Feminist Themes in Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway",the story of sixteen hours in the life of an upper-class British woman, her daughter, her husband, and her closest friends and acquaintances. In particular, it looks at how Woolf?s main purpose in writing "Mrs. Dalloway" was to show how important it was to see everyday life as more than menial, and that if any human act is seen as unimportant, it is because it hasn't been examined sufficiently. It explores how her novel shows the changing culture of her times and reflects themes of homoerotic desire and changing societal views.

From the Paper:

"Homoerotic desire is a repetitive theme throughout the novel. Virginia Woolf grew up at a time when tolerance of public expressions of romantic bonds between women had ended; for the first time, legal and medical authorities recognized the sexual potential in such relationships and scrutinized them for signs of 'perversion.' Mannish women, those who wore comfortable shoes, were viewed as lesbian, and Sigmund Freud declared erotic affection between women a mental illness and a flaw. In the novel, Clarissa seems to have a secretive passion for women, and the kiss between Sally Seton and Clarissa is an important moment in the novel."

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