Sunday, March 17, 2013
Mrs Dalloway (81-110)
As we progress into the novel, we develop an image of London and 20th century British modernism that is very bleak, and formal. Already, we have become familiar with a sombre fog that shrouds daily life and even the meaning of relationships. This society is a restrained one, and thus its people are very down to Earth.
Peter Walsh's perception of relationships and morals juxtaposes the British stereotype. Fiery and emotional, Peter shows no restraint in his actions. As he leaves Clarissa's he does his best to discover where they went wrong, trivializing every detail. The interruption of an old earthly spring near the Regent's Park Tube gives Peter's conclusion on relationships an entire new meaning.
How does the image of the spring on page 81 change our perception of the English world?d
A corps group of characters has developed around this stream of conscience narrative. Among them, we see three women each with their own interpretation of Modernism. Clarissa, a married woman unhappy with the robustness of her husband and the men she knows. Lucrezia, a woman fighting for her husbands sanity and Lady Bruton, an esteemed englishwoman who despises the nature of women.
Of these three women, who strikes you as the most powerful or compelling?
From one of our previous readings, who reminds you of Dr. William Bradshaw, the new psychiatrist for Septimus?
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I feel as if Clarissa is almost ashamed of the life she lives because it is run by society, the image she created for herself is ideal but deep down she is not satisfied with her life. Lady Bruton, to me seems she is trying to be elegant but she hates the way the women act, and finds them to be snotty. The scene where Woolf has her walking "luxuriously" and then falls to sleep and snores, really showed her true colors; acting like a lady and then when she is out of site being who she really is. And then there is Lucrezia, to me we do not see much emotion from her, she talks about Septimus but never about herself as much. She is the most powerful and strongest in my eyes because she is not selfish and cares the most about the ones around her. She says that she can not take Septimus any longer and that she is slowly breaking. I truly believe that she would not leave him because they are in love and have not let her social life depict who she is. She is quite young and having to deal with a traumatic experience as well and has no one to talk to, however she works through it on her own.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Bradshaw to me is a character who strives for superiority, he will do anything to feel empowered. Separating Septimus and Lucrezia was not the cure in my mind. He was known to have a lot of fame and his reputation is overall positive. This role that is created reminds me of Kurtz. Kurtz for half the book was not even introduced, we only heard of him. He was this powerful man, but once we were introduced to him he was only powerful through his large voice. We quetioned Kurtz's morals, and I do the same with Williams.
I agree with Nina's point about Clarissa's shame and disappointment with her life. I think the reason the stream of consciousness style is so effective for this book is because it allows the readers to see what's going on internally. If we were just reading about Clarissa's external actions and words, we would think of her as a much different character, one who has conformed to the society that she lives in and has accepted her role in that society. However, with Clarissa's internal monologue, it is easier for us to sense that she maybe unsatisfied with the life that she is living. I find Clarissa to be the most compelling because of this opposition between her internal and external emotions. We get to know Lady Bruton's character in a similar way. If we only saw her external actions, we might see a feminine, elegant woman, but by being able to hear her thoughts, we think of her differently. For example, on page 106, she asks "'How's Clarissa?"' This is really the only dialogue on that page, but because Woolf allows the readers to see Lady Bruton's internal thoughts, the reader can see some of her thoughts about the Clarissa. I disagree with Nina's opinion of Lucrezia a little bit. While she does talk about Septimus a lot, she also talks about herself. On page 65, she says to herself "why should I suffer?" and later on "But for herself she had done nothing wrong...why should she suffer?....but why should she be exposed? Why not left in Milan? Why tortured? Why?" While Lucrezia does care for her husband, she tends to complain a lot about how difficult his condition has made her life.
ReplyDeleteI find Lady Bruton to be the most powerful and compelling mainly because of her independence. Clarissa and Lucrezia are both attached to their husbands even if the attachment is very different. Clarissa is dependent on Richard for connections and wealth and Septimus forces Lucrezia to be there to take care of him. Lady Bruton may not be portrayed in the most positive light, but she is most definitely the most independent and therefor powerful. There is a sense of feminism and self-confidence that surrounds her that greatly contrasts the deep-set insecurities of Clarissa. Sadly for Lucrezia, the bulk of her character development has been in relation to the extremely depressed Septimus. Overall, Lady Bruton may follow some of the sexist British values but still seems to hold true to her own desires which definitely make her compelling.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ben's statement that Lady Burton is most powerful because of her independence. This time in England, as I think we discussed in class, was a time where women were generally not seen as equal and their status was completely dependent on their husbands status. Clarissa may be seen as "freer" than Lucrezia because she doesn't have to take care of her husband the same way Lucrezia takes care of Septimus because she still doesn't have the same freedom as Lady Burton. Clarissa is still the classic english woman in the sense that she sits at home and plans parties. Lady Burton in contrast may be doing work that be believe to be frivolous but it's still her work. She also is the only woman that we've heard a man say he respects or admires as we see when Hugh and Richard go to lunch with her. It's interesting that Lady Burton has this power when she's out of the social norm of having a husband and throwing parties and being a "lady". Is it the fact that she doesn't have a husband that gives her freedom? Well Lucrezia have the same respect after what happened to Septimus?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ellie in that the stream of consciousness aspect of the book allows the reader to grasp exactly how society plays a role in shaping their lives and the true feelings a person has rather than their outward voice. Although dominant throughout the thoughts of Clarissa and Lucrezia, with Lady Bruton, her character is much more blatant and raw, as opposed to the ‘social norm’ of England which was that women’s voices were suppressed. I find Clarissa is one of the most compelling because of her debate within herself to show who she is, but also to understand the standards of this time period. Although she is “of the woman who was to give the party, of Clarissa Dalloway, of herself” (37) her internal monologue shows otherwise, stating that she “enjoyed life immensely” (78). Lady Bruton, although powerful, is respected, but also seen as an ‘uproar’ in the time where women were meant to be quiet. She is compelling in the sense that she not only wants, but is attempting to break the status quo and give a place for women by using her aristocratic family heritage, but also her demanding and powerful personality. Lucrezia I find is very different than these two other women. She seems narrow-minded and almost naive, trying to disregard Septimus and his shell shock. She is selfish and wishes that her life had turned out differently. I think that all three of the women represent a different part of this society. While Lady Bruton is forward, she is also powerless without the help of men. Clarissa, although reserved, finds herself thinking internally rather than speaking outright. Lucrezia is different not only on the social status level but also with her perspective of society, her ability to take on issues and her own selflessness.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Lady Bruton seems to be the most “powerful” of the three women, however, as a woman she is not very powerful in the society’s eyes. On page 109 she needs Hugh and Richard to help her with the letter so that it will be taken seriously. She needs them because if the help her “she [is] sure of being somehow right” (109). The fact that Lady Bruton is labeled as “Lady” shows that she is of the upper class and has a sense of power or superiority over those in the lower classes. I also think an argument can be made that Clarissa is powerful in a different sense. She can also be characterized as independent and clearly has strong opinions that she keeps inside. Her independence is shown with the freedom of her thoughts and how she describes her relationship with Richard as very distant with examples such as sleeping in different beds. Although she is able to enjoy life and make her own decisions, Clarissa depends on Richard for connections in society, and, like Lady Bruton, to make her name more important. Rezia is definitely the least powerful; she has no influence over Septimus and no connection to anyone in England. Woolfe seems to be portraying the different kinds of women at this time and impact of class. How is this shown for the three main men (Richard, Peter, and Septimus) of different classes?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Lady Bruton holds the most power, while she and Clarissa share the title of most compelling. When Hugh Whitbread, Richard Dalloway, and Lady Bruton come together for lunch, it is revealed that "She had got them there on false pretenses, to help her out of a difficulty"(104). The fact that she was able to request two men to come to lunch with her, and that they did came, no matter the pretense. This fact, coupled with as Emily mentioned, her title of Lady, shows the power that she holds within their relationship, and their society as a whole. The limited power that Clarissa holds is the power of being the most used narrator and character. While other characters play large roles, and take over narration, it must be noted that she is the titular character.
ReplyDeleteClarissa is compelling because of her continuos presence, and the extended narration of the thoughts within her head. While so many small things are known about her, there are many things about her that are unknown. The manner in which her character is introduced proves this to be the case, "Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself"(3). What she is doing, and her name are revealed, but the motivation behind is ignored until further explanation. WHen it comes to the compelling nature of Lady Bruton, it is found in her power lunch with the two men, "Lady Bruton often suspended judgement upon men in deference to the mysterious accord in which they, but no woman, stood to the laws of the universe; knew how to put things; knew what was said; so that if Richard advised her, and Hugh wrote for her, she was sure of being somehow right"(109). Though she has power because of her own behavior, and her backround, for it to go anywhere she must have approuval from the powers that be.
Even from a societal standpoint, Lady Bruton is clearly the most "powerful" of the three women. But, as we have talked about in class, even the most powerful woman, amidst "powerful" men, is nothing. If we were to look at the power or social status of the other women, Lucrezia would be ranked "least powerful", and Clarissa "somewhat powerful", right behind Lady Bruton. I agree with Kaya's point, that, Lucrezia's "status" is, to a certain extent, downplayed by the fact that she has to take care of Septimus. In addition, it is clear that, out of the three women, Lucrezia (and by extension her husband) is the least well-off; she is the wife of a working-class man. Clarissa, while very well-off (part of England's Upper class), is not as powerful as Lady Bruton because neither she, nor her husband is part of the British Aristocracy. Ironically, it seems that the most "powerful" woman in the novel - Lady Bruton - tries the hardest to gain social stature; she constantly "rubs elbows" with men - albeit those who are less powerful than her. While, on the other hand, Lucrezia and Clarissa seem perfectly satisfied with their place in society. What do you guys think? The higher one gets, the more one has to work to stay there?
ReplyDeleteIn some ways, it's hard to say which woman is the most powerful of the three, because each has had many different experiences. Lucrezia, Clarissa, and Lady Bruton are all in different categories of age, class, and life experience. Lucrezia is the youngest, poorest, and most naive, but has suffered much more than Clarissa or Lady Bruton. Already she has left her home country, been forced to abandon her dream of having children, and feels totally alone. Clarissa is middle-aged, fairly well-off, and has had a comfortable life. She has only suffered over Peter, which may have been painful, but is not the same as dealing with a husband who has PTSD. Lady Bruton is the oldest and wealthiest of the three women, and does not seem to have suffered much in her life. She seems to be the most powerful because her life has been easier than others'. In her own home, especially, she appears very powerful, and only has "to nod, or turn her head a little abruptly, and Milly Bush took the signal" (107). Her power, however, is mainly based on her wealth, influential ancestors, and class, rather than any personal ability. However, as Isaac said, in the big picture, none of the women have much influence or power at all,
ReplyDeleteAlthough Lady Bruton’s character is powerful and unique for British society, I find Clarissa Dalloway to be more compelling and interesting. The character of Clarissa, the novel’s eponymous protagonist, is shaped through her critical self-reflection and desire to conform to British societal norms. As a result of her obsession with how others judge her based upon her appearance, she is detached from society, spending her days contemplating life’s true meaning and searching endlessly for happiness. In addition, Clarissa’s internal struggle is complicated by her former relationship with Peter, as well as her current marriage to Richard. Given these subplots, Clarissa is portrayed as a more compelling character than Lady Burton or Lucrezia.
ReplyDeleteDr. William Bradshaw reminds me of Mr. Kurtz because both characters are successful, have a powerful presence and seek to manipulate and control others. Dr. William Bradshaw views Septimus as his subject to “cure” and control, which is similar to the manner in which Mr. Kurtz views the natives in in the Belgian Congo.