A Web of Connections
Hidden patterns of connections that
construct personal and thematic relations
that structure the text in Mrs. Dalloway, by
Virginia Woolf.
Tafannum Rahman
“Behind the cotton wool [of daily
life] is hidden a pattern; that
we—I mean all human beings—are
connected with this; that the
whole world is a work of art; that
we are parts of the work of art.
Hamlet or a Beethoven quartet is
the truth about this vast mass
that we call the world. But there
is no Shakespeare, there is no
Beethoven; certainly and
emphatically there is no God; we
are the words; we are the music;
we are the thing itself.”
― Virginia Woolf, A Sketch of
the Past
Connections Between Characters
There is a disconnect between people in the modern urban
setting of London in Mrs. Dalloway. Woolf believes a complex
web exists behind the “cotton wool” of everyday life, and she
uses this web to make natural transitions between characters’
points of view. Throughout the book, a memory or action links
characters and several major links appear. At times I feel as
though Septimus is awkwardly placed into the novel due to the
lack of connections he has to the other characters. Maybe
Woolf attempts to make a point about “shell shock” without
wanting to impact the storyline, and by the end of the novel the
power of Septimus's character is understood better in relation
to Clarissa. The following are a few connections I was able to
find between Clarissa and Septimus along with connections
between the other characters.
Both Clarissa and
Septimus feel trapped in
their lives. Clarissa
experiences societal
judgment, while
Septimus battles the
images of war that are
stuck in his mind. This
feeling of captivity
heavily influences and
connects Septimus and
Clarissa because in a
sense, they are in the
same state of mind.
Peter watches a child as
it runs into Rezia’s legs.
This encounter is
important because we
can clearly see the
connection between
Peter and Rezia.
An old woman singing in
the street instills a
feeling of pity in both
Peter and Rezia.
Parallels between Peter
and Rezia allow readers
to compare as well as
link them.
A little before halfway through
the book, Peter thinks about his
rejection from Clarissa and
exclaims that it was, “awful!” A few
moments later, Rezia refers to
Septimus’s mental illness with
almost the same expression and
reaction. Peter’s self-pity at being
turned down from love is selfindulgent compared to the
difficulties the Smiths have to
endure.
The link between Clarissa and Septimus is the most
important, in my opinion, throughout the book although at
times it feels like an underlying connection. This link
becomes stronger in a moment in which one of them is the
opposite of the other. Clarissa puts down her party dress,
At the same time, Septimus is exposed to society as he
enters Sir William Bradshaw’s office for his appointment.
Septimus sees doctors as the embodiment of human
nature, which he witnesses during the war. Both Dr.
Holmes and Sir William are older men who probably did
not see any of the war firsthand, but they think that
they are experts on Septimus’s condition. Clarissa, by
mending and preparing the dress, will be able to navigate
social situations smoothly. Septimus does not have, and
does not want, Clarissa’s charm and ability, and he is at
the doctors’ mercy. (Klein)
Connections Through Themes
While reading, Mrs. Dalloway, I picked up
on some themes that I believe help form
connections between the characters.
Scenes in the text definitely display
connections, however, the hints of themes
here and there that Woolf makes
contribute to her “cotton wool” analogy.
Communication and Privacy
Throughout Mrs. Dalloway, Clarissa, Septimus, and Peter
struggle to find outlets for communication. In addition, each
of the characters struggle with finding privacy. The balance
between communication and privacy for all three characters
is difficult to attain. Clarissa is the main character who
struggles with communication and her throwing parties is an
attempt to draw people together. Clarissa also has an
existential issue when she thinks about how it is possible that
she can exist in one room while the old woman in the house
across from hers exists in another. Clarissa celebrates the
old woman’s independence, but knows that it comes with
loneliness. Peter tries to explain the contradictory human
impulses toward privacy and communication by comparing the
soul to a fish that swims along in murky water, then rises
quickly to the surface to frolic on the waves. Meaningful
connections in the postwar world are not easy to make
despite the efforts the characters put forth. Clarissa sees
Septimus’s death as a desperate but legitimate act of
communication.
Oppression
Septimus dies in order to escape what he perceives to be an
oppressive social pressure to conform. Miss Kilman and Sir
William Bradshaw are two of the major oppressors in the novel.
Both characters wish to convert the world to their belief
systems in order to gain power and dominate others. This has its
consequences however, because I think their rigidness
oppresses everyone who comes in contact with them. Clarissa
feels oppressed by the weight of the system and I think her
acceptance of this society makes her partly responsible for
Septimus's death. I think it is absurd and unbelievable that
someone you have never met can be partly responsible for your
death. This is a strong claim to make, but it ties in with Clarissa,
Septimus, and the theme of oppression. At the end of the novel,
she reflects on his suicide and accepts responsibility. The
character’s in Mrs. Dalloway are connected in the oppression of
each other in different scenarios and situations.
Love
Although this is not one of the major themes
I picked up on, it is fair to day that love is an
underlying theme in Mrs. Dalloway that connects
the characters to one another. Love does not
necessarily mean romantically or sexually. Love
can come in the form of friendship and care. Each
character is driven by either love, friendship, and
care which connects them. For example, the
Smiths are connected to Peter through love
because Peter would look at them in the park with
care, wondering how they are living with
Septimus’s condition.
Works Cited
Klein, Lauren. "Category Archives:
Septimus Smith." Digital Humanities.
N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.
Woolf, Virginia. Mrs. Dalloway. New York:
Harcourt, Brace, 1925. Print.