Flashback is present throughout Mrs. Dalloway, but its purpose extends much more deeply than simply providing background information or exposition about the characters' histories or minds. The use of flashback makes the reader aware that the past lives on in every character, and that each character's past influences their path. Woolf makes the reader aware of this by showing Clarissa looking in the mirror and seeing the face of "the woman who was that very night to give a party; of Clarissa Dalloway; of herself" (37). Three different ways of referrring to herself, corresponding to the future, the present and the past, are rolled up into Clarissa; she is simultaneoulsy the young, vivacious girl at Bourton and the somewhat timid, death-fearing old woman. Septimus Warren Smith also has flashbacks and occupies the world of the past commonly, but the setting of his flashbacks is most often the war. Compare and contrast the role of flashback in Clarissa's and Septimus' lives. Does flashback represent reprieve or regression to a part of their lives best left alone? What is the impact of the content of flashbacks on each of these characters?
Mr. Dalloway struggles to put into words his love for Clarissa, despite emotionally preparing to do so for the course of his walk across London. I think it is beyond question that Richard loves his wife; why else would he have been jealous of what she and Peter Walsh share? In any event, I would love to hear your takes on why Richard is unable to utter such a basic phrase (although one with hearty implications). How does his inability to show his love separate him from Peter Walsh? Without too much conjecture, try to answer this one: would Clarissa have been happier with Peter?
We've already discussed at length the implications of the rigid and defined class system during this time period, but I'd love more discussion about the sense of moral superiority which the lower middle class feels over the upper middle and upper classes. Three strong examples are Miss Kilman, Milly Brush and, in the most recet reading, Lucrezia, who "triumphs" over the wealthy doctors on page 148. What is the source of this sense of moral superiority? Compare Rezia's version of this sense of superiority to Milly's and Miss Kilman's. Does each stem from a personal dislike of a certain member of the upper of society? Pure jealousy about their iferior economic status? Disapproval of the fact that the upper classes contribute nothing to society yet live in luxury? All of the above?
The use of the continuous present (flashbacks) serves to add definite dimension to these characters. Septimus is not simply a broken war veteran, but rather a great english scholar who full of zeal went to defend Shakespeare's country. And Clarissa is not simply a upper class housewife, but rather a woman who fought an inner battle for love. We see most clearly this relationship between Septimus and Clarissa towards the end of the book when Clarissa learns of Septimus's death. The ways in which both characters view life are very similar and stem from very similar places- an exposure to the horror of death. For Clarissa that horror stems from watching her sister be crushed by a tree at a very young age, while for Septimus the horror comes directly from his experiences in war, but for both characters there is trust that with death comes, as Michele pointed out, infinite peace, not only loss. As Clarissa explains on page 186, "The young man had killed himself; but she did not pity him...Fear no more the heat of the sun."
ReplyDeleteThe flashbacks provide more information about the characters of Septimus and Clarissa to help reveal their inner self. The reference to the past (at Bourton) through Clarissa's thoughts, allows the reader to learn more about her character by how she responds to certain circumstances. The past often provided connections between characters. As Mesa said, Clarissa's sister's death at Bourton affects her fear of death, while, Septimus' outlook on death is shaped from his time in the war. This interconnection between Clarissa and Septimus is molded by their past experiences with death.
ReplyDeleteAs for Richard, I think he is intimidated by Clarissa's relationship with Peter. He tries to reassure himself of his love for her right after he finds out Peter Walsh is in town. When Richard is buying her flowers he reflects on his feeling when they spoke of Peter at Lady Bruton's luncheon (115). Richard also says on page 115: "And Clarissa--it was difficult to think of her; except in starts...". He finds it hard to think passionately about his wife contrasting the character of Peter Walsh, who seems to always be thinking about Clarissa. "What is this terror? what is this ecstasy? he thought to himself. What is it that fills me with extraordinary excitement? It is Clarissa"(194). Peter accepts his true feelings for Clarissa while Richard struggles to comprehend his "love" and can barely express it. Personally, I think Clarissa would have been happier with Peter Walsh, although she might have led a much different life.
I agree with Mesa that the flashbacks add dimension to the characters. Without the addition of Evens and the memories of war, Septimus would not be as fleshed out a character as he is. We as readers would not understand his desire to kill himself without his flashbacks. As for Clarissa her memories show us the battle she fought inside herself over love and her ultimate choice. They also give us and insight into the strained relationship between Peter and Richard. I also agree with Ellen that Richard is intimidated by Peter's relationship with his wife. As part of the fight for Clarissa's love, Richard witnessed the passion that Clarissa felt for Peter. Richard knows that he may not be the best at voicing his emotions and that, with Peter in town, he might be facing a muted reliving of Bourton.
ReplyDeleteI think that Peter’s passion is what separates him most from Richard. Richard lives an uneventful life, which creates a safe and stable life for Clarissa. Peter, however, is the exact opposite making him like a foil to Richard. Peter “had been sent down from Oxford – true. He had been a Socialist, in some sense a failure – true” (50). Peter’s life is all over the place and when he cannot find success he leaves for India. Peter’s love life is also very scattered, and after Clarissa rejects him his relationships are very brief because “one could not be in love twice” (192). It is clear that Peter would have been happier with Clarissa because his feelings from “terror” to “ecstasy” (194) are all a result of passion toward Clarissa. While neither Richard nor Peter are able to openly admit their love for her, Richard should be able to talk to his own wife, whereas Peter is more of an outsider and would be risking rejection for the second time. I think that Clarissa’s life would have been much different economically and socially if she had married Peter, but her soul would have been more free and ultimately happier. Peter seems to have a connection and level of understanding with Clarissa that Richard is unable to break through.
ReplyDeleteTo start with your last question, Louis, I think that, in a society where the Upper Class is consistently regarded as "better", more important, etc, the Lower and Middle Classes find anyway they can to get "revenge" - to lash back at their supposed superiors. There is no question that they recognize the Upper Class as being, at least by societal standards, "better". Yet, there is an ironic aspect to the Aristocratic lifestyle of the English. I like most showing the irony through Miss Brush and her interaction with Whitbread. "Miss Brush, deficient though she was in every attribute of female charm, so much resented that she said "Thank you, he's doing very well in South Africa," when, for half a dozen years, he had been doing badly in Portsmouth." (103). The irony lies in the fact that, while the Upper Class (which Hugh is a part of) is assumed to be superior (not just in wealth but in intellect), Hugh cannot keep straight in his head the state of his secretary's relative, who he supposedly cares about! Now, to work my way up to the second question. As we all know, Peter LOVES women - and subsequently, mucks up some of his relationships with them. In addition, we know that Peter is fairly forthright about his feelings with women, and quite a bit more as well (take what looked like his "stalking" of a random, "pretty lady" on the streets). Richard, on the other hand, is not so forthcoming with his confessions of love for his spouse. It is hard, if not impossible to explain why, considering that we as readers spend very little time in his head, but we do know that, if Peter had married her, he surely would have verbally expressed his love for her... which leads me to the follow up question, Would Clarissa have been more happy with Peter? I think the answer is mixed. I absolutely think that, compared to Richard’s, strained, almost awkward relationship with Clarissa (they sleep in separate beds), Peter’s relationship with her would have been more natural. On the other hand, Richard’s job, friends, and social status lend themselves better to Clarissa’s way of life; she loves hosting parties, being social, etc. What do ya'll think? Agree or disagree?
ReplyDeleteThroughout Mrs. Dalloway, the use of flashback adds a great sense of depth to the novel overall, as well as the individual characters, specifically Clarissa and Septimus, as Louis suggested. The use of flashback in the narration of this pair of characters, serves to expose the reader, and the characters to their past, and the role it played in them attaining their current characteristics and position. For Septimus, his flashbacks most often serve as a painful reminder of the brutality of war, an experience which essentially broke him. However these experiences have a positive outcome of sorts, when his flashbacks takes a verbal presence, Rezia writes them down, "She wrote it down just as he spoke it. Some things were very beautiful; others sheer nonsense. And he was always stopping in the middle, changing his mind; wanting to add something; hearing something new; listening with his hand up"(140). These writings, along with his own, serve as a documentation of the revelation that he has brought back with him from the war, while simultaneously binding him and his wife together. For Clarissa, the grand majority of her flashbacks serve to document the difference between her life at 19, with Sally, Peter and Richard at Burton, compared to her life at 52. Specifically the distance that has formed over the course of 32 years, between herself and those who mean the most to her. For both characters, flashbacks magnify their pain, by definition reminding them of their past, though they seemingly don't want to forget.
ReplyDeleteVirginia Woolf utilizes Clarissa’s flashbacks to Bourton and her past to reveal a different aspect of her character. Her physical appearance and manners have been shaped by the oppressive nature of the British aristocratic society. Although Clarissa appears to be content with the security and comfort of her present life, she yearns for a different life filled with adventure and independence. When Clarissa reflects upon her young passion and lust towards Sally, Woolf writes, “It was an extraordinary beauty of the kind she most admired, dark, large-eyed, with that quality which, since she hadn’t got it herself, she always envied - a sort of abandonment, as if she could say anything, do anything” (Woolf 32). While Clarissa’s past is satiated with passionate emotions and longing, Septimus Warren Smith remembers the tragedy and sadness of war. However, both characters face emotional and mental hardships due to their respective pasts.
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In Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf uses memories to reveal the past, the present and even the future lives of her characters. Clarissa is a perfect example of this. In the present Clarissa is an aging woman, who constantly thinks of herself rapidly approaching death in her day-to-day thoughts. In the beginning of the novel, however, she “plunges” into the past, feeling a surge of warmth as she recalls her summers as a young girl in Bourton: “What a lark! What a plunge…she had burst open the French windows and plunged at Bourton into the open air.” (3) For Clarissa, memories often lead to reliving positive feelings she once had; others, like Septimus are haunted by painful memories. Septimus is who he is because of his memories of WWI. Woolf writes that “London has swallowed up many millions of young men called Smith” (84), yet Septimus’ memories make him unique. On Armistice Day, a time of celebration for most who lived through the same war, Septimus is haunted by the memory of his dead friend Evans. His past and present merge and he literally sees Evans: “There was his hand; there the dead white things were assembling behind the railings opposite. But he dared not look. Evans was behind the railings opposite” (25). The different reactions of the main characters to moments in their past brings to light the different impact that memory has on each individual. And the very examples that spark the character’s shared memories illustrate that the events that connect the characters together are not really universal. Woolf also seems to suggest that none of us truly live in the present, and can only see the world through our past, which we relive over and over.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the impact of the content of flashbacks on each of these characters?
In Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf uses memories to reveal the past, the present and even the future lives of her characters. Clarissa is a perfect example of this. In the present Clarissa is an aging woman, who constantly thinks of herself rapidly approaching death in her day-to-day thoughts. In the beginning of the novel, however, she “plunges” into the past, feeling a surge of warmth as she recalls her summers as a young girl in Bourton: “What a lark! What a plunge…she had burst open the French windows and plunged at Bourton into the open air.” (3) For Clarissa, memories often lead to reliving positive feelings she once had; others, like Septimus are haunted by painful memories. Septimus is who he is because of his memories of WWI. Woolf writes that “London has swallowed up many millions of young men called Smith” (84), yet Septimus’ memories make him unique. On Armistice Day, a time of celebration for most who lived through the same war, Septimus is haunted by the memory of his dead friend Evans. His past and present merge and he literally sees Evans: “There was his hand; there the dead white things were assembling behind the railings opposite. But he dared not look. Evans was behind the railings opposite” (25). The different reactions of the main characters to moments in their past brings to light the different impact that memory has on each individual. And the very examples that spark the character’s shared memories illustrate that the events that connect the characters together are not really universal. Woolf also seems to suggest that none of us truly live in the present, and can only see the world through our past, which we relive over and over.
I think that throughout Mrs Dalloway, Woolf uses the style/notion of "continuous present" elegantly. I love the idea that one is never simply them at one specific moment, but rather as readers; to establish who exactly a character is at their heart, we must see them from every angle. That includes multiple views and opinions, and seeing them at many different points in their lives. "For, said Sally, Clarissa was at heart a snob -- one had to admit it, a snob"(190). "[Clarissa] had been merely condescending. She came from the most worthless of all classes"(123). "She felt very young; at the same time unspeakably aged"(8). I think that the flashbacks or memories of the characters and their insight into them provides us as the readers with a closer look into developing our own opinions of the characters, through seeing and hearing the opinions of the other characters. As for Septimus, his flashbacks and memories of the war only further his grasp on reality, as seen by his doctors. Knowing what goes through his head makes it easier to comprehend his actions, unlike Dr Holmes, who calls him a coward as he jumps out the window to his death.
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