达洛维夫人mrs dalloway

VirginiaWoolfAnApproachtoMrs.DallowayVirginiaWoolfI.BriefIntroductionII.AnalysisofMrs.DallowayIII.CommentIV.Q&AVirginiaWoolfMaterofStreamofConsciousness”1882-1941I.BriefIntroduction.MrsDalloway(publishedon14May1925)isanovelbyVirginiaWoolfthatdetailsadayinthelifeofClarissaDallowayinpost-WorldWarIEngland.ItisoneofWoolf'sbest-knownnovels.Createdfromtwoshortstories,MrsDallowayinBondStreetandtheunfinishedThePrimeMinister,thenovel'sstoryisofClarissa'spreparationsforapartyofwhichsheistobehostess.Withtheinteriorperspectiveofthenovel,thestorytravelsforwardsandbackintimeandinandoutofthecharacters'mindstoconstructanimageofClarissa'slifeandoftheinter-warsocialstructure.PlotSummaryClarissaDallowaygoesaroundLondoninthemorning,gettingreadytohostapartythatevening.ThenicedayremindsherofheryouthatBourtonandmakesherwonderaboutherchoiceofhusband;shemarriedthereliableRichardDallowayinsteadoftheenigmaticanddemandingPeterWalshandshehadnottheoptiontobewithSallySeton.Peterreintroducestheseconflictsbypayingavisitthatmorning.SeptimusWarrenSmith,aveteranofWorldWarIsufferingfromdeferredtraumaticstress,spendshisdayintheparkwithhisItalian-bornwifeLucrezia,wheretheyareobservedbyPeterWalsh.Septimusisvisitedbyfrequentandindecipherablehallucinations,mostlyconcerninghisdearfriendEvanswhodiedinthewar.Laterthatday,afterheisprescribedinvoluntarycommitmenttoapsychiatrichospital,hecommitssuicidebyjumpingoutofawindow.Clarissa'spartyintheeveningisaslowsuccess.Itisattendedbymostofthecharactersshehasmetinthebook,includingpeoplefromherpast.ShehearsaboutSeptimus'suicideatthepartyandgraduallycomestoadmiretheactofthisstranger,whichsheconsidersanefforttopreservethepurityofhishappiness.Dearest,IfeelcertainthatIamgoingmadagain:Ifeelwecan’tgothroughanotherofthoseterribletimes.AndIshan’trecoverthistime.Ibegintohearvoices,andcan’tconcentrate.SoIamdoingwhatseemsthebestthingtodo.Youhavegivenmethegreatestpossiblehappiness.Youhavebeenineverywayallthatanyonecouldbe.Idon’tthinktwopeoplecouldhavebeenhappiertillthisterriblediseasecame.Ican’tfightitanylonger,IknowthatIamspoilingyourlife,thatwithoutmeyoucouldwork.AndyouwillIknow.YouseeIcan’tevenwritethisproperly.Ican’tread.WhatIwanttosayisthatIoweallthehappinessofmylifetoyou.Youhavebeenentirelypatientwithmeandincrediblygood.Iwanttosaythat-everybodyknowsit.Ifanybodycouldhavesavedmeitwouldhavebeenyou.Everythinghasgonefrommebutthecertaintyofyourgoodness.Icantgoonspoilingyourlifeanylonger.Idon’tthinktwopeoplecouldhavebeenhappierthanwehavebeen.ThemesThenovelhastwomainnarrativelinesinvolvingtwoseparatecharacters(ClarissaDallowayandSeptimusSmith);withineachnarrativethereisaparticulartimeandplaceinthepastthatthemaincharacterskeepreturningtointheirminds.ForClarissa,thecontinuouspresent(GertrudeStein'sphrase)ofhercharmedyouthatBourtonkeepsintrudingintoherthoughtsonthisdayinLondon.ForSeptimus,thecontinuouspresentofhistimeasasoldierduringtheGreatWarkeepsintruding,especiallyintheformofEvans,hiscomrade.MentalillnessSeptimus,astheshell-shockedwarhero,operatesasapointedcriticismofthetreatmentofmentalillnessanddepression.WoolflashesoutatthemedicaldiscoursethroughSeptimus'declineandsuicide;hisdoctorsmakesnapjudgmentsabouthiscondition,talktohimmainlythroughhiswifeanddismisshisurgentconfessionsbeforehecanmakethem.ReziaremarksthatSeptimuswasnotill.DrHolmessaidtherewasnothingthematterwithhim.Woolfgoesbeyondcriticizingthetreatmentofmentalillness.UsingthecharactersofClarissaandRezia,shemakestheargumentthatpeoplecanonlyinterpretSeptimus'shell-shockaccordingtotheirculturalnorms.ThroughoutthecourseofthenovelClarissadoesnotmeetSeptimus.Clarissa'srealityisvastlydifferentfromthatofSeptimus;hispresenceinLondonisunknowntoClarissauntilhisdeathbecomesidlechatatherparty.Byneverhavingthesecharactersmeet,Woolfissuggestingthatmentalillnesscanbecontainedtotheindividualswhosufferfromitwithoutotherswhoremainunaffectedeverhavingtowitnessit.MentalillnessThisallowsWoolftoweavehercriticismofthetreatmentofthementallyillwithherlargerargument,whichisthecriticismofsociety'sclassstructure.HeruseofSeptimusasthestereotypicallytraumatizedmanfromthewarisherwayofshowingthattherewerestillremindersoftheFirstWorldWarin1923London.TheseripplesaffectMrs.Dallowayandreadersspanninggenerations.Shellshockorposttraumaticstressdisorderisanimportantadditiontotheearly20thcenturycanonofpost-warBritishLiterature.TherearesimilaritiesinSeptimus'conditiontoWoolf'sstruggleswithbipolardisorder(theybothhallucinatethatbirdssinginGreekandWoolfonceattemptedtothrowherselfoutofawindowasSeptimusdoes).Woolfeventuallycommittedsuicidebydrowning.Woolf'soriginalplanforhernovelcalledforClarissatokillherselfduringherparty.Inthisoriginalversion,Septimus(whomWoolfcalledMrs.Dalloway'sdouble)didnotappearatall.ExistentialissuesWhenPeterWalshseesagirlinthestreetandstalksherforhalfanhour,henotesthathisrelationshiptothegirlwasmadeup,asonemakesupthebetterpartoflife.Byfocusingoncharacters'thoughtsandperceptions,Woolfemphasizesthesignificanceofprivatethoughtsratherthanconcreteeventsinaperson'slife.Mosto