Reading Mrs. Dalloway

Late last year I reread Michael Cunningham's The Hours. I was going to post about it after my review of The Unbearable Lightness of Being but that's not what happened. In researching for the post I discovered something I probably should have already known. Cunningham's work was greatly inspired by Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. Cunningham placed Woolf's suicide in his novel. She is a main character. And Clarissa in The Hours is named after Clarissa who is Mrs. Dalloway. Both novels feature interesting men who are badly wounded by life. Each commits suicide.

“The Hours” was actually Woolf's working title for a time. But the title became Mrs. Dalloway instead, allowing Cunningham to seize the earlier title for his novel. There was such an intimate connection between these two novels that I had to read Mrs. Dalloway for myself. It is an entertaining book to read. The prose is often wonderful. There are interesting characters who are all basically existing in their own little worlds which Woolf reveals to the reader through the skillful use of stream of consciousness. Like The Hours, Ulysses and other novels, the narrative takes place in a single day.

Woolf is writing from the perspective of the post-World War One malaise that pervaded Europe, with its millions of wounded and dead men. This sense of disillusionment and uncertainty about the future is a theme that resonates in many literary works from that era, such as D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover and W. Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge. These works (both of which are a part of my library), along with Mrs. Dalloway, were nurtured in the existential crises and the profound psychological impacts of the Great War on individuals and society as a whole.

Europe was grappling with massive social, political, and cultural upheavals. The war had shattered previous notions of stability and progress, leading to widespread disillusionment and a sense of purposelessness. This pervasive malaise is evident in Mrs. Dalloway, where the characters are preoccupied with their pasts and the present moment, with little consideration for the future. The war's psychological scars are especially visible in the character of Septimus, whose experiences on the battlefield have left him traumatized and alienated from society. His inability to envision a future for himself ultimately leads to his tragic suicide.

Published in 1925, Mrs. Dalloway is a short, easy read, only about 240 pages. Clarissa Dalloway is having a party. It is the nice June morning of the party and she is going to select the flowers herself. Her servants are all busy with party prep. Besides, she loves to walk through London. She adores this city. This long passage early in the novel reflects Woolf's technique for conveying this and gives us a great example of her prose:

“For having lived in Westminster—how many years now? over twenty,—one feels even in the midst of the traffic, or waking at night, Clarissa was positive, a particular hush, or solemnity; an indescribable pause; a suspense (but that might be her heart, affected, they said, by influenza) before Big Ben strikes. There! Out it boomed. First a warning, musical; then the hour, irrevocable. The leaden circles dissolved in the air. Such fools we are, she thought, crossing Victoria Street. For Heaven only knows why one loves it so, how one sees it so, making it up, building it round one, tumbling it, creating it every moment afresh; but the veriest frumps, the most dejected of miseries sitting on doorsteps (drink their downfall) do the same; can’t be dealt with, she felt positive, by Acts of Parliament for that very reason: they love life. In people’s eyes, in the swing, tramp, and trudge; in the bellow and the uproar; the carriages, motor cars, omnibuses, vans, sandwich men shuffling and swinging; brass bands; barrel organs; in the triumph and the jingle and the strange high singing of some aeroplane overhead was what she loved; life; London; this moment of June.”

Woolf's stream of consciousness narrative technique, allows readers to experience the thoughts and feelings of characters in real time. This technique blurs the lines between the external and internal worlds of the characters, providing a deep psychological portrait. Many authors have employed this technique.  Such intermingling of streams of consciousness between characters has a wonderful effect on me reading it.  Woolf provides me with plenty of such moments in Mrs. Dalloway.

This fluid stream-of-consciousness narrative often seamlessly shifts between the thoughts and perspectives of different characters. This technique allows Woolf to create a multifaceted and deeply interconnected portrayal of her characters' inner lives. In one passage, Woolf moves from Clarissa’s perspective to Peter’s perspective almost imperceptibly. This occurs when Peter visits Clarissa unexpectedly. The narrative begins with Clarissa’s reflections on Peter and then shifts to Peter’s thoughts as he observes Clarissa:

"How like him! He would open a door, come in, jump straight on to the middle of her dream, come in to her bedroom in the morning with a present to make up for his rudeness, go around to all the nurses in the hospital to apologize. Just like him, just like Peter – always in love, always in love with the wrong woman.

“‘I am in love,’ he said, ‘with a girl in India. She is only twenty-four. But she has something of her own, something unique.’"

Here the narrative begins with Clarissa’s inner monologue about Peter’s habits and tendencies. It then smoothly transitions to Peter’s own words and thoughts about his current romantic involvement in India. This seamless shift blurs the lines between the characters’ perspectives, creating a continuous flow of consciousness that enriches the reader’s understanding of their relationship.

Another instance of intermingled perspectives occurs between Septimus and his wife, Rezia. As Septimus struggles with his mental illness, the narrative often flows between his troubled thoughts and Rezia’s worries and frustrations:

"So he was deserted. The whole world was clamouring: Kill yourself, kill yourself, for our sakes. But why should he kill himself for their sakes? Food was pleasant; the sun hot; and this killing oneself, how does one set about it, with a table knife, uglily, with floods of blood – by sucking a gas pipe? He was too weak; he could scarcely raise his hand.

“‘Besides, now that I am quite alone, I shall invent a game,’ he said aloud.

“'Oh, no,' Rezia exclaimed, she was appalled."

In this passage, the narrative begins within Septimus’s tormented mind, reflecting on the voices urging him to commit suicide and his thoughts about the act itself. Suddenly, it shifts to Rezia’s external reaction to Septimus’s aloud statement, showing her fear and distress. This technique allows Woolf to present a dynamic interplay between Septimus’s inner turmoil and Rezia’s external response, highlighting their emotional disconnect and the impact of his mental illness on their relationship.

Such narrative fluidity extends through the experience of time captured within the thoughts and actions of characters, emphasizing the impact of past experiences on the present. Clarissa’s day is filled with memories of her youth, her relationships, and her choices, which shape her current identity and perspective on life. Again, Woolf uses the technique to show how the lives and thoughts of different characters are intertwined, even if they do not interact directly. The interconnected nature of things is prominent in Mrs. Dalloway.

"Mrs. Dalloway raised her hand to her eyes, and, as the maid shut the door to, she heard the swish of Lucy’s skirts, she felt like a nun who has left the world and feels fold round her the familiar veils and the response to old devotions. The cook whistled in the kitchen. She heard the click of the typewriter. It was her life, and, bending her head over the hall table, she bowed beneath the influence, felt blessed and purified, saying to herself, as she took the pad with the telephone message on it, how moments like this are buds on the tree of life, flowers of darkness they are, she thought (as if some lovely rose had blossomed for her eyes only) not for a moment did she believe in God.

"But all the time, she thought, sitting and watching the omnibuses in Piccadilly, she felt if it were now to die, 'twere now to be most happy."

This passage transitions from Clarissa's internal reflection to a broader contemplation of life, weaving in the ambient sounds and movements around her to create a tapestry of interconnected moments. Woolf also uses shared observations to connect characters' inner lives, as seen in this passage involving Clarissa and Septimus:

"She was going to the shops to buy flowers, and Clarissa saw the old woman crossing the street and thought, 'What a lark! What a plunge!' She felt very young; at the same time unspeakably aged. She sliced like a knife through everything; at the same time was outside, looking on.

“Meanwhile, Septimus watched the same old woman, and though his mind was far removed, there was an eerie synchronicity in their perceptions of her crossing."

These transitions, while subtle, reflect Woolf's intent to depict the fluidity of human consciousness and the permeable boundaries between individual experiences. Interestingly, this fluidity of time in the novel does not extend into the future. In keeping with the feelings of the malaise of the time, there is no future. The novel's characters are deeply entrenched in their memories and immediate experiences, often reflecting on how their past has shaped their present selves. This preoccupation with past and present contributes to the novel's exploration of identity, time, and consciousness.

The keeping of time on this June day is a major consideration in the novel, from the chiming of Big Ben and other clocks to the accounting of events leading up to the party scheduled for that evening. The characters have no dream of the future, they are preoccupied mainly with the past – and the party.  It seems “the war to end all wars” left everyone involved stuck in the past.

Clarissa spends much of her day reflecting on her past, particularly her youth at Bourton and her relationships with Peter Walsh and Sally Seton. Her memories are vivid and emotionally charged, highlighting the significant impact of her past choices on her current life. Clarissa's present is dominated by her preparations for the evening's party, which serves as a focal point for her social identity and personal reflections.

Similarly, Peter is consumed by his memories of his past relationship with Clarissa and his subsequent failures and disappointments. His return to London triggers a flood of memories, and his thoughts frequently shift between past experiences and his immediate feelings and observations.

Septimus's experience of time is fragmented and disrupted by his mental illness. His perception of reality is deeply affected by his traumatic experiences in the war, and he is haunted by hallucinations and memories of his friend Evans. Septimus's struggle with PTSD (though people back then called it “shell shock”) anchors him in a perpetual state of past trauma and present suffering.

The novel's emphasis on the past and present aligns with its broader themes. Woolf explores the fluidity of time, the interconnectedness of human experiences, and the enduring impact of memories on identity. By focusing on the characters' past and present, Woolf delves into the complexities of their inner lives and the ways in which they navigate their personal histories.

The absence of a clear future in the novel also underscores the characters' existential struggles. For Clarissa, the awareness of mortality and the passage of time is a central concern. Her epiphany near the end of the novel, prompted by the news of Septimus's suicide, highlights her recognition of life's fleeting nature and the importance of embracing the present.

"She felt somehow very like him—the young man who had killed himself. She felt glad that he had done it; thrown it away."

This moment of clarity leads Clarissa to reaffirm her commitment to living fully in the present, despite the inevitability of death. Importantly, the epiphany has no future. It is not a matter of hope so much as an inspiration to go on with whatever is happening. The novel concludes with her decision to return to her party, symbolizing her acceptance of life's dualities and her determination to engage with the present moment.

In Mrs. Dalloway, Woolf's primary focus is on the intricacies of memory and immediate experience. And the many intimacy's she creates in this work is truly impressive writing. The characters are deeply absorbed in their pasts and present realities, and this emphasis allows Woolf to explore themes of time, identity, and consciousness in a profound and nuanced manner. The novel's structure and narrative style reinforce this introspective focus, creating a richly layered portrayal of human existence that continues to resonate with readers.

As we have seen, there is no future at all in the novel. One of the reasons for the novel's limited depiction of the future is Woolf's stream of consciousness technique, which immerses readers in the characters' inner thoughts and perceptions as they occur. This narrative style allows for a fluid and immediate exploration of consciousness, with the characters' thoughts drifting naturally between memories and current experiences. As a result, the future remains largely unconsidered, reflecting a more existential and introspective focus.

The novel is filled remembrance and introspection. Clarissa's reflections on her role as a wife, mother, and hostess reveal her complex relationship with societal expectations and her personal desires. The novel critiques the restrictive roles imposed on women and highlights the internal conflicts that arise from these pressures.

Parallel to Clarissa’s story is that of Septimus, a war veteran. His tragic experiences and ultimate fate offer a stark contrast to Clarissa’s life and serve as a commentary on the inadequate treatment and understanding of mental health issues in society. Both Clarissa and Septimus grapple with questions of existence, purpose, and the meaning of life. The novel delves into existential themes, examining how individuals find or create meaning in a seemingly indifferent world.

Mrs. Dalloway is a grand piece of literature and I enjoyed reading it without previously planning to do so. The Hours thrust that upon me, but it turned out to be a wonderful surprise. The novel's prose, its intermingling of perspectives, its futureless present filled with nostalgia, are all timeless creations and fascinating to read. I like Woolf's style. Unfortunately, I have so much else to read I probably won't revisit her. But I might revisit this particular novel one day. I'm sure it rewards repeat readings.

 

(Written with assistance from ChatGPT.)