Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf | Themes

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Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe explains the themes in Virginia Woolf's novel Mrs. Dalloway.

Download the free study guide and infographic for Mrs. Dalloway here: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Mrs-Da...

Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway describes a single day in London from the perspectives of several characters through stream of consciousness narration.

Notably, Clarissa Dalloway, the title character, ruminates on her life as she moves through the city and prepares for a party. On the outside, she is the perfect party hostess. Internally, she’s doubting her marriage, missing lost loves, and contemplating growing old.

The novel drifts into the minds of several of Clarissa's acquaintances, as her friends defy social expectations and struggle to process the aftermath of World War I. The novel notably explores the thoughts of Septimus Smith, a World War I veteran suffering from the lingering effects of shell shock.

Remarked for its stylistic innovation and compassionate treatment of unconventional women, mental illness, and sexuality, the narrative situates profound revelations within the mundane activities of everyday life.

Celebrated British author Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway was first published in 1925. Born to an artistic Victorian family, Woolf balanced creative passion and severe depression throughout her life. She often focused her work on characters’ complex interior lives, dabbling in unusual forms such as stream of consciousness—as in Mrs. Dalloway—surrealism, and minimalism. The character Mrs. Dalloway is featured in five short stories written by Woolf.

The dramatic novel Mrs. Dalloway contains many important themes, including age and memory, as the characters grow older and reflect on the past differently; the passage of time, as the characters measure minutes, hours, and years; and stress and mental illness, as Clarissa and Septimus fight internal battles. Important motifs include flowers, water, and Big Ben.

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