also symbolized the confliction between proportion and conversion. Most of people in colony need to spend a lot of time to proportional their conversion. In my opnion, these are the connection between war, empire and masculinity and Mrs. Dalloway.
The writer also mentions other relationship between WWII and Mrs. Dalloway, but I will overwrite in my essay, so I tried to find out some clues only from Septimus as a section analyzed.
49302007 JoJo 黃南燕
I would choose the second question.
Dr. Holmes likes to say the opposite of what they actually mean, because he proudly says “There was nothing whatever the matter”, that’s the most ridiculous thing. Also, he suggests take two tabloids of bromide, so, it expresses concern or casual? He luxuriously goes to the Music Hall and plays golf, to throws Sharespeare’s book, weight maintenance as well; Sir William Bradshaw is a professional psychiatrist, looks like a Mr. Nice Guy on the surface, but actually not at all, he only just his own noble worth, never mind the patient's illness. Emblematically, two doctors (or more) both are figures of devil who only want its noble position, noble identity, have a high level of car, something like that.
Unfortunately, when Dr. Holmes pushes into Warren Smith’s house to see Septimus, he really throws himself out the window, and jump to his death.
So, Septimus suffers from serious blow --- a good and close friend, Evans. He was not a great hero of World War I victory, because he was unable to withstand his (or Woolf) trauma.
410202011李昀蕙
I’d like to answer the second question.
Both of the doctors didn’t take Septimus’ problem seriously, they both suggested him to quit searching for inner voices but either find some interests or gain some weight to show a “healthy” appearance. A person that has PTSD should be treated with patience, respect and needs counseling to talk about feelings. But instead, Dr. Holmes thought his problem was nothing serious, just the matter of self-control, and Bradshaw even suggested a nice resting place for only the body to recover while locking all his feelings out. They were both forcing the wrong and useless therapy on him, which reminded him the awful human nature—trying to drag you down with the majority even when you show just a slightly difference, and gradually caused Septimus’ complete destruction. Though Septimus was ill, his mind was still active and has his own thoughts, therefore when the doctors took advantage of his illness and tried to talk him out of his sensitive and indifferent world, he felt like losing his dignity and his soul being raped.
Septimus was the opposite of the ideology of the British Empire. He loved Shakespeare, he listened to his heart, he was delicate, he expressed feelings through poems, and he showed the true humanity: people need love, people have soul, and people get hurt that need to be taken care of. When such a true and innocent man decided to serve the country but got all wounded in return, the great British Empire, represented by the doctors, showed no gratitude and continued destroying him. While Septimus was ill because of the ideas of masculinity and the war, it had always been Rezia, a woman they considered subordinate, that took care of him, a wreck the “great” empire and society produced.
410202030 李以婷
Q3.
At first, the motor car’s incident which its tire blows out appears people’s attentions because an important person seems to be there. Street people start to guess who he or she is. They think the person is prime minister, queen, king, and so on. In this era, only royalty and rich men have chances to have compact cars. People so focus on this accident that it means that people care and respect their royal family and nobles. They have big power to affect England’s future from past time to now. It is an old influence and keeps for a long time. However, when a plane flies in the sky, it seems to write some words. It makes people’s slight turn to these words and it is very different that people think what it means. In fact, the vocabulary is “toffee”. It is a new advertisement way and means another new time – “capitalism” coming. The British Empire’s brilliance is declining and old Europe’s situation is broken. People start to care personal profits and earning own money more than the national glory and their allegiance. The traditional society isn’t believed and accepted by modern people. The skywriting episode reveals the England and the era are changing. Then, the beggar woman singing opposite Regent's Park Tube station means permanence and an existence from past time to now. She has a lot of deep emotions and expresses through singing. People get some grasp from her, including pity, sympathy, and consolation. They reflect their conditions, British Empire, and world.
410102002 李卉潔 (Q2)
The reason why Septimus sees Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw unreliable is because both of them are materialism. Dr. Holmes is a person who has hobby as all high class people have, enjoying himself in those material things like going to Music Hall and playing golf. Sir William is also be portrayed as a materialism in the following manner, “Sir William Bradshaw’s motor car; low, powerful, grey with plain initials interlocked on the panel, as if the pomps of heraldry were incongruous...For often Sir William would travel sixty miles or more down into the country to visit the rich, the afflicted, who could afford the very large fee which he very properly charged for his advice” (P1161 L1-8). In addition, Dr. Holmes thinks that headache, sleeplessness, fear, dreams and nerve are all nothing. It points out that he is a doctor who does not stand in patients’ shoes. The most important thing is that Dr. Holmes and Sir William do not care about anything about spirit. The author tries to present readers by describing that Dr. Holmes pushes Shakespeare aside. Therefore, in Septimus’ eyes, both of them symbolize human nature or even whole society.
The ideology of Septimus is totally different from British Empire. Septimus is a man who needs spiritual comforts and focuses on his emotions a lot. However, his emotionality and mental illness are be simplified by Mr. Brewer as lacking of masculinity and weakness. It indicates the ideology of British Empire that all men should be masculine and manly. Moreover, Mr. Brewer’s advice of football represents those “manly” concepts which impose on Septimus. The author uses Septimus to magnify the promotion of masculinity of British Empire.
410203013 歷史二 顏堉至
Q：Why does Septimus view Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility? In what way does the creation of Septimus serve as Woolf's critique of the dominant ideology of British empire, its promotion of macho masculinity, the cult of the hero, and the subordination of women?
A: We can see lots of juicy parts that describe Septimus ’s true feelings:” When the damned fool came again, Septimus refused to see him” (page.1159-4) I think the reason why that Septimus hates both of these two “doctors”, is that they all tell he to abandon something. First, Dr. Holmes try to persuade Septimus give up reading Shakespeare.” He opened Shakespeare Antony and Cleopatra; pushed Shakespeare aside” (page.1159-3) And also tell him to find some interesting hobby and to gain some weight. Second, Sir William Bradshaw’s tell him to take a rest and live in his nursing home, moreover, he can’t live with his wife. These doctor’s prescription have some commonplace like they all want Septimus” to be normal”. In the contrast, they obviously don’t take Septimus as a normal patient. ”he was certain directly he saw the man; it was a case of extreme gravity.”(page.1161-2)
After all, we can see many tragedy happens on Septimus. When he was teenager, what he acted isn’t like another boy, like he read Shakespeare, and he like poems.
But this society seems not allow this kind of boy because of macho masculinity. Septimus was forced to be a stronger, braver person. Then he had an affair with his army colleague. Of course, at that time, it was not allowed. So when Evan died, it became a terrible nightmare.
In Sir William Bradshow’s conscious, he said that he worship two dogma called “proportion” and ”conversion”. It can reflect Imperialism.” Conversion is her name and she feasts on the wills of the weakly, loving to impress, to adoring her own features stamped on the face of the populace.”
At the end, thanks for marking my works, I have to say that my writing is bloody awful.
410102033 陳世豪
Q2
The reason why Septimus view both of the doctors with distrust is because they are totally materialism. Dr. Holmes has “noble hobbies” like going to the Music Hall and playing golf with his wife. And we can find out that Dr. Holmes is a man who cares his appearance very much in the description “If Dr. Holmes found himself even half a pound below eleven stone six, he asked his wife for another plate of porridge at breakfast.” Besides, he is proud of himself that he can turn his attention from the patients to old furniture. In p.1161, we can see the description of Sir William’s grandeur: his grey motor car with “his plain initials” locked on the panel. He usually drives his car to a far place to cure rich people and take high costs. Both of them only care about material things but spirit. Dr. Holmes pushed Shakespeare aside; Sir William made Septimus rest for his body and no thinking. What they did would make people with souls into idiots. Therefore, the “material human nature” made Septimus distrust and even hostility.
Septimus is very sentimental just like a poet, but Mr. Brewer who can represent the ideology of British Empire thinks that Septimus was not masculine enough and advised him to play football. And then the war was coming, Septimus wanted to prove that he was a “real man” now so he recommended himself as a soldier immediately. After the war, Septimus got PTSD and he could not feel, so he made a marriage proposal to a woman he did not love as Rezia was used as a tool to cure his “feeling.”
410102073 游佳洵 (Q3)
A car's backfiring is a loud noise, but it does something unusual to the mass of people who happen to be together on a London Street. The noise catches their attention and it gathers reader’s attention from Clarissa to the car. The "dove-grey" upholstery, the male hand, and a vague symbol all suggest that the car might be giving a ride to the prime minister or people with important posotion. In addition, the car presents the royal images at that time. Everyone has deep veneration for it because they have not seen these expensive car closely before. The motor car scene shows the reverence of the citizens to the royal people.
At the end of the scene, the car gets trumped by the airplane, whose skywriting ultimately seems cooler to the people than the car does. “Suddenly Mrs. Coates looked up into the sky. The sound of an aeroplane bored ominously into the ears of the crowd. There it was coming over the trees, letting out white smoke from behind, which curled and twisted, actually writing something! making letters in the sky! Everyone looked up” (Paragraph 1, p.1119). Compare to the curious crowd, Septimus does not interest in the content of the message written by the plane. Woolf intentionally set this plot showing the crowds thoughts to Septimus’. Moreover, the plane is also a reminder of the war because World War I was the first time that planes played a big role in modern war.
The scene with the singing beggar is at the very heart of the novel. Several characters like Peter, Septimus and his wife are waiting to cross. The sound of the song blends with the noise of traffic, therefore it becomes dispersed. Rezia feels happier when she listens to the singer because the singer’s voice makes her to think about her hometown and old life before she married Septimus.
The motor car scene, the skywriting episode, and the beggar woman singing are important sources in Mrs. Dalloway. They make different thoughts and consciousness to move and gather, so the readers can follow the characters though the scenes of car, plane and singer. Also, they can make the content be more vivid, when reading Mrs. Darlloway, the readers can feel like living in London with those characters.
410102001 林儀歆
I would like to answer question 2.
Septimus views Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw as brute is because they followed the normal British Empire. They just pursue bigwigs and emphasis on their appearance, did not read many books. To Septimus, these two doctors have the beautiful outer form, but empty inside. So he doesn’t want to believe them. He thinks these two doctors always want people to follow them and under their control. To Septimus it is a kind of force, and he thinks that the doctors are violent and they want to take Septimus’ spirit away. They want him to obey their order. So Septimus doesn’t like them and represents they like “the brute with the red nostrils.”
Woolf makes Septimus to be a “unique person” in the British Empire. Septimus is a man who is weak, sensitive and full of sympathy. In that time of British, man is educated to be strong and masculine. His appearance is not suitable for that time. He is a sensitive and full of sympathy man. He loves to read Shakespeare and he likes to think about many things. He is struggle with to be a “normal man” or to be himself. The society puts lot of pressure on him, so he oppresses himself to be masculine. He join the war, this is a symbol of he become a real man. But he finally breaks down because he wants to be himself and he doesn’t want to be force to do the thing he doesn’t like.
英美三410102014 陳萱
Q2.
Septimus is a symbol of not succumbing to the authority.
He sees Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw distrust and hostility because both of them regard him as abnormal, and give him the useless advice, trying to make his behavior accepted by the society. Dr. Holmes diagnoses no disease and just gives Septimus the advice that he can go to the Music Hall, play golf and take the tabloid of bromide, but not really understands why he becomes like this (p.1159). Septimus sees human nature on Dr. Holmes, although Dr. Holmes talks to him in the most amiable way (p.1160). And Sir William Bradshaw also only cares about the physical health, instead of mental health. The following is what Sir William suggests, “It was merely a question of rest; of rest, rest, rest.”(p.1162) In addition, Sir William sees divine proportion as his goddess, and this is how Virginia Woolf writes, “To his patients he gave three-quarters of an hour… a doctor loses his sense of proportion… as they mostly have, and threatens, as they often do, to kill himself, you invoke proportion; order rest in bed… until a man who went in weighing seven stones six comes out weighing twelve.” (p.1163) What he calls divine proportion is actually a suppression of heresy. In Septimus’ eyes, both of them symbolize human nature and even the whole society.
Septimus' ideology is different from that of the British Empire. He enjoys reading Shakespeare, and sees that humanity exposing in his country, the great British Empire. While the suggestion Mr. Brewer gives to Septimus indicates the ideology of British Empire that men should be masculine and manly(p.1156). And, Rezia, Septimus' wife, can be considered as subordination. And this shows the critique of Virginia Woolf.
410102034 林婉婷
I'm going to answer the Q1.
A: Septimus is a special character in Mrs. Dalloway, who is described as a sensitive but kind-hearted man. In some ways he even correspond to clarissa. Before he goes to war, he was a sentimental literature lovers and loved Miss Isabel Pole. He was perceptual and gentle. Woolf depicted him in the following sentences, “…flowered from vanity, ambition, idealism….made him shy, and stammering, made him anxious to improve himself, made him fall in love with Miss Isabel Pole…” That is, from some sentences we can clearly define him as a man far from madding crowd. He, in some ways, was a man who once believed in human nature. However, the war had changed everything. Septimus witness his close friend Evan’s dead and since then he could not feel. The war taught him to be a macho, even though that’s not his original personality. All he needed to do was bound to survive. Living in such an oppressive society, Septimus’ soul could not feel released. And that is the reason why he eventually suffered from mental illness and even committed suicide in the end.
In Mrs. Dalloway, the notion of war and empire and masculinity were connected together. War is the basis of an empire, and man should be masculine on fight. War brought many death and tears, human nature lost in war, too. Woolf used several symbols in the story and showed us how war and imperialism and macho ideology hurt people a lot.
410002014 英美四 蔡孟霖
Question two.
I think the reason why Septimus sees both of the doctors with distrust attitude is because he despises their unnecessarily luxury lives. Septimus, a post-war veteran, is also a figure who served as a representative of working class British. He shows us the conscious struggle of the working class, and also embodies the blind luxurious life of the rich people on the other hand. In the story, we can perceive that Dr. Holmes has the so-called "noble hobbies" such as playing golf and listening to the opera. And Sir William Bradshaw drives his car with his own custom plate on to work. Both of the doctors care about is the wealthy lifestyle. As a working class literature enthusiastic, no wonder that Septimus would be hostile toward these two doctors.
The way Septimus's character critics the ideology of British Empire that time can be found in all the life experience he had been through. He loves to read Shakepear, but this hobby was considered "not macho enough", so he was advised to play football more. And he decided to join the military to reach the expectation of the society - to be manlier. He fought for the country he was proud of, but the truth is that even if they won the war technically speaking, the country was sinking. He even suffered from PTSD afterwards. And he chose death as the solution with all the problems in the end. His death is probably the harshest blame toward to mainstream ideology then.
410102005 張群
Although Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw represent the main stream of the dominant ideology of British empire, they look like Dr. Evil. They care about the flesh instead of his illness and depth of his soul. They are impressive in appearance but they don’t have the inner thoughts. Sir William thinks that he needs to rest, a long rest in bed. In fact, a long rest in the bed isn’t the good way to relax for Septimus. They abridge Septimus not to think, read Shakespeare and have freedom of spirit. They more aggravate his illness. Thus Septimus views Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility.
Septimus isn’t an atypical guy that is shy of anyone he does not know man. He is a puny guy so he is advised to play the football to be a man. Thus he developed manliness by playing football that represents the character of muscle in the dominant ideology of British empire. He feels that he is made of sterner stuff, he decides to join the WWI. In the trench warfare, he loses his intimate, Evans and witnesses his death. It let him can’t feel because the whole repressed thing is out of control. In the English’s think he is a hero, he is willing to sacrifice himself to participate in a war. In fact, he can’t resist the dominant ideology of British empire and suffered from PTSD. Although he is homosexual, he still marries a wife. Septimus’ wife is like his subordination. His wife always stands by him when he creates the illusion. She is the only one person who devotes to Septimus.
英美三 郭祐寧 410102023
I would like to answer Question 2 : Why does Septimus view Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility?In what way does the creation of Septimus serve as Woolf's critique of the dominant ideology of British empire, its promotion of macho masculinity, the cult of the hero, and the subordination of women?
I think the first reason was the law because committing suicide was illegal in Britain until 1961. He always threaten his wife and had talked of killing himself. And even he had said "I have－I have," he began, "committed a crime－." The second reason was that he did not want to be taken to "Lie in bed in a beautiful house in the country." Although it was a delightful home down in the country where husband would be perfectly looked after, there were some reasons lead to his unwillingness and hostility. The two doctors did not diagnose Septimus's condition carefully. They kept giving the same replies like thinking too much, "throwing yourself into outside interests, taking up some hobby, resting ,and even tell him to give up his favorite thing: Shakespeare. Therefore, above two reasons caused Septimus' distrust and hostility.
In that era, man attending the war was considered a hero, powerful, respectful, and even as required for every man. People just ignored that every person has its different types. Due to this masculine atmosphere, Septimus was forced to attend the WWI。During the war, he saw his friend Evan died at the battlefield that caused his mental and physical trauma. Besides, the man in that time was made by tall and strong image because the doctor Holmes asked his wife for helping prepare breakfast to his husband so that could keep his weight balanced. And then, Spetimus was recommended to the football team which was highly respectful from people in Britain Empire. So, we know that Woolf strives for criticize the ideology very much.
410202050 李岱融
I’d like to answer question two.
In this story, Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw were depicted as representatives of the aristocracy in England at that time. Who advised Septimus that he should not read or think, just only focus on his own health and rest, deprived him of his freedom and willingness. Also, the two doctors only cared about the materials, their status and fames. So when they appeared, they were described as having something expensive like motor car with “initials interlocked on the panel” (p1161 line 1-2) and noble hobbies such as playing golf and collecting antiques (p1159 line 4-5 and paragraph 3 line11). In contrast, Septimus who had his own dream of being a poet and also pursued his spiritual and mental consolation by reading the Shakespeare although he was from the working class. So he said the two doctors were “human nature”, and also criticized the human beings who asserted materialism in England.
Actually in this story, Septimus was not a macho man at all. He looked weakly, and like John Keats (p1155 last paragraph line 1). So his boss advised him that play football and go to war to make himself looked like a real man and more masculine. Then Septimus had mental illness, and his psychiatric condition was not stable, so he was very sensitive. He was easy to cry, just liked a woman. He was totally different from the ideal gentlemen who were masculine and manly in England at that time. And the author Woolf was also not an ideal woman (The Angel in the House) at that time, she did writing, and also did some literary activities. These two people were not the models of the dominant ideology of British empire.
英美三 陳慧敏 410102004
Q2. Why does Septimus view Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility?In what way does the creation of Septimus serve as Woolf's critique of the dominant ideology of British empire, its promotion of macho masculinity, the cult of the hero,
and the subordination of women?
Ans:
When we read Mrs. Dalloway, we can find Woolf portrayed Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw as a soulless character. From the way they lived and the stuff they used, it suggested that they just cared about their shape of body, social activities, status and property they own. Septimus did not believe these two doctors and both of them caused Septimus a great deal of agony. Dr. Holmes advised Septimus to take up some hobby. However, he opened Shakespeare and pushed it aside; (1159) Sir William Bradshaw asked him to leave his wife and rested in the nursing home. (1162) It indicates that these two doctors want Septimus not to read and think, and suppress his emotions. We can know the reason why Septimus view them with distrust and hostility from his consciousness, “once you fall, human nature is on you. Holmes and Bradshaw are on you. Human nature is remorseless. (1163) Septimus thought human nature is merciless and he could see the human nature on these two doctors. Through the description of Sir William Bradshaw, Woolf criticized the dominant ideology of British empire, its promotion of macho masculinity the cult of the hero, and the subordination of women. For example, Sir William’s goddess, proportion, it represents the idea of imperialism. He marginalized the people who do not share the same value with him. I think Septimus is a victim and an outsider at that period of time. He suffered from PTSD after he returned from the war and also he was not a typical macho man. He was isolated from the society. In addition, from the Lady Bradshaw’s everyday life, she embodied the women at that time. Women were subordinate to men and had duty to take care of children and house.
黃琦涵410102054
I am going to answer question three. Mrs. Dalloway is a novel about stream of consciousness; every character’s thought will be written clearly in the novel. The story can be guided into different people’s memories or different space-time, but these three incidents catch everyone’s thought together. These incidents are quite important in the novel because they make characters think of the same thing in the same moment. First, when the motor car had a flat tire, everyone was shocked and guessing that which royal family member was sitting in that car (p.1115). People were so curious because this car accident might be the only chance to let ordinary people see the royalty of England (p.1116, line 7 from the bottom). Also, the motor car which has royalty aboard can represent the British Empire. The tire blowout means that, in the future, the British Empire will decline and noble will not so untouchable to ordinary people. The second incident is the letters in the sky. While people were thinking about that motor car, a sound of airplane interrupted their thoughts. Everyone was stared at the letters written by the airplane and wanted to figure it out what did the airplane writing (p.1119, line 19). After that, Mr. Bowley found that word in the sky was “toffee”, the new product created at that time. The motor car was replaced by toffee, and it also means that people started to be attracted by the new thing; the British Empire will gradually be replaced by imperialism. Third, everyone noticed the singing woman. The lyrics and melody seemed nonsense, but this song brought people to go through the time from ancient to present (p.1153). By listening to the song, people’s souls were purified, and it also represented the link between the past and now.
曾可嘉610288111
2.
Apparently these two psychology doctors were under abundant physical life. Dr. Holmes could ‘’take a day off with his wife and play golf’’ and kept his weight never below eleven stone six. The way he suggested his patients was that throwing yourself into outside and taking up some hobby. We could see all that Dr. Holmes remained were physical thing; the other side he never care about was the mantel stuff. Septimus he always say ‘’he could not feel’’ but actually he really did care about the mantle stuff which Dr. Holmes never care to.
Sr. William Bradshaw advised his patients to rest, long rest, “order rest in bed; rest in solitude; silence and rest; rest without friend…”. He had a nursing home where he could put those crazy people into there. He gave 45min for each patient because he thought that was proportion. For the order “rest” and strictly time control showed he as a role in power. Stand for British Empire restrained others who different. And also Holmes had wife as a server, cook for him, wait for him and only he had a day off could with his wife played golf. In here women just like accessory.
410202016 英美二 王珮文
I would like to answer question 2.
Dr. Holmes likes to go to music hall and play golf, which only upper class people will take them as hobby. And, Sir William Bradshaw has a fancy car which has a plain initials interlocked on the panel, which we can see his great wealth. What they care was their wealth and their own self, and it seems that what happened to their patients are not matters to them. For Septimus’ symptom: PTSD, both of them just tell him to rest and don’t think, all the things that he needs to care about is whether eating well and sleeping well or not. Their behaviors show us how the society and people at that time look like, they just care their desire, body…all those material things. No soul, and no mind. That’s why Septimus called them “Human Nature”.
And for the person like Septimus, who is sensitive, perceptual and full of thoughts in mind, people just can’t accept him. Woolf uses those two doctors as the dominant ideology of British empire, and uses Septimus as the opposite side. Patients should listen to what doctors told them to do, just as the people under British empire are being controlled. You cannot have your own thoughts and they will force you to be the same as others.
And because of Septimus’ sensitive mind, he has no manliness like average men have. (That’s why Mr. Brewer suggests him to play football.) He is not the kind which society wants. Unfortunately, to achieve society’s expectation, he gives up himself. Then, for subordination of women, I think Rezia can be an example. Reiza puts all her heart into Sepyimus, but sadly, she doesn’t get anything from him, not even his love. Their marriage is a sad story I think, because Septimus doesn’t love her, he used her to ease his anxiety. It’s a kind of image that women are just the subordination of men. They cannot choose what they want.
410001005 中文四 黃美嘉
Q2
Septimus thought he can see the human nature in Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw. Human nature to him is meant something evil and unbearable. Dr. Holmes kept saying Septimus should get some hobby. And Dr. Holmes’ hobbies are luxury things. “He went to the Music Hall. He took a day off with his wife and played golf.” (p.1159, lines 4-5) In the other hand, he didn’t interested reading at all. “He opened Shakespeare –Antony and Cleopatra; pushed Shakespeare aside.”(p.1159, paragraph 3) Dr. Holmes cared his health of body. “If Dr. Holmes found himself even half a pound below eleven stone six, he asked his wife for another plate of porridge at breakfast.” (p.1159, paragraph 3) These plots presented Dr. Holmes is a person who only care material entertainment and status in the society instead of spirituality. Sir William is like Dr. Holmes. He is also did not listen to Septimus’ mind. They both believed what the patients need to do is care their bodies, not their mind. And their illness will be cured. Sir William Bradshaw used luxury things too. “Sir William Bradshaw’s motor car; low, powerful, grey with plain initials interlocked on the panel, as if the pomps of heraldry were incongruous…” (p.1161, lines 1-3) They are same kind people. This kind people are the standard of the whole society. Septimus is totally opposite. And his wife presented women’s subordination. These design of characters and plots is Woolf’s critique.
英美三 410102048 李靖淇
Q2
Both of Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw are all materialism without any inner man. Because Dr. Holmes is just only look the surfaces about going to the music hall or playing golf with wife, he does not know what Septimus really needs. Besides, Dr. Holmes is a shallow man, he emphasizes that health is the most important thing for Septimus to control his diet in the daily life. However, Dr. Holmes asks Septimus to take away Shakespeare, which is Septimus’s hobby and the symbol of soul, rather than support him to do what he love. Moreover, Sir William Bradshaw is nothing but a royalty; he cares about what profits he can get from other people rather than understands patient’s pain. Also, Sir William gives a poor suggestion, which is taking a long rest and far away from Shakespeare. It is nothing but to get money for his rest-home. Actually, both of them are just doing a meaningless action to Septimus, they do not try to understand his inner thought.
In Mrs. Dalloway, the dominant ideology of British Empire is invincible, and the people who live in England just not only pursue to be a bigwig, but also take the material things seriously as human nature. Nevertheless, Septimus is a British man, but he is weak, sensitive, and full of emotions, as well as, he needs Shakespeare to pour power into his soul. Septimus is not a macho masculinity for that time, the author creates Septimus to intensify the critique of macho masculinity of British Empire.
英美二 410202039 安立心
Q1: At one point we learn that "[Septimus] went to France to save an England which consisted almost entirely of Shakespeare's plays and Miss Isabel Pole in a green dress walking in a square" (1156). What does this suggest about Septimus's social and political views before he goes to war? In what way might these views have come into conflict with the realities of war that Septimus faced? How are notions of war, empire, and masculinity connected in Mrs. Dalloway?
Answer:
In Mrs.Dalloway, Septimus does play a crucial role which can be regarded as a correspondence to Clarissa. Before Septimus goes to the war, he is a sensitive and romantic young man even can be considered as an aspiring poet who lives with no oppression. He joins the war for idealistic reason, but later he finds out that the purpose or the empire’s deed of this war is unable to be justified, and idealized. Before going to the war, Septimus is capable of feeling the aesthetics of literature and life via Shakespeare’s’ plays and Miss Isabel Pole which represents the wonderful sweetness and joyfulness. When he enlists in the war, his world is totally torn apart, and has broken into pieces with no chance to recover— after being the witness of the cruel, violent death of his closed-friend and officer, Evan, Septimus has a mental breakdown. He cannot feel anything but only the ugliness of human nature. He becomes cynical and believes the world is dying. “One cannot bring children into a world like this. One cannot perpetuate suffering, or increase the breed of these lustful animals, who have no lasting emotions, but only whims and vanities, eddying them now this way, now that.”(from “Mrs.Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf,p.1158) This quote from “Mrs.Dalloway” indicates the stream of consciousness of Septimus whose soul has become unstable, depressed and vulnerable. This quote also forces Septimus to get back into reality.
The notions of war, empire, and masculinity can be integrated with each other. (i.e., to expand the empire, the war is necessary and crucial; to win a war, soldiers must be brave, strong and macho.) The connections in details with masculinity in Mrs.Dalloway are below: Septimus accepts the opinion from Mr.Brewer as being a football player and he decides to be one of the first to volunteer of the WW1.
Then, the notions of war and empire is detailed-connected in Mrs.Dalloway by violence, brutality, the death of Evan, oppression and so on.
410102008 黃暐婷
Q2.
Septimus was actually a soulful man. He read Shakespeare, wrote poems, and emphasized the spiritual other than the physical and material stuff. However, in order to fit into the society, he learned to become a macho person. During the war he lost his love, Evans. So as to maintain his broken heart in a piece and not breaking down, he built a high and thick wall, cutting all his emotions from getting in or out. Rezia helped him to write down his feelings, giving him a ladder to climb over the wall, yet both doctors kicked it off. Not only were they shallow, didn’t understand those great writers and thinkers, but also brutal, forbidding Septimus from reading and thinking. This was like stripping off his freedom and what he live for, so these made Septimus view them with distrust and hostility. In the story, the two doctors were also described as “lawgivers”. They strangled his personality, soul, and everything that makes him Septimus, yet they said in high-sounding tone that it was all for his own good. They are actually the epitomes of imperialism. The doctors/ lawgivers try to make people obedient so that it will be easier for them to control and manipulate, which is why they could not bear the difference and hope that everyone do and think the same as they did. In order to send soldiers to the battle field and get what the empire wants, they implanted the patriotism in people’s minds, making them to believe that dying for their country is an honorable and heroic thing to do. After being brain washed, people stopped thinking over and started to cult the heroes, wanting to be like one, and this is what Septimus called “human nature” in despise.
410102003 張懿萱
Q2
The reason is because both of the doctors diagnosed Septimus as “normal” but the truth is that he was suffering from the PTSD and he could not feel. Both of the doctors only thought he needed to “take a rest”. After Dr. Homles examined Septimus, he thought there was nothing whatever the matter with him; it’s not a big deal. All he required was participating in more activities to make him face the reality. Sir William also suggested that he had to go to the nursing home and without a companion because he needed an extremely tranquil and safety place to avoid him having committed suicide. He said Septimus should think nothing, read nothing, and just rested in a beautiful house in the country. Therefore, Septimus regarded these doctors as the ugly human nature; all they cared about was materialism, not the inner soul.
In my opinion, two doctors considered as British Empire and macho masculinity because the behavior of doctors represented the society and also a colonizer. The whole society tried to use the “distorted value” to control and convey him to be a “hero” who is strong enough to face everything and be an admirable people. However, in the depth of Septimus’s mind, he knew he was a sensitive and gentle person; he was afraid of the “human nature” in this society. At the end, he wanted to desert the world to protect his soul as well as dignity and threw himself out of window. And we could find the subordination of women in the description of lady Bradshaw “spent four nights out of seven at home with her son”. The statement showed that so-called standard women should always stay at home to take care of family matters; they didn't need any great ambitions.
410102028 陳雅森
Q1
The change of Septimus is a tragic result of imperialism and the stereotype of men. When Septimus sees Miss Isabel Pole "walking in a green dress in a square", the beautiful scene inspiring him to save England. Before he realizing what a war truly are, he thinks that he is doing a sacred mission, to protect the English culture, the works of Shakespeare, and England. However, the reality is far away from his idea. It is not a glorious mission, but a cruel massacre. The disillusioned reality and the death of Evans change him. Woolf demonstrates her anti-war ideal and also criticizes imperialism through the change of Septimus. How the war harms him, from a sensitive poet to a PTSD patient. After experiencing the war, Septimus hates human nature. His sensitive personality makes him easily feel the slight things in people's action and words, the trees and the gold spot on the wall. However, what he can feel is no longer beauty, but ugly human nature on "the repulsive brute, with the blood- red nostrils" Dr. Holmes (p.1159).
During the war, Septimus is forced to be masculine, as his boss Mr. Brewer wants him to be. Mr. Brewer thinks that Septimus is not health, "he looked weakly; advised football" (p.1156), because he is not like a typical man. When Rezia sees Septimus crying, she thinking that “which was to her the most dreadful thing of all, to see a man like Septimus, who had fought, who was brave, crying.” (p.1187) Mr. Brewer and Rezia are the people who dominated by the main stream ideology of masculinity. A man cannot be weak, cannot cry, and should have a strong appearance, should be brave. Septimus builds his manhood during the war, but his mentality breaks.
In Mrs. Dalloway, the creation of the character Septimus and his tragedy is a critique of the imperialism and the dominant ideology of macho masculinity.
410102025 黃俊棠
Dr. Holmes and Mr. Brewer had the same way to cure Septimus. They not only would force Septimus to abandon “reading the Shakespeare” but also would let Septimus to take a long rest. They focused on appearance and image. They just were the flesh who lacked spirit. Not to think and read made he feel stressed and hostile. Even he was threaten to kill himself by the doctor. It was the main reason why Septimus viewed Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility.
In 19 Century, the British was the big empire. For Septimus, he couldn’t live in such environment. It cause that he depresses his deep mind. The author Woolf used three characters (doctors, Septimus, Rezia) to critic the dominant ideology of British empire. Septimus thought that he had ability to show his manliness so he engaged in the war. After the war, he didn’t show his manliness and lost his friend Evan. He was suffered from PTSD. He often lost his mind and appeared some illusion that was about his friend. In the dominant ideology of British empire male should have macho masculinity. However, Septimus didn’t have masculinity so the doctor advised he should gain some weight and have a hobby but not to read Shakespeare. Female have to do some housework at home. Although he married Reiza, he didn’t love her. Reiza is subordination of Septimus because she was the house of angel who took care of him.
410202027 龔宥蓁 Q2
Septimus viewed Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility because he thought they were like materialist who only cared about their appearance and luxurious enjoyment instead of focusing on the interior spirit. Both of them only suggested the physical actions to cure Septimus, for example, Dr. Holmes said ‘’health is largely a matter in our own control’’ and Sir William said ‘’ One of my homes where we will teach you to rest.’’ Moreover, they didn’t respect Septimus’s feelings, like what Dr. Holmes said ‘’There was nothing whatever the matter’’ and Sir William said ‘’ It was merely a question of rest.’’ A person who had PTSD should be treated mental treatment, however, the doctors restricted the freedom of Septimus’s soul.
In that post WWI era, people despised Shakespeare’s work in which he depicted the human nature is selfish, merciless and greedy. However, people wouldn’t accept this kind of perspective, they thought that human had all power and should be strong and macho. So Septimus participated the war but lost his friend, Evan, than became a PTSD patient. Woolf created Septimus as a tragic sacrifice who was deeply infected by the dominant British Empire environment, that was, to be macho, to be powerful and to be heroic is everything. And Rezia can be seemed as a symbol of the subordination of women because she only cared about her husband and stood by his side no matter what happened.
英美二 張如寧 410202035
Q2
The reason why Septimus views Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and hostility can be explained by the differences between their values. For Septimus, he possessed a characteristic of highly individual spirituality, which makes him the opposite from the two. What he pursues and longs for is mostly related to the human soul, and things more about the inner world. From his habit, we can know about this unique trait of him. For example, his fondness of reading Shakespeare. As the famous quote goes, “Books are the food of our soul”, what literature provides with Septimus is very important to feed his soul and maintain its vitality, and the power he gains from books is also an animating force that makes him a real and living person apart from Dr. Holes and Sir William Bradshaw, who are not like him at all and aptly embody the tradition and social conform of English Empire at that time. The conventional English custom in that era reflects well on these two characters. Not only on their personal hobbies but also the way they treat Septimus and his PTSD. Instead of giving him proper consultation, they ask him to become separated from his wife and move to the country area. What’s more, they diagnose his illness as a lack of proportion, sense and self-control. Apparently they seem to implement merely their own perspective to deal with this problem, and that is a very unjustified measure to look into the whole matter, especially for the poor and weak Septimus whose psyche becomes uncontrollably disturbed and in total disorder. They never ask about his inside feelings which is the core to the solution. No wonder Septimus will view them with distrust and hostility, and even chooses to commit suicide in response to their coming.
410202008 蔡佳芳
“Throw yourself into outside interests; take up some hobby. He opened Shakespeare –Antony and Cleopatra; pushed Shakespeare aside.” The hobbies Holmes is talking about are something luxury like his hobbies, going to Music Hall and playing golf. Holmes is so shallow that he always focuses on his outfit and his weight. “……he could always switch off from his patients on to old furniture?” This statement tells that Dr. Holmes doesn’t really care about his patients. No doubt that Sir William Bradshaw is professional but he believes proportion is important to human beings, once it’s gone people will go mad. Septimus is suffer from this kind of situation. Without long term counseling, both of them just pushed Septimus to go on the therapy which doesn’t suit to him. Therefore, Septimus said human nature was both on them. They represent all the evil in England’s society and somehow Septimus was ruined by these doctors.
Septimus has his own faith, not like other English people lost theirs after the war. Both of Dr. Holmes and Sir William enforce their therapy on Septimus just like British Empire dominates other country. The truth of colony is devil and war is horrible. Septimus thinks it’s guilty that he can’t feel; however, people who can feel seems feel nothing. They ignored the casualty of war like doctors ignored the real therapy that Septimus need and just do what they want to do. Men should be strong and weakness is not allowed. That’s typical macho masculinity. Septimus is opposite of it. He eager to prove himself a man and maybe that’s why he can’t feel after the war. Most of people think the one who came back from war is hero; however, Woolf describes Septimus as a suffer instead of a hero.
410202004 陳乙萱
Septimus enjoys reading Shakespeare’s play, and he can taste the wonderful ideals and find the inner peace through literature. He looks on the bright side, and doesn’t stop believing people are born with a good heart, and there’s beauty in the world.
A fair lady like Miss Isabel Pole, she’s the mentor of Septimus, since she opens a window for Septimus to explore and get closer to literature. Septimus considers her elegant, tender, and wise. Septimus dreams of her, and it makes him dive into the fascinating ocean of words recklessly.
Septimus is such a sensitive and sentimental man. He can savor the feelings and experiences in a subtler way. Yet, Septimus determines to steel his heart and arms himself to volunteer to be a soldier and defend his country. That’s struggling for him to man up, hide his fears, and abandon all the insecurities and vulnerability.
The merciless war leaves Septimus deeply rooted scars.
He sees his close friend, Evan, die miserably in the spot, and it tears him down, shatters him into pieces. Septimus knows no longer what he’s fighting for. Parts of him is paralyzed, cannot move, and is stranded in the endless torture. Septimus couldn’t feel, indifferent to death, and tries to numb the pain.
Especially, after war, Septimus perceives the dark sides of human nature, like superiority, exploitation, and worldly hypocrisy. He cannot sense the beauty of Shakespeare’s language. The beautiful words are disguised by loathing, hatred, and despair. He becomes cynical and criticizes those lustful animals are evil and repulsive.
Mr. Brewer thinks Septimus requires to do more work-outs because he looks weakly, and even lacks of manliness. Also, Miss Isabel Pole associates Septimus with John Keats, who died very young. Their views about Septimus evidently reveal the stereotype that’s how the society expects men must be strong and brave.
410202051 Yuna 宋惠筑
Q2
Both Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw didn’t concern about what Septimus wanted. They told Septimus that he should rest on his bed, find other interest things to do, have healthy diet so that he would look “healthier” and do not think about the past which was haunting in his head made him feel sad and painful. These things were totally opposite to his own willing. And I think the other point is that these two men shown their kindness in front of his wife made him feel disgusting or something, because they were actually not so kind like his wife thought.
Woolf made a lot of connections between Mrs.Dalloway and Septimus, I think she used this character(Septimus) to criticize the promotion of macho masculinity in British empire, Septimus also represented herself. We can see from Septimus’ life. First, He was a self-educated man in a working class, and his boss told him to play football to make his body shape stronger. In my opinion, I think that is an invisible pressure that the society would tell you what a man should do. Second, is about his relationship with Evans and Rezia. We can see that Septimus was a gay, and is the zero number one. But in the end he got married while he was ill and got panic after Evans dead. Above these two points, Mrs.Dalloway also fall in love with her same sex friend (Sally) and couldn’t help but giving up to this macho society. She got married, too, being a husband’s wife and lived not so happy.
410102044 薛姿黛
I am going to answer Q2.
In Mrs.Dalloway, Septimus does not like Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw apparently. He calls them brute many times. The reason why Septimus view Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility is that both of them don’t take Septimus’ mental illness seriously. Septimus sees human nature on both of them. Dr.Holmes trivialized Septimus symptoms; he always says there was nothing whatever the matter. (p.1159) Dr. Holmes advises Septimus to eat more and throw himself into outside interest; take up some hobby, such as go to music hall or play golf which are luxury activities. (p.1159)
On the other hand, Sir William Bradshaw also has lordly background; we can find it in the book “Sir William Bradshaw’s motor car; low, powerful, grey with plain initials interlocked on the panel,” (p.1161) Sir William takes about two to three minutes then he knows Septimus’ problem, and the suggestion that he gives to Septimus is to leave his family and rest in the country.
Septimus keeps saying human nature, and he thinks both of Dr.Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw represent human nature, for example, he says “Once you fall, human nature is on you. Holmes and Bradshaw are on you….” (p.1163) Moreover, both of them also represent the dominant ideology of British Empire. They have the bias that man should be more masculine, and should do the exercise like playing football. However, Septimus is a sentimental man, and he likes to read Shakespeare rather than playing football. He represents soft- masculinity which conflicts to the macho masculinity, the cult of the hero, and the subordination of women.
410202002 鍾宜臻
Question 2
There are many words and expressions we could see in the fictions that explain why Septimus distrust or even hostility to Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw. At first, Septimus was diagnosis of Dr. Holmes who examined him, “There was nothing whatever the matter.” (1159) We could see Dr. Holmes is a men who just care about himself such as he always switch off from patients on to old furniture. Besides, he think Septimus have to push Shakespeare aside, don’t read and think, just make himself fat and to have some hobby. “Throw yourself into outside interests; take up some hobby. (1159) In regard to his all suggest, the verdict of human nature on such a wretch was death.
As for Sir William Bradshaw, was also an image of authority. The motor car, initials interlocked on the panel, silver grey and so on; to show his wealth position and symbolized the royal of his family. Sir William Bradshaw consider all the things Septimus need to do is rest. “rest, rest, rest; a long rest in bed.” (1162) Furthermore, he arrange him to the home down in the country what also the same with Dr. Holmes tell him not to read, writing and thinking. Directly, Sir William Bradshaw was a totalitarian who said, “Trust everything to me” (1163) By Bradshaw’s imagery, it could critique the dominant ideology of British Empire. “Sir William not only prospered himself but made England prosper.” (1163)
Both Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw represent the formerly British Empire’s savageness and callous. The human nature was been neglected. “Septimus repeated to himself, human nature is on you. Holmes and Bradshaw are on you.” And “Never, never had Rezia felt such agony in her life! She had asked for help and been deserted!” (1163) finally, by the Lady Bradshaw’s behavior seeing the subordination of women then. “Lady Bradshaw’s if they were women she embroidered, knitted, spent four nights out of seven at home with her son.” (1164)
410202024 英美二 龔穎俐
After seeing his intimacy friend, Evans, died in the battlefield and coming back to European War, Septimus was a PTSD patient. Although, he could not feel something, he could reason; he could read. He still had the ability of thought. After Septimus viewing Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw few times, he could tell these two doctors would make him become worse. Dr. Holmes said Septimus’s problem is nerve symptom and nothing more. “Throw yourself into outside interests; take up some hobby.” he suggested. He didn’t want Septimus to read Shakespeare, he wanted him to get some shallow hobby such as wearing and golf he pursued. Sir William Bradshaw suggested Septimus to have a long rest. “Rest in bed; rest in solitude; silence and rest; rest without friends, without books, without messages…” (P.1163) Both Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw wanted Septimus to not use his brain and don’t have an inner thought. Just through his life happily and hollowly. Septimus was clever and sensitive like a poet. When he came back to the War, he was more familiar with the human nature. The way of these two doctors diagnose Septimus are not facing his PTSD problem. These two doctors tried to made Septimus to lost his soul and don’t think some deeper questions. Therefore Septimus views Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility.
Septimus was an atypical British Empire person. He is not a macho man, however, he is sensitive like a poet and love to read Shakespeare. The whole society keep telling him to change. Septimus’s boss, Mr.Brewer, thought his looks too weak then advised him to play football. Two doctors wanted him to not have any other opinion and pursue some shallow stuff, just like any other human did.
410102007 英美三 宋祖睿 Alice
Q3. Woolf creates three incidents in Mrs. Dalloway to unify the otherwise disconnected and fluid thoughts of those passers-by: the motor car scene, the skywriting episode, and the beggar woman singing opposite Regent's Park Tube station. What are their significances? What types of thoughts go through people's minds when they witness these three incidents? What kind of symbolic meaning does each incident have?
Ans.
The significances of the three incidents are to converge everyone’s consciousness and to connect the relation of each one who is on their lonely island. People are used to caring themselves and living in the world of their own. It is said even if someone screams for help, the public is more likely to be indifferent. In contrast, if someone shouts that the house is on fire, the reaction of the public might be larger. On account of the sounds of a car engine, an aeroplane and a bagger, people are pulled from the world of themselves to reality. Then, people connect the incidents to themselves from this reality.
At the incident of the motor car scene, people are wondering who sits in the car, perhaps Queen, Prince or Prime Minister. The second incident is made by the sound of an aeroplane. Everyone is guessing what letters are on the sky and the answer is “t-o-f-f-e-e” in the end. In addition, the third incident is an old woman issuing a strange sound, “ee um fah um so/ Foo swee too eem oo”. People walking on the street think she is poor and couldn’t help giving a coin to her; however, it seems that the sound lets people think about their love stories and soothe the souls.
The symbolic meaning of the three incidents are as followings: the first incident reflects the aristocratic society, British royal family and Victorian tradition. The second one represents the advertising practices of capitalism which is the rise of emerging powers. The last incident symbolizes the eternal meaning of closeness to the earth. People are like back to the era of urbanization has not been carried out through hearing the strange sound. That is a bit like the aboriginal languages and dances nowadays. Many things are untraceable; however, they are mysterious and solemn.
410102037 陳欣瑩
Q2. Why does Septimus view Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility? In what way does the creation of Septimus serve as Woolf's critique of the dominant ideology of British Empire, its promotion of macho masculinity, the cult of the hero, and the subordination of women?
In Mrs. Dalloway, Septimus is described as a weak and sensitive man, who reads Shakespeare and likes poems. This is totally different from a typical man. In addition, thanks to the pressure from the dominant culture, he is forced to be someone with masculinity, who is not his true self. Mr. Brewer even advises football for him because it’s a violent game for real men. (p.1156) He also joins the war, which can be a symbol of a macho man. Unfortunately, after the war, he suffers from PTSD. What’s worse, he meets two doctors, Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw, who are portrayed as soullessness. They are the so-called bigwigs who care nothing but their fame, status, material life but not spiritual one. Thus Sir William Bradshaw gives the advice for Septimus to rest, rest and rest. (p.1162) And Dr. Holmes suggests taking up some hobby such as going to the Music Hall, and playing golf. He even pushes Shakespeare aside, which is Septimus’s interest but is stopped by compulsion. (p.1159) From my point of view, it’s all just like the Yellow Wall-paper. The main roles are deprived of their interest by the patriarchy society. They’re told to rest, to stop reading and thinking, and to repress emotions. That’s also the reason why Septimus distrust the two doctors for compelling him to commit suicide. He says that they’re repulsive brute. And we can see his distrust and hostility towards the two doctors through his words, “Human nature is on you. Holmes and Bradshaw are on you… Human nature is remorseless.” (p.1163) Furthermore, Literature is usually seen as a sensitively feminine thing. Literature, weakness, sensitiveness are not allowed for a man because those things are for a woman. That’s why Septimus is repressed— being like a woman. This innocent man in the end mentally breaks down. And that’s how Woolf creates Septimus to criticize the dominant ideology of British Empire.
410102064 曾嘉榮
Question 1
As a boy who loved Shakespeare and poetry, eager to prove himself a man through war. Septimus pushes himself become a macho man to protect his love. After he came back, Septimus comes out deeply doubtful of war and its purposes. He can never go back to the life he had before. He’s stuck between being a poet and a soldier. He could never go back to being a romantic poet that read Shakespeare and write poem every day, because during the war he lost the love of his life. So in order to keep his broken heart attached and not falling apart, he built wall that seal all his emotions. This causes him to have mental illness. More like being trap between his soul and reality, where there is no way out. Unless he gives up his soul then he could keep sanity.
When there is an empire that is powerful and seek to rule others, it will always make war happens. When war happens the empire needs man, masculine man to win wars. This could happen in any period of time. The same in Mrs. Dalloway and Septimus is the one that we can see this clearly in the story.
Abner Lo - 410102062
Q2.
Septimus face Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and hostility because they represent human nature. In the case with Dr. Holmes, Dr. Holmes only cared about the physical trait of Septimus rather than the mental psyche. One can see Dr. Holmes obsession with physical health on (P 1159, L 21). By Holmes observation, Septimus was mentally healthy and all he needed was a hobby and rest. Holmes obsessions with hobbies and physical health rather than the inner spiritual thought represented all that is human nature. Survival was all that Holmes cared about. Dr. Holmes didn’t truly care about Septimus, all Holmes cared about was whether or not Septimus was silent or acting normal. Holmes “temporary” cure to Septimus’ insanity was by the usage of the sedative Bromine. As for Sir William, he diagnosed Septimus as an ill patient. He recommended Septimus to be taken away to a special place to be treated. Sir Williams’ only sought a way of escape but not to face the problem head on. The image portrayed was as though Septimus was disposable, and because he was indifferent and a disturbance to the norm, he was to be sent away. The human nature of throwing away all that is useless.
The creation of Septimus serves as Woolf’s critique of the dominant ideology of the British Empire by portraying the consequences a person one has to face when they are different. In the story, Septimus was portrayed as the abnormal and the doctors, Holmes and Sir William as the right and norm. In the story we can constantly see Septimus being comformed in the way of the “norm”, rather than exploring the spiritual part of life, he was forced to live the life of masculinity. Like the British Empire, Holmes and Sir Williams’ are the all-powerful who had the right to shun all that was considered the abnormal. The conflict between the characters were basically a representation of the British Empire conquering another culture or those they deem to be uncivilized.
A2:Septimus is suffering from PTHD, which also means the experience of the war though he had already gotten back from the war. The main reason is that Septimus faces with the war firsthand instead of just hearing it from others and regarding it as nothing serious, like these two doctors. Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw are all described with high class and materialism, so all the things they care is like caring the weight, and the cars. They did not stand in Septimus's shoes because they have not that experience, so even telling Septimus to give up on reading Shakespeare which Septimus loves to read. When the doctors cannot understand what patients' feeling, of course the patients distrust doctors.
Septimus loves to read Shakespeare, so we can guess that he is much more emotional than other men. In addition, in fact, Septimus's ability is highly praised by Mr. Brewer. Septimus is seen as a man who looked weakly and been advised to play football, so he is not the typical man that the British empire want. For example, every man should be able to fight in the war and cannot be afraid of the enemy. Therefore, like Septimus, who is still terrified by the war is not okay to fit the feature of the macho masculinity. Just like the Rezia thinks, how could his huband, Septimus, who fight in World War, be so coward, even sometimes seeing something weird? The husband that Rezia wants is like the British empire wants.
英美二 詹欣芳 410202036
I would like to answer question two.
Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw have something in common. That is, they both care material things such as money and status rather than spiritual things. What’s worse, they don’t understand Septimus and try to force him to do things that are not suitable to him. That’s why Septimus views them with distrust and hostility.
Septimus is a helpless man living in a world full of ugliness. Because he looks weak, he is told to play football in order to become manlier. In addition, after Evans dies, Septimus cannot feel anymore. It’s because the world doesn’t allow men to cry and they should always be brave and strong. This implies Woolf’s critics of the cult of the hero and the promotion of macho masculinity. Septimus also serves as a sacrifice of the dominant ideology of British Empire. At that time, British Empire is eager to invade other countries to gain more interests under imperialism. It’s not just between countries and countries, but within people and people. Actually, Septimus is the one who is spiritually bombarded by Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw. In my opinion, there is also an issue that Woolf wants to imply to readers. Women were considered as men’s subordination and they have less rights and freedom than men. That is what Septimus’ s wife, Lucrezia, represents in Mrs. Dalloway. As an Italian woman, Lucrezia fell in love with Septimus, an Englishman, and married him. Even though she misses her hometown, she cannot go back. It seems that Septimus is her everything, without him, she has no reason to live in England.
410102026 英美三 吳培菱
Why does Septimus view Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility?In what way does the creation of Septimus serve as Woolf's critique of the dominant ideology of British empire, its promotion of macho masculinity, the cult of the hero, and the subordination of women?
These two doctors in his point of view see him as a threat, and want to take him away and isolate him in a mental house, but he says himself that he doesn't want to die but in the end he kills himself for them taking his freedom away, and without freedom, life has no meaning at all.
These two doctors represent the image of British Empire, and what they are about to do to Septimus is called to prevent him from damage the ideal of British kingdom.
How Septimus serves the critique is that he is the Other in this novel. Although he goes through WWI, but however he is suffered from PTSD, keeping seeing scenes and horrors and ends up committing suicide. He needs to be taken care by his wife. Unlike some domestic society, men takes all the responsibility and be confined in none of the sufferings. But Septimus is the opposite of the ideology domestic society. He is to be seen as the Other as I mentioned before. However, Clarrisa becomes the main character and Septimus is the one influences Mrs. Dalloway the most even though they are stranger to each other.
410102032 許喬閔
I would like to answer the second question.
Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw are always proud and show their vanity. In the essay, they went to music hall and play golf. Besides, author describes Dr. Holmes that he is large, fresh coloured, handsome, flicking his boots. Both of them think that Septimus have mental illness and they also think that it is not a big deal. They do not understand how Septimus suffered and want to take Septimus away and separate Septimus and Rezia. Therefore, Septimus think that they want to restrict his freedom.
Septimus is one of the first to volunteer to the war. He sacrifices himself to contribute to British empire. After he experienced the war, he suffered PDSD. For the superficial honor of British empire, they sacrifices a lot of young men’s life and for the rest of them who survived from the war suffer from PDSD. As for Rezia, she come from Italy but she move to British for Septimus. Even if she misses her hometown a lot, she still stays with Septimus. Besides, whenever Septimus start to get crazy she always obeys Septimus’s order to write down what he says. Therefore, I think these represent women are subordinated to men.
410102016 英美三 方映程
Q1.
Before attending the war, Septimus is a susceptive man, who aspires to be a poet. His sensitivity allows him to connect himself with other people’s feelings and sufferings. However, being sensitive will be linked to feminine in the gender convention of British culture. In order to provoke his “manliness,” his boss, Mr. Brewer, introduces football, a masculine sport to Septimus, which makes him begin to repress his feelings and emotions.
When the European War breaks out, Septimus becomes one of the first to volunteer. On one hand, he wants to prove that he fits into the gender role for an ideal man in British culture. On the other hand, he also wants to save the culture and symbol of England, which embodies in his mentor, Miss Isabel Pole. She enriches his soulful and spiritual mind by showing him how to read and appreciate literature and Shakespeare.
During the war, Septimus has to repress his feelings and emotions against his true nature. When his lover, Evans, is killed in Italy, he suddenly cannot feel. He even congratulates himself upon feeling very little and reasonable. In other words, Septimus does successfully achieve his manhood, but it simultaneously leads to his mental breakdown.
The notion of war, empire and masculinity is tightly connected in Mrs. Dalloway. In order to join the war, a man must put away his feelings, and toughen up to be a macho man. The notion of empire is based on the suppression of alternative voices, which suggests that you cannot have your own voice. You need to be obedient toward the mainstream value. It does not allow the existence of various values, it only believes in one value system, which I think is arbitrary, and should be challenged and criticized.
410202042 康如儀
I would like to answer the second question.
Because both of two doctors don’t have the right attitude, Septimus feels that he is not be respected. According to the treatments of two doctors, Septimus thinks that those treatments are not appropriate and not effective. What’s more, the doctors ask him to eat and drink and not to think anything. So, Septimus thinks that his thought is restricted. Septimus doesn’t get what he wants, so he distrusts them and feels angery. I think a doctor should be serious about their patients and be careful to treat patients.
410102009 英美三 葉郁筠
Question: Why does Septimus view Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility?In what way does the creation of Septimus serve as Woolf's critique of the dominant ideology of British empire, its promotion of macho masculinity, the cult of the hero, and the subordination of women?
In my opinion, the main reason why Septimus views Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility is because of the ways they use to treat Septimus. Both of the two doctors didn’t take Septimus’s illness seriously. They both thought it was not a big deal, and they didn’t really want to fix the problem in Septimus’s mind. Playing golf, going to the Music Hall and rest might work for some people but not Septimus. People who suffered from PTSD should not be treated like in that way. Both of the two doctors didn’t focus on the mental part of Septimus, they didn’t actually give Septimus what he really wanted and what he really needed. And that is the main reason why Septimus views Dr. Holmes and Sit William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility.
At that time, a man like Septimus would not be accepted by the society, the British Empire. A “normal” man should be strong both mentally and physically. Being sensitive equaled to weakness at that time. Virginia Woolf criticizes the dominant ideology of British Empire by the creation of the character, Septimus. She shares many similarities with Septimus. For example, both of them didn’t act like what people want them to, and they both lived under a great pressure given by the society. At that time, every man should be strong and dominant, which Septimus was trying to be. On the other hand, women should be subordinate to men like Rezia was. For Septimus, there was nothing he could do but being a macho man, which he failed at the end. The author uses Septimus to criticize the dominant ideology of British Empire at that time.
610102605 陳亞帆
To answer the second question, I’d like to analyze Septimus’ characteristics in three dimensions, focusing on his body, mind, and soul.
Before volunteered for WWI, Septimus had a weak body, but his mind and soul was so strong and passionate that led him to take the risk changing himself, or even the world. As a matter of fact, with no improvement of his body, the brutal reality of war had impaired his mind, leaving him only hallucinations, yet his soul was not much damaged, for he could still sometimes sense the beauty of the world around him and transfer it into his own beautiful words.
However, the two psychiatrists, Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw, who contradictorily cared about nothing spiritual but only their own bodies, tried to make Septimus give up his own soul by stopping him from reading, what is more, by sending him to the place to have good food and rest in order to build up his body, which to me was correlated to the idea of joining the war.
As a conclusion, Septimus’ unfortunate death wasn’t really a tragedy to me, for he finally got back his romantic and sensitive nature in his last minutes, and the way he threw himself out of the window was like a bird burst out of a cage for freedom. In my opinion, maybe he was not really a war hero while protecting his country, but he did sacrifice his body protecting his own soul in end.
410102053 林芷瑀
I would like to answer question 3.
In the novel, everyone’s conscious are flowing, they are thinking different things. But when there is occur something that everyone can see, their brain will full of incident, their conscious tributaries will flow to a bigger conscious river. The motor car accident makes people around it start to guess who is in the car, is the Queen? This accident is the symbol of royalty, which British are adore blindly. And the sound of airplane bored into the ears of the crowd, so people look up into the sky. They gaze straight up and guess what the aeroplane is writing. At that time, airplane is not as usual us nowadays; it is a symbol of modern age. The plane is advertising the toffee, which means the rise of advertising age and capitalism; present the British society after war. The battered woman, who is singing the ancient song interrupt people’s consciousness again. No matters what happen in the world, the woman will still be there sing the song, and her song touches everyone who hears it. To Peter, he feels only pity for her, but to Rezia, however, she finds strength and makes her feel everything will be okay. The old woman is not to get sympathy from people but the life force she to do this. Compared to men, women’s view is more attuned to the outside of the mainstream. These accidents are as usual as our life; Woolf makes the novel more attuned by have these scenes.
410102042 劉宜婷
Q1
Septimus can be viewed as a victim of British imperialism and the stereotype of masculinity. Before he went to France, he was ambitious to save England, which had rich cultural heritage, Shakespeare’s plays, and his beloved woman. From the evidence above, his romantic vision of the war was obviously far from the reality. As for masculinity, he had sensitive emotions that Clarissa described him like Yeats (p.1155). Mr. Brewer, his boss “advised football” to him to gain his masculinity (p.1156). It shows that people thought he did not fit the type of a man. Also, he bore the social expectation that a soldier should develop manliness to fight for England, which is based on the imperialism.
After WWI, Septimus came back with shell shock rather than like a hero. The war did not bring him honor but cruelty and trauma. He witnessed his best fellow Evans’ death. However, he could not feel the sorrow. In addition, he started to hate human nature. Every time he opened Shakespeare, he just saw “how Shakespeare loathed humanity” behind the beautiful words (p.1157). We can see how WWI causes such devastation to a person. Actually, Septimus represents an image of the post-war citizens’ attitude. WWI had done great harm to England, which made citizens lose trust in British Empire. The imperialism began to loosen and collapse.
The prosperity of British Empire prompted its imperialism to occupy the colonies and get citizens' loyalty to fight. However, the imperialism became self-devastation because of witnessing the cruelty of the war and the ugly truth of itself.
410002061 英美四 申傳勝
2.
Why does Septimus view Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust and even hostility? In what way does the creation of Septimus serve as Woolf's critique of the dominant ideology of British Empire, its promotion of macho masculinity, the cult of the hero, and the subordination of women?
In the story, Septimus had saw the horror of the war, he suffered the death of his friend during the battle. Feeling guilty and suffering fright in the reality, he sees things and listens voices that does not happening, and talks with his long-gone friend Evans. The illusion shows that his serious mental illness. However, after the diagnosis of Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw, Septimus finally loses his hope and commits suicide.
"A case of complete physical and nervous breakdown, with every symptom in an advanced stage." Said the doctors. The two doctors only see the surface of the illness, but ignore the inner sadness which should have been released. It leads to the consequence of Septimus’s suicide. He commits suicide to fit in with the thought of the doctors, although he doesn’t really want to die. The death is the last fight to defend for the freedom in his mind.
In the age of that time, some “differences” is not to be allowed, especially in the gender role and homosexuality. I think that Septimus feels deeply pressure of fitting in the role, therefore he went to the war to prove himself as a “man”. However, Septimus wants to seek for the masculinity of himself, but he eventually loses himself in the cruel war and after the loss of his best friend.
410202020 陳誼芳
Q2
In the story, Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw didn’t treat Septimus’ disease seriously. Instead, they are indifferent toward his symptoms and tell him to take tranquilizer and do some outdoor activities. And Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw were created to symbolize the aristocracy, the so-called upper class of the society derived from imperialism, that either neglect or unaware of how general public having to earn their livings diligently suffer.
Initially, Woolf meant to create the suicide plot for Clarissa, yet later came up Septimus who help her make decisions because of their contrasting characteristics yet bear a myriad of similarities simultaneously such as like to read Shakespeare and the fear of oppression. Also, there are contrasts offered by Septimus such as struggle of consciousness of a working-class person and the affluent of upper-class. And his thoughts often go parallel with those of Clarissa’s, only the differences of sanity and insanity. Most of the men back from battlefields after World War One were inflicted on shell-shock that could strongly defeated the notion of masculinity that many people of that time firmly believe and that forced them to question their core belief. Clarissa Dolloway, a contrast image of Septimus in the story, are altogether absent-minded about things going around them and living in their own either retrospection or fantasy, thus reflecting how women of her time were unable to experience and accept what general men took for granted, indicating the subordination of women.
An old woman sings an ancient song that celebrates life, endurance, and continuity. She is oblivious to everyone around her when she sings, beyond caring what the world thinks. The narrator explains that no matter what happens in the world, the old woman still sing and stand there over ten million years, For Roots, it is a song about the deepest parts of people’s souls, and this woman’s song touches everyone who hears it in some way. For Peter, He doesn’t catch her message and feels only pity for her, and he gives her a coin to her before he steps into a taxi. For Rezia, she finds strength in the old woman’s words, and the song makes her feel as though all will be okay in her life.
410102006 英美三 姚佩君
Question 2
In Mrs. Dalloway, We can know the reason why Septimus view Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw with distrust from the author’s description. As a first contact with Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw, Septimus does not trust both of them apparently, because they do not understand how to solve Septimus’ problem. In the description, Dr. Holmes said,” There was nothing whatever the matter.” and “You’re in a funk” (P.1159). It is mean that Septimus lack of the interest and his life is boring. Because of Dr. Holmes thinks that health is largely a matter in our own control, so he suggested Septimus to go outside and find the own hobby. Instead of improving Septimus’ mental illness, Dr. Holmes lacks the communication with Septimus and makes Septimus’ illness more serious. On the other hand, an old and famous doctor who has an expensive gray car, named Sir William Bradshaw. Sir William Bradshaw knows the reason of Septimus’ problem, but he cannot know why Septimus suffered so much. So Sir William Bradshaw suggests Rezia that Septimus need to live without Rezia and recover in a beautiful area. This is a useless way to solve the problem, so Septimus is unable to express his emotion again. The reason is that both of them cannot make a good communication with Septimus, and they are arrogant and make a decision without thinking a lot, so Septimus really distrust them.
In the time which Septimus lived, it was British empire, which considered that man should have macho masculinity and should be take responsible for almost everything. Septimus has the opposite ideology, he reads Shakespeare and poems, this makes him seems a little wired at the time. Therefore, with the highly pressure given by the society, he join the army and broke down eventually. I think the author tries to show us how ridiculous the ideology was at that time through Septimus’ tragedy.
英美三 410102049 林士傑
Question 2:
First, Dr. Holmes didn’t show much care about Septimus. Dr. Holmes advised Septimus that he should go to Music Hall and play golf but these were not what Septimus wanted. What’s more, Dr. Holmes even viewed him as the abnormal one and asked him to just pursue of physical health. Second, Sir Bradshaw just suggested Septimus to find a good relaxing place to rest. Both of them were the people from the high class but provide with the useless and superficial therapy for Septimus. Septimus with PTSD should be treated with respect and patience. Except for the mental and psychological counseling, Dr. Holmes and Sir Bradshaw tried to deprive Septimus of freedom and attempted to make him different from masses. This was truly offensive and insulting for a sensitive person. Besides, Dr. Holmes and Sir Bradshaw symbolized the human nature and the whole society at that time. Septimus showed his disappointment toward this.
Septimus was totally opposite of the dominant ideology of British empire. He loved reading Shakespeare and searched for the inner beauty. He would like to fulfill his soul and spirit and be an emotional guy. However, in Mr. Brewer’s eyes, Septimus was too weak to be masculine and manly so Mr. Brewer asked him to play football. And Rezia taking care of Septimus, his wife, was considered as subordination.
英美碩二 610202606 曾勤華
I would like to answer the first question.
Septimus In Mrs. Dalloway was portrayed as a pale-faced and beak-nosed character. He was a World War I veteran who suffered from shell shock. He’s a unique figure in the novel because he was one of the first characters to show the horrors of war and the trauma that occurs after combat. The author didn’t regard him as a hero, but rather as a sufferer and survivor of casualty of war. Before the war, Septimus was an aspiring poet before the war. Then, he went to war in order to defend his country, in an attempt to exert his masculine and protective traits. However, Septimus became unable to feel emotion after enlisting in the war for idealistic reasons and the death of his close friend, Evans. After witnessing the horrors of the war and the death of his friend Evans, he found himself disconnected and unfeeling. The war experiences severed his ability to cope with daily life. After that, Septimus always felt condemned by human nature and by the world to die for his failure to feel so that he was often suicidal.
In Mrs. Dalloway, we can connect the notion of war, empire and masculinity together. The empire caused war, and soldiers should be masculine to fight the war. The war is necessary and crucial to make the empire more powerful, so soldiers were trained brave, strong and macho to win a war.
410102013 英美三 謝宜螢
3. Woolf creates three incidents in Mrs. Dalloway to unify the otherwise disconnected and fluid thoughts of those passers-by: the motor car scene, the skywriting episode, and the beggar woman singing opposite Regent's Park Tube station. What are their significances? What types of thoughts go through people's minds when they witness these three incidents? What kind of symbolic meaning does each incident have?
My answer:
In my opinion, all of these incidents are interruptions in the novel Mrs. Dalloway: Clarissa’s thought was interrupted by backfiring car; passers-by stopped focusing on the motor car and the royalty because of the sound of aeroplane in the sky; moreover, the battered woman’s singing opposite Regent’s Park Tube station interrupted Peter’s thinking of his visiting.
Woolf create these events to reveal transition of contemporary values, and we can discover from people’s minds when they see the happenings on the spot. At Woolf’s time only royal class can afford to own highly expensive motor cars. When the car broke down, people noticed and wondered who were sitting in the car. In passers-by’ minds, “there could be no doubt that greatness was seated within; greatness was…removed only by a hand’s-breadth from ordinary people who might now, for the first and last time, be within speaking distance of the majesty of England.” The situation somewhat shows the feelings of patriotism. However, witnesses turned their attention into sky because there was a plane flying and emitting smoke in order to advertise toffee. “All down the Mall people were standing and looking up into the sky.” At the same time, the motor car “went in at the gates and nobody looked at it,” which implies the horrors of war and the society had changed that even toffee’s advertisement, symbolic of capitalism, induced people much than the royal family. Finally, “the voice of an ancient spring sprouting from the earth” describes that the woman is a bard like Homer, singing a poetic epic of time, which represents the ultimate of eternity, the manifestation of stream of consciousness as far as I concerned.
Question 2. 劉至揚 610202605
Suffering from shell shock and having realized that he “could not feel”(1156), Septimus was eager to prove his existence in the world. His inner self – the soul was dying. As he “opened Shakespeare once more,…the intoxication of language…had shriveled utterly”(1157). Only when his wife was working, the sound being made could assure him safety and protection. On the contrary, the two doctors, Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw, did not hear Septimus’s uttermost cry. Their “human nature” (1159) block their eyes to see Septimus’s real problem – being indifference when his homosexual lover Evans was killed and seduced a woman as wife that he did not love. Instead, both doctors tried to make him a physically normal person by ordering him to stay away from books and rest in solitude and silence; that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Septimus could not trust the doctors anymore and to prevent the death of his soul, he chose the death of the body.
Woolf’s creation of Septimus serves as a contrast for the image of men in the Victorian era and early 20th century. Under the dominant ideology of British empire, men need to be strong, masculine and able to attract the opposite sex. This directly promotes the cult of hero and the subordination of women. Septimus’s role demonstrates a contradicting opposite – a war hero being a sufferer of war. His toughness in holding his emotion when seeing a friend’s death does not bring him honor and pride, instead he loses his inner peace and needs to face an endless guilt in betraying his true self. In addition, Septimus’s case also shows the subordination of women does not follow by men being macho and dominant, Rezia’s care for Septimus is voluntary – there’s no subordination involved.
610202610 黃絜巾
When characters and those passers-by pause to look at the stopped motor car scene, a more immaterial form of connection come out at the same time.Just like “Eveything had come to standstill”(P.1115 line 41) Woolf mentions the sounds heard and describes the time between space and sound. Besides,the shell of the car is often represented the significance that on social status within the world. “But now mystery had brushed them with her wing,they had heard the voice of authority; the spirit of religion was abroad with eyes bandaged tight and her lipsgaping wide.” (P.1115 line 30-31) Speaking broadly,the motor car generates as a symbol of monarchy (The British Empire). It dominates the social structures and crushes people like Septimus who was summoned to fulfill its will. Another form of the airplane that spreads incomprehensible words across the sky, gaining much of London's people attention after the excitement. Ironically, however, many people are connected through the inability to communicate symbolized by the plane's skywriting episode. In Septimus’ sickness, he believes the plane is talking to him. Yet, the other characters who view the plane believe in much the same idea. Opposite the Regent’s Park Tube station, the beggar woman sings an ancient song that represents enternal meaning, endurance, and continuity. She is oblivious to everyone around her as she sings, beyond caring what the world thinks.We can know that no matter what happens in the world, the old woman will still be there, even in “a million years,” (P.1153 line24) and that the song has soaked “through the knotted roots of infinite ages.” (P.1153 line36) “Roots” intertwined and hidden beneath the earth, symbolizes the deepest parts of people’s souls, and this woman’s song touches everyone who hears it in some way.
The symbolic meaning of the three incidents are as followings: The types of thoughts go through people's minds that “Stream of consciousness”. For Clarissa, she always think back her charmed youth at Bourton keeps intruding into her thoughts on this day in London. Consistently for Septimus, his time as a soldier during the "Great War" keeps intruding, especially fallen comrade with Evans.Both of them really want to turn back the good time in the past.
610288204 多元碩二 崔珮芸
I prefer to answer the first question.
On the page 1155-1158, we can see some detail and information about Septimus. He is unique and the appearance of him is not like a traditional British man. Before Septimus goes to war, he enjoys reading literature. At the same time, literature inspires him a lot feeling, so he not only reads but also writes. He is like a poet with his ideal and ambition. Besides, he is full of passion and loyalty. Many things changes him and he decides to be a volunteer of the war. However, when Evan was killed in the war, he realizes the war was sublime. The war also teaches him to be masculinity, but in his instinct makes him conflict to himself. The character of Septimus in Mrs. Dalloway reflects the man of the colonized area in the war. Man also have to be masculinity in the war. On the other side, the empire presents powerful to dominate the colony.
410102065 张沈婷
Q2
In the novel of Mrs. Dalloway by Virgina Woolf, Dr Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw appear as the doctors. They are asked for help because of Lucrezia Smith, her insane husband, who has a mental illness. Dr Holmes saids that Septimus "...was nothing the matter with him. "(pg 1121). Dr Bradshaw claims that "a doctor loses his sense of proportion, as a doctor he fails. Health we must have; health is proportion(pg 1163)", it reveals his practice of medicine that is everything must to be balance and he thinks that he can control Septimus by using his power, between the doctors and patients. Therefore, Septimus views a sense of distrust towards Dr. Holmes and Sir William Bradshaw because they did't find out the main form of his illness and unable to help him too. The author depicts Septimus as a "different" personality such as to be"gentle", "developed manliness" and he was playing football in order to prove his masculinity. So, In the British society, all boy should be masculinity and strength. A weakness man or even homosexual, that is not allowed in those days.
41003A035 吳冠儒 Q3
These three incidents have the same function, to pull back conscious streams to reality, and catch people attention. First, the motor car stopped at Mulberry’s shop window. Mrs. Dalloway and Miss Pym go to the window and take a look, Septimus and his wife also stare at the stood motor car. People on street are stopped and discussed who is in the car? Prince of wale? Queen or prime minister? In the past, all machines are seem to new invention, such as motor car, is rarely show up. So the car here represents imperial family, nobles, the symbolic of royalty.
The aeroplane is making letters in the sky. All down the people were standing and looking up into the sky. The appearance of plane is also draw people’s attention. The aeroplane is a representative of capitalism. It’s just the time of industry, people are going to abandon adore of royalty, and pursuit capitalism, it’s just the age of middle class. We could see that in context” And the car went in at the gates and nobody looked at it.”(1119)
The voice of beggar woman is depicted like an ancient spring spouting from the earth. She is singing for love which has lasted a million years. We could find that the voice of beggar woman seems can penetrate through the earth, like passes through humanities’ heart, reaches the deepest of inner world. It has different meaning to every person, depends what is most effective to one. It reflects someone’s inner emotion.
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