Mrs Dalloway Novel moves from one character

Mrs. Dalloway • Novel moves from one character to another • We see the internal thoughts of each major character • Inner honest thoughts are contrasted w/ superficial interactions w/ other characters that frequently cause frustration, realized on unrealized.

Premises 1. Alienation—Everyone appears to be alienated from other people; no one appears to be absorbed in an integrated human exchange. 2. Social repression—None of the characters allow themselves, or are allowed, to act on any inner instincts or impulses. Rather, they all are forced to repress their feelings.

Premises 3. Social class serves as a cover—This novel very much is an indictment of class and the false and destructive influence it asserts. Class determines everything in the book, including how one must act and behave, and this we observe has a stifling effect on everyone whether they recognize it or not.

Premises 4. Social ignorance--Everyone appears to be ignorant of the social experience of those outside their respective class. 5. Social ways are destructive—This applies most explicitly to Septimus, as no one understands the nature of his condition. (He suffers shell shock, post WWI. ) This also applies to Clarissa Dalloway in an implicit way—notice that her life has lost its vibrancy.

Premises 6. Discontentment—Everyone is discontent for various reasons and with varying degrees of realization. 7. The present ways are failing —The characters appear to be enduring harm because of the ways society demands them to act.

Clarissa Dalloway The first sentence is declarative What does it suggest about CD? Why might she be geeked to go buy the flowers herself? P 3 -4—CD is walking through London in the present and thinking about herself w/ Peter when they were 18 How does Woolf achieve this and what is she doing?

Clarissa P 3—Diction—What role does ‘plunge’ play P 4—first full para—what goes on in this para? 4— “…before Big Ben strikes…. ” This motif of imagery and time occurs throughout the novel always suggesting to the characters the relevance of time? What role does this play in the novel and why do you think it is there?

5—evaluate the nature of the diction What effect does it have? 5— “The war was over, except…” Repression 5—Syntax—Find the longest sentence on the page. What effect do you think this type of syntax has

6 -7—How does Woolf establish the nature of the relationship b/w Peter and Hugh? Memory 7— 2 nd full para—we are inside CD’s head Why did CD recoil at Peter’s taunts that she would make a great hostess?

8—What were and what are her feelings for Peter? 8, last full para—What is her feeling of herself? How long might she have felt this way? Is it her fault or the fault of someone else that she has lived a life that makes her feel this way?

10—How and for what reasons does CD feel conflicted? What impact do you think this had or has on her? 11—the present 12—We don’t know who Miss Kilman is at this point. How does CD feel about her and why might she feel this way?

12— “It rasped her…” Evaluate the imagery What elements build this imagery? 13— “There were flowers…” Evaluate the imagery What elements build this imagery? 13—What is the difference b/w these two passages of imagery What point does this difference make?

Septimus Warren Smith 14—Car backfires and Septimus goes into shellshock The novel parallels the stories of CD and Septimus, yet they never meet They only have secondary contact twice What point do you think Woolf is raising by pairing their lives?

Septimus 14— “The world has raised its whip; where will it descend? ” What is the nature of his existence? 16– “The motorcar with its blinds drawn…” Notice that no mention of Septimus’ reaction is brought This suggest the failure of the social standards to understand those who do not embody the social standards

16—We also see Reiza’s embarrassment 16—This is the first mention of Dr. Holmes He advises Septimus to take an interest in things outside himself b/c nothing is wrong with Septimus

What does Dr. Holmes’ superficial diagnosis of Septimus suggest about social perception? What effect does superficial perceptions have on the characters in the book? 17—Rezia urges him to look at what is real. We need to notice that she is struggling mightily in a different manner along with her husband. They are both alienated.

Reiza 17—here we see Reiza’s thoughts What is on her mind? What literary techniques do we find here to characterize her? last line on p 17 --Qualify the tone, diction, and imagery in context with Reiza’s psychological frame of mind.

21 --What establishes Clarrisa as a hollow character who concerns herself primarily with social status and prestige? 21 --What happens w/ the tone when CD thinks about flowers? What do you think Woolf is suggesting about CD?

21 -26 --We are inside Clarissa’s head for her private thoughts. What attitudes does she have about her memories as a young woman? What point is made when contrasting them with her realization about herself in the present?

Memories of Sally— 21 -26 What kind of a character is Sally? 23 -24—What do CD’s memories of Sally suggest about her? 24 --Notice that as she recalls Sally, her memories are peppered with flower imagery. 26—What impact does the intrusion of the men have on CD?

Peter 29 -34—These pages flip back and forth b/w Peter and CD’s internal point of view Describe how they interact with each other. How direct is each about the other as each ponders thoughts and memories?

Peter 35 -36—How does Peter see himself? 30 -32—What are CD’s thoughts about Peter?

Peter 35 -46 --Remember my party…” Peter’s internal thoughts of himself and Clarissa. What does he realize? Does he differ much from Clarissa? How does Woolf show all this?

Peter 42—first full para Describe the tone How does Woolf achieve this tone? 44—Describe Peter’s state of being How does he feel about…? 45 -46 --When Peter is considering the present, the tone is sad, melancholy; when he considers the past, suddenly the tone is happy (p 58 -9). How does this happen in the text?

Reiza and Septimus— 64 -70 47—What is Reiza’s attitude about her plight? Diction—what word appears repeatedly and what is suggested about how it is used? Is Raiza selfish or is she justified? Should we sympathize w/ her or despise her?

49, 2 nd paragraph How do these lines perfectly describe the nature of Septimus’s experience? 49 -50—In every way Septimus is alone Describe how he is alone.

Peter 52, bottom Why does Peter despise Hugh? 53—What kind of man is Hugh? 54—How does Peter remember Sally? Peter still loves CD

Rezia and Septimus— 60 -72 60 The great British civilization has failed and destroyed people like Septimus 62—What was Septimus’ nature as a young man? 62 --What did Septimus do wrong?

65—Holmes declares that nothing is wrong with Septimus And prescribes bromide—a sedative 66, top ½--What is Holmes’ concern? Is septimus correct in concluding that “once you stumble…human nature is on you”? Why does the whole world want him to kill himself?

67—Why does Septimus call Holmes a brute? 68 -72—What kind of man is Sir Wm Bradshaw? 70—Septimus repeats his observation of human nature What was his crime?

71, bottom—Why does Reiza find Bradshaw to be “not a nice man”? 73—Again…what kind of man is Bradshaw? 72 -73—Describe the kind of care and treatment Bradshaw is providing? What kind of man is he?

Richard Dalloway and Hugh W. 74 (bottom)-103—Darling Hugh What have been his contributions? 81—What is Richard’s perspective on Hugh as they walk through London? Why does he not state his thoughts? What does this reticence suggest about the novel’s main ideas?

Why does Richard buy flowers instead of the jewelry he wants to give to CD? Again…what does this suggest about MOPAW (this is the first time in the entire Power. Point I’ve used that acronym. Hmm. )

CD and Richard 85—Describe the nature of the dynamic b/w CD and Richard 86—Armenians and Albanians What does this cluelessness about A+A suggest about the kind of life CD lives?

Miss Kilman 88—What kind of person is Miss Kilman? Is she admirable or loathsome? Why does she detest CD? 89—What do these paragraphs suggest about Kilman?

90, last para—What do we learn here about Kilman?

Elizabeth 95 What kind of character does Elizabeth emerge as in this section? What are Kilman’s feelings towards Elizabeth?

Septimus and Reiza This next scene with Septimus picks up on the middle of 139 with Elizabeth’s bus passing Septimus. 105— “So he was in their Power!” Refer back to 71 -72 107—Evaluate Septimus’ suicide. Is he a coward? Did Septimus achieve anything w/ his suicide?

106—What does Holmes’ confusion suggest? 108—Notice how Septimus’s story touches/interacts with Peter and CD w/ the passing ambulance 111 -12—Peter’s perceptions of others’ perceptions of him How has his life been seen?

The Party— 119 -end 119—Describe CD as she welcomes guests. 122, last para—What is CD’s state of mind? 122—Sally returns How is she different? 123 -24—What is Peter doing? What is thinking about What does this suggest?

129—What is the nature of the party? 129—Again…how is Sally different? 133—We again see and hear the imagery of Big Ben—the time motif CD also hears of Septimus’ suicide. Why is she glad he had done it?

What effect can we draw from the fact that the characters are revealed both through their private, inner thoughts that they don’t reveal and through the perceptions of others? To what degree is the party scene significant? Does it reveal or suggest anything important?

How can we view CD and Septimus? Any of the other characters? ? ? What do their experiences, lives suggest?