Mrs. Dalloway

Mrs. Dalloway

It is apparent throughout the Virgina Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway that the character development and complexity of the female characters of the story are concentrated on far more than their male counterparts. It is my feelings that the magnitude of this character development comes about because of the observations and feelings of the main character Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway. From the beginning we get this description that she has a feeling of having an extremely good sense of character yet she is shallow, admitting she does many things not for herself but for the sake of other’s opinions. I think that the other female characters portray the qualities and good traits that Clarissa wished that she herself possessed. They also serve to parallel and reveal Clarissa’s attitude and personality making her persona more dynamic.

Starting with the character that I feel represents what Clarissa wishes she could be more like is Sally Seton. Not only was Sally the object of attraction to Clarissa, but the two of them had dreams of changing the world. Sally is a free-spirited rebel that Clarissa wishes she could be more like. Because Clarissa turned out to be the way that everyone, like Peter, pretty much imagined her to it is Sally and her memories that serve as an escape. On the inside Clarissa wishes that she did follow through with her and Sally’s plans to change the world and that they would have stayed together. Throughout the beginning of the novel we see Sally only through Clarissa’s memories, but at the party, although older, she still doesn’t have the same sort of restraints that Clarissa does. We discover that like Clarissa she has married, and she is the mother to five sons, this is a fate that both of them considered to be a catastrophe during the summer at Bourton. It is obvious that both women have conformed to the ideals of English society, but Sally still believes that speaking your mind is the best contribution one can make. Clarissa also seems to be disappointed that Sally has chosen the path she has, it is as if it would have been better if Sally only lived in her memories. I think that Clarissa is jealous of Sally and regrets the lifestyle that she has chosen wishing that they could have fulfilled that one moment of passion that came from their kiss.

Another female character that has a huge impact on the novel is Lucrezia Smith. Although she never meets Clarissa she serves to show the restraints that society can creat. Rezia is burdened and tied down to the wreck that the war has made of her husband Septimus. She represents another victim of English society that is being held back. She is young and full of life and should not grow old with the same regrets as Clarissa. But because of her dutifulness to Septimus she will probably do just that. She is Clarissa in a young woman’s body, and as far as we know she has never liberated, not even for a short period of time like Sally did for Clarissa.

Lady Bruton represents the extreme of Clarissa’s conforming to society. Although she is everything that Clarissa truly doesn’t want to be at the same time she is exactly what Clarissa desires. We can clearly see this when Clarissa is frustrated and jealous of the time that Richard spends with her and the exclusive lunch that they have. But it is not Richard’s affections that Clarissa is concerned with but the fact that she wasn’t invited. Lady Bruton is the epitome of what Clarissa has become; a socialite who’s main concern is a frilly party. Despite her internal struggle to escape this she only manages to show that she is deeper in her memories.

Elizabeth Dalloway is Clarissa’s daughter and is an object of struggle for Clarissa. Elizabeth prefers spending time with her history teacher Mrs. Killman and her dog. She is religious because of her tutor’s