Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in "Mrs. Dalloway", which is considered the
most schizophrenic of English novels, Virginia Woolf creates the character Septimus as the protagonist Clarissa's doppelganger to mirror Woolf's struggle with mental illness; stream of consciousness inexorably binds together Septimus, Clarissa and Woolf. The author points out that, as Woolf's multi-layered consciousness building becomes increasingly complex, so do her revelations about her characters, which are each a study in contrasts. The paper relates that all of Woolf's characters are broken souls and Woolf is quite evolved in understanding that misery is ultimately about self-absorption; therefore, it is understandable that, by focusing on the theme of madness, "Mrs. Dalloway" explores the enforced development of a society of outsiders.

From the Paper:

"Clarissa Dalloway's character is drawn from Woolf's mother, who she described as an angel. She is aware that she is "an 'animated mirror' of the shallow world she reflects." Woolf shows us her thoughts about herself: "Nothing else had she of the slightest importance; could not think, write, even play the piano. She...loved success; hated discomfort...talked oceans of nonsense..." In this passage, we can hear Woolf stepping back to pass judgment, but still presenting the thought as Clarissa's: "How much she wanted it--that people should look pleased as she came in...""

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